Porto is considered the capital of the north and as the second largest city in Portugal, rightfully so. There are really very few similarities between Porto and Lisbon – they are both near the coast, on the banks of large rivers and have some fairly daunting hills, but that’s really where it ends. The two cities have a totally different feel and different charms. Porto’s most striking characteristic is that of ‘faded grandeur’. In Europe there are very few remaining cities that can do ‘faded grandeur’ quite on the scale of Porto, you’d have to travel to Cuba or Argentina for competition. The feeling is accentuated by the mix of Baroque, Neoclassical and splash of Belle Epoque architecture, all in varying degrees of preservation. Clerigos Glimpse - Porto Clerigos Glimpse All rights reserved It’s hard to find a description of Porto that does not at some point refer to parts of the city as being Dickensian, but I’d reached this conclusion before picking up a guide book. Downtown Porto, with a fog coming off the river, the gold leaf writing on the dusty shop windows and the winding confusion of cobbled streets is like taking a trip back in time to Olde London town. It’s hard to overstate how atmospheric this old city can be. Porto has the reputation of being a hard working city. Indeed there is is a saying which succinctly sums it up: "Coimbra studies, Braga prays, Lisbon shows off and Porto works". Whether this is still true is hard to know but the strong sense of rivalry still exists between Porto and Lisbon.