When in Porto, Eat, Eat, Eat

A couple of years ago, while researching my Portugal guidebook, I explored the crusty old industrial city of Porto. There I joined tour guide André Apolinário on one of his "Taste Porto" food tours: http://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/a-mobile-feast-in-porto-with-a-guide. I raved about André’s tour in my guidebook listing, and that experience (as much as any other) inspired me to come back now with the TV crew and shoot a new show on the heartland of Portugal.

André saved a morning just for our crew to film his food tour. We scrambled to find four other tourists who would join the tour while we stopped and started it during three hours of filming. We had a great time — with camera rolling — eating our way through Porto. Anywhere in Europe these days — in fact, almost anywhere in the world — you can enjoy a fun and experiential education about a culture on a food tour. When in Porto, André’s tours are worth planning for. This clip shows us on the last of five stops, with three tasty plates: chicken gizzards stewed in tomatoes and chili peppers; octopus salad; and smoked ham that's been aged 24 months.

(This is Day 39 of my "100 Days in Europe" series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Italy, Portugal, France, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Follow along at http://www.ricksteves.com/blog.)