This is an Official Postcrossing card from Portugal! This one features the city of Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city (only second to the capital, Lisbon) which sits along the coast of the Norte region, located in the northwestern part of the country. Porto is known for its manufacturing of port wine, being the source of the country’s name, and its location by the Douro River, which is a big spot for some beautiful river cruises. A neat fact about Porto is that the people there bear the nickname “tripeiros”, or “tripe-eaters”. I mentioned in a previous post about what tripe was, and that’s cow stomach lining. They got this nickname from a period during the 15th century, where there was an expedition taking place to conquer areas in northwestern Africa. To keep the sailors fed, meat was supplied to the fleet, leaving the citizens of Porto with the leftovers – predominantly, tripe. Today, this is a hugely local dish. Anyway, what you see here is the old town of Ribeira, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This area has a bunch of cafes and restaurants that sit looking out at the Douro, and you can walk along the cobblestone roads admiring the view of the river as well as the cool, colorful buildings that still house a number of residents. Apparently Porto is a notably affordable destination, so if you’re ready to “get yo tripe on” and enjoy the fruits of such a neat city, you should have no problems doing so! By the way, I find it kinda funny that you can fill your stomach with more stomach. Okay weird paradoxical thought over – thank you so much for sharing this wonderful postcard with me, Paulo!
