My original plans were to spend five days in Porto with two-day trips to Braga and Guimaraes. However, because my stay was shortened by bad weather, I decided to spend all my time in Porto. I really did not want to miss anything. After settling in my hotel room, I visited my first church located within a few steps of my hotel.

The blue tiles on the outside of the church were stunning.

The Church of Saint Ildefonso was completed in 1739. The tilework on the outside of the church is known as azulejo and is a form of Iberian painted tin-glazed ceramic artwork. Approximately 11,000 tiles, created by Jorge Colaco, cover the façade of this church. The tilework was completed in 1932 and depicts scenes from the life of Saint Ildefonso and imagery from the Gospels. Saint Ildefonso was a prominent 7th-century Spanish bishop, theologian, and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Toledo. The Church of Saint Ildefonso in Porto took thirty years to complete. It is noted in its history that the church suffered damage from artillery fire in 1833 during the siege of Porto.

After reviewing the weather for the next three days, I knew I had only one day of good weather. I decided to do all the outdoor activities on the one and only predicted sunny day. I began that adventure with a walk across the Dom Luis I Bridge. This bridge is a double-deck metal arch bridge that connects Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia and is the longest of its type in the world. I walked across the bridge around 9am. There were hardly any people on the bridge. However, that changed by the early afternoon.

While walking along one of the main streets in Porto, I came upon the Chapel of Souls, also known as the Chapel of Santa Catarina. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Catherine, was constructed at the end of the 18th century. The amazing part of this building was the 15,947 azulejo tiles that covered the entire structure. These tiles represent the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine. People thronged on all sides of this building trying to capture the beauty of it all in photos and videos. My attempt to capture its beauty can be seen in the video below.

Although I decided that I would do only outdoor activities on this beautiful sunny day, I couldn’t wait to get inside this church. Many people were going in and out of its doors. As soon as I entered, however, I realized that Mass was being said. Since it was in the middle of Mass and I missed most of it, I immediately exited and decided to visit other sites before going back. When I returned to this church, the Blessed Sacrament was on the altar. I was happy to see this and took a seat with many others. The church was full of people reverently praying before the Blessed Sacrament. However, there were others that did not have an understanding as to Who was present. This was evident on their faces as they toured the church. One couple in particular caught my eye. Down the center of the aisle, the woman walked with who I presumed was her husband following close behind. Their eyes were focused on the architecture and artwork all around. They gazed at the ceilings and the walls as they strolled down the center aisle toward the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. As they approached the altar, their eyes never looked toward the Blessed Sacrament. They were enthralled with the beauty of the church not realizing that Jesus was before them in this special way. Once at the altar, the woman simply continued to walk with her eyes looking upward as she proceeded to the left and then down the side aisle. The man followed her in the same way.

It was at this moment I realized that what I witnessed was the world’s reality. God is always present to each of us – ALWAYS – even if we do not acknowledge Him. There was a peace as I continued to watch this couple and others – some making the sign of the cross, some genuflecting, and others just looking around. Not one person in the church judged anyone. No one insisted on quiet. No one made a gesture for order. Everyone seemed to accept what was happening and focused on the presence of Jesus on the altar. It was beautiful and spoke to me in so many ways. I left the church with great peace and continued to explore this beautiful city.

There was so much to see in Porto and on full display on every corner was a bakery with Portugal’s famous Pastel de nata – a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. These pastries were inspired by an original recipe created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jeronimos Monastery (which you will see in the Porto – Part 2 blog and video).

Soon after discovering the Pastel de nata, I found the Bolhao Market. This market dates back to 1839. Its name means “big bubble.” The current structure was constructed in 1914 and renovated in 2022. There were two floors of vendors with a variety of Portuguese food everywhere – see the video below!

A short walk from the market is the Clergios Church and Tower. Construction of this church began in 1732 and finished in 1750. The Church of Carmo was an unexpected find. I chose not to go into this church on the only sunny day of my time in Porto. Stay tuned for Porto – Part 2 to see all that this beautiful church had to offer. I did, however, go into the beautiful Sao Bento Train Station. This train station was minutes from my hotel and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are over 20,000 azulejo tiles throughout the train station lobby. This is a must-see for anyone visiting the area. The lobby is fully displayed in the video below.

After a long day touring Porto, I attended the 5pm Mass at the Church of Ildefonso near my hotel. It was breathtaking to see the church lit up at night. Enjoy the video and stay tuned for Part 2 of my adventure in Porto.

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Enjoy the video and God bless all…