Out And About.

[HVC]

Yeah, Porto is either a love it or just kind of like it situation. Some people really like the aesthetic and "roughness" of it. I didn't really like the ruins/dilapidation aspect of it. But apparently in the last few years it's gotten/getting better as foreign money is moving in more (guess Lisbon got too expensive ) . Aesthetically it's getting better, but I guess for locals there's the catch the they might get priced out.

One part I really liked is that it's much better for day trips. You have Guimaraes, Braga, and Aveiro real close by, for example. Plus Matosinhos if you like seafood and shitty beaches With Lisbon there's really only Sintra, but that's only the castle and nothing else to see. Plus Cascais if you want to people watch rich foreigners playing at being expats.

Also, if you're doing trips in the future Nazare is cool. Lost a lot of the old charm (old women in traditional clothes) as the old people die off, but it's still nice, and has good views. Plus it's where my moms side of the family comes from.


*edit* close by NA standards, I guess. You tell some Europeans an hour is close and they look at you weird

Actually, there's more than the castle at Sintra, as in the palace of Regaleira and the garden.
Plus Queluz is not that far.
Goddamm crypto-judeo Moor does not even know his moorish lands. 

I should have said worth seeing at least for me. Pena was super crowded and that dampened the mood. I guess you agree about cascais, though

For the city itself I preferred Lisbon, but thats mainly because it's bigger, so more areas to meet different preferences, and the weather is better. Although I guess that depends on the time of year.

[HVC]

I love Porto. And that was before it gentrified. I think I will still enjoy it when I return, but it may have become a tad too touristy?

I haven't been in 10 years, but from what I understand it has gotten significantly more touristy. As Lisbon gentrified people started to go to Porto for a more "authentic" experience, which unfortunately leads to an area that is less authentic. Still not as bad as Lisbon, especially if you go during the off season, but then you still have to deal with the aforementioned weather. It rains more in Porto than London .

[Duque de Bragança]

Yeah, Porto is either a love it or just kind of like it situation. Some people really like the aesthetic and "roughness" of it. I didn't really like the ruins/dilapidation aspect of it. But apparently in the last few years it's gotten/getting better as foreign money is moving in more (guess Lisbon got too expensive ) . Aesthetically it's getting better, but I guess for locals there's the catch the they might get priced out.

One part I really liked is that it's much better for day trips. You have Guimaraes, Braga, and Aveiro real close by, for example. Plus Matosinhos if you like seafood and shitty beaches With Lisbon there's really only Sintra, but that's only the castle and nothing else to see. Plus Cascais if you want to people watch rich foreigners playing at being expats.

Also, if you're doing trips in the future Nazare is cool. Lost a lot of the old charm (old women in traditional clothes) as the old people die off, but it's still nice, and has good views. Plus it's where my moms side of the family comes from.


*edit* close by NA standards, I guess. You tell some Europeans an hour is close and they look at you weird

Actually, there's more than the castle at Sintra, as in the palace of Regaleira and the garden.
Plus Queluz is not that far.
Goddamm crypto-judeo Moor does not even know his moorish lands. 

I should have said worth seeing at least for me. Pena was super crowded and that dampened the mood. I guess you agree about cascais, though

For the city itself I preferred Lisbon, but thats mainly because it's bigger, so more areas to meet different preferences, and the weather is better. Although I guess that depends on the time of year.

Actually, Cascais is not something I would recommend.  Even in your own voyeur way.
Plus you can do that in Estoril too. Estoril has the great rock club by the (racing) circuit, however.

Weather in Lisbon is better as in suffocating, sometimes, during the summer? I guess I prefer Porto's coolness (literal and figurative). Technically, I'm used to stronger heat than in both in my area, though.
Remember, under 20° in Lisbon means winter for the Lisboetes.