Douro River, Carmo Church, Ribeira Square
Located along the Douro river estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin for the name "Portugal", based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. In Portuguese the name of the city is spelled with a definite article as "o Porto" (English: the port). Consequently, its English name evolved from a misinterpretation of the oral pronunciation and referred to as "Oporto" in modern literature and by many speakers.
One of Portugal's internationally famous exports, port wine, is named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the adegas of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the production and export of the fortified wine. The Porto region is also a major producer of cork.
I had the chance of tasting the sweet Port wine in one of the many cellars across the river from the historic center. Porto is really a great city to visit and I enjoyed myself very much here.Thank you Marilia from Porto for this beautiful card!
Sent: 17 December 2012
Received: 21 December 2012
Travelled: 4 days
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