From the Feed Bag- Oporto Cool

Our Feed Bag is a listing of links that tickle our Bobo fancies. Each of them is special to us. We've tried to organize them into somewhat logical groupings, but to be sure, there are overlaps.

Today we share with you Oporto Cool, a site that makes us crave a little Portuguese getaway.

We've placed it in the travel section of the Feed Bag because, to our knowledge, none of you live there. And it is a place that is very high on our list of "must go there soon, before the rest of the world catches on" destinations. (You might well ask: if that's the way they feel about the place, why are they sharing this secret with us? Well, we like you & that 's just the kind of guys we are.)
But as you can see, this is so much more than a travel destination. It is a city where rich tradition & cultural patrimony co-exist with a very vibrant & contemporary art & design scene, so it wears architecture, design & urbanism tags as well.
And with the Atlantic just around one corner & one of the country's major wine regions around the other (let's face it, Portugal is small so there aren't too many corners) you can be sure the dining & drinking will be first rate.
Browsing this site, we started to wonder; what is it about the "second cities" of many countries that allow them to have a vibe that eludes the big cheese? Do the capitals take themselves too seriously? Is the fact that they exist a little outside of the spotlight permission to cut loose & go a little crazy?
We think we'll have to ponder that question a little further while sipping a nice Bairrada on a terrace overlooking the Duoro.

Oporto Cool