I am trying to think of a way to reflect and detail out everything for yall but it’s just too much. So instead I offer to be your guide for Portugal if ever you shall go.
Porto, Viana do Castello, Braga, Guimaraesh, Douro (Regua/Pinhao), Sortelha, Monsanto, Evora, Obidos, Sintra, Lisbon covered
FOOD DUMP included for imagery.
Let’s discuss.
https://imgur.com/gallery/Y3yzqxo
https://imgur.com/gallery/4SxxVYP
emblematic bacalhao
Let’s start with an easy question. What what your favorite item consumed in each city?
Porto… really tempted to say their totally ridiculous Francesinha
but going with roasted leg of suckling goat which they call Roasted Kid from Traca because i have issues with lamb and goat
Viana do Castelo… seafood was phenomenal but i’m going with the most unique chicken rice stewed in chicken blood… it has to be super fresh farm chicken… we were super lucky our hosts joined us for dinner with their family and it was a very memorable experience.
Douro - the place we went to called Tasca da Quita is one of the most memorable. They’re so awesome and focus on tiny local wine producers. sausage a bras was crazy good
bacalhau, garbanzo salad also amazing
Monsanto - surely the roasted bacalhau
Evora, the roasted pork neck and stewed pork check with spinach migos was crazy. that place called Taberna Tipica Quarta Feira is a treasure and you dont to choose your own food )
Colares (around Sintra ) Crazy fried potato skins (peels) with an aoili . Adega Vadia there is the only place i’ll recommend anyone go listen to fado at.
in Lisbon it’s between the crazy clams at time out market, (i’m a clam fiend). these were the juiciest sweet little buggers ive ever had.
and the huge brown crab from Pinocchio
So amazing! Glad to see you eat so well! Did you find that you needed strong Portuguese skills during your travels?
Not speaking for OP but I haven’t found it necessary really anywhere in Western Europe.
No, I have zero skills. Just used english and in some of the villages where it was tough i just switched to my 20 spanish words and body language
Fair enough. Was just curious. Thinking of going next year and combining with Spain.
don’t overload it… we couldnt even fit in southern portugal in 17 days… and spain is huge. next time in that area we do southern portugal combined with sevilla and granada/valencia area i think
I think we were thinking 4 days in Spain and 2-3 in Portugal. Still not completely decided. Thanks for the words from the wise.
oh… then i’d suggest porto over lisbon. man, that’s like visiting LA for 4 hours
Some Brit friends just love Porto. I’ve only been to Lisbon. So far.
Regarding Spain, have you been to Barcelona? Talk about food. Big sigh 
I can see our combining Porto and Barcelona for at least a week.
Re Barcelona, I was concerned because their official language is Catalan. I know maybe 200 words each of Spanish and Portuguese (Brazilian). I was looking for a particular place and approached a young man (they mostly all study English) and said “Habla Ingles?” and he replied “How may I help you?” 
any medium to big city in europe speaks english, they all learn multiple languages in schools. yes i’ve been to barcelona 3 times, including last november.
Porto is amazing, but the real magic is in old towns and villages like Braga, Monsanto, Viana do Castelo. Portuguese culture is best preserved in those. same thing in spain and every other place we’ve visited.
Don’t you think that’s true everywhere, all over the world?
