Advantages: friendly efficient staff, good location
Disadvantages: poorly promoted restaurant

...In September we had a great holiday in North Portugal and I wanted to tell you about my favourite hotel. We booked into the Pestana Porto for 4 nights and it was a very enjoyable stay. My Aunt had recommended Oporto so after a search on Tripadvisor for hotels there, we booked a room with a river view. Location The Pestana Porto is ideally situated for tourists. It looks out onto the river Douro and the riverside cafes. Nearby are old, narrow quaint streets with bars and restaurants. River cruises regularly set off from just below our bedroom window. A walk across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia takes you straight into the old part of the town and you can easily walk to many of the famous port houses. The fabulous Palacio da Bolsa is located a short walk away. We walked into town although this is not recommended for all. Parts... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting idea
Disadvantages: Unconvincing argument

...Gaia - A New Look at Life on Earth James Lovelock ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Earth is not a disparate collection of oceans, land and air populated by simple and complex life forms. It is a single entity where everything within the planets biosphere colludes to form a cybernetic system which actively seeks to maintain an optimal physical and chemical environment suitable for sustaining life. This is the underlying theory of Gaia as first proposed by Professor James Lovelock in his book 'Gaia - A New Look at Life on Earth'. Published in 1979, Gaia is a refreshing and challenging proposition that seeks to redefine how we view the planet we live on. Since it was first published the Gaia theory has had a rocky time, variously attacked by the scientific community and championed by some of the more extreme... Read review

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Advantages: A perfect City break
Disadvantages: Few

...the banks of the river Douro do seem damp and old – and dirty - but this reflects its history and if it looks poor or miserable, this is misleading. In fact, Porto, as it’s called in Portuguese, is the country’s second city, and is rich, industrious, friendly and fun! The people are really friendly – even in a country where friendliness to strangers is common. From the Foz area around the river mouth to the old, quaint riverside area of Ribeira, yellow trams rattle along winding roads. Brightly coloured houses hug the riverbank under the huge iron bridge which tradition says was built by Eiffel (wrong!) and look across the water to the warehouses of Vila Nova de Gaia, where Port REALLY comes from. On the river, you can still see the Rabelos, the traditional shallow-draught, lateen-sailed barges which were built... Read review

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Advantages: Service, cleanliness, ambience, views, value for money
Disadvantages: None but not suitable for young families or clubbers!

...First of all, a word to the warning for anyone who enjoys the Magaluf/Palma Nova style holiday experience - the Hotel Felip and the resort of Porto Cristo are not for you! I say resort but in fact, Porto Cristo is a small coastal town built on the fishing industry and now boasts a very busy marina for private boat owners in addition to the still substantial fishing fleet. The town is on the east coast of Mallorca, about 62 kms (55 minutes) from Palma by car. Porto Cristo is probably most famous for the popular and stunning Caves of Drach which hosts day trip coach loads from all parts of the island, on a daily basis. The small town centre has a few tourist shops and cafe/restaurants together with local bars but no large clubs and you're very unlikely to spot a lager lout here! To be serious, the ambience of Porto Cristo is suitable... Read review

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Advantages: Location, Staff, cleanliness, good food and service, price
Disadvantages: none

...My wife and I had first encountered the charming town of Porto Cristo during a stay at nearby Calas de Mallorca, in May of this year... and it was love at first sight! The resort does not boast an extensive range of shops, restaurants, hotels or attractions. But what it lacks in terms of numbers it most certainly makes up for in terms of taste and character. Having sampled the ambience of Porto Cristo for one day in May, the good lady and I vowed to return for a longer stay.. and so we did on October 6th 2001 courtesy of a "late deal" package holiday from Direct Holidays (www.directholidays.co.uk). A word for the tour operator here. Over the years, we have encountered the broad spectrum of service provision associated with tour operators, from very poor to very good ( and all that lies between). I am pleased to report... Read review

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Advantages: an interesting theory, easy to follow
Disadvantages: will require a few leaps of faith by some readers

...that opposite beliefs can act as checks and a balance against each other is an important concept to remember. It is because of these often conflicting views of the world that I carry around in my head that I find the work of James Lovelock so intriguing a man who is seen as a visionary by some and a fringe lunatic by others, but some of the most successful theories have started off in these marginalized areas, Copernicus, Giordano and even Galileo were vilified in there time for such radical ideas that the earth is not the centre of the universe but now are seen to be the people that made the big breaks through to our modern understanding of the universe. Before I launch into the book itself and my opinions of it, it will be necessary to explain the Gaia Theory, as I’m sure many readers will have little or no understanding of it. By his own... Read review

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Advantages: Good food, nice atmosphere
Disadvantages: Service not so good

...Situated in St Mary Street Cardiff, is an old-fashioned, rather innocuous little restaurant called Porto’s. As the name might suggest, Porto’s is a Portuguese owned and managed restaurant, and serves up a menu of authentic Portuguese dishes. The menu comprises a wide range of meat and fish-based dishes, and is a favourite haunt for my colleagues and myself whenever a visit to Cardiff is required. THE RESTAURANT The restaurant is decorated rather like an authentic Portuguese bar or tavern. Situated across two floors, the restaurant is quite intimate, with clusters of wooden tables situated amidst cosy lighting, but providing an advanced booking is made, relatively large groups can also be accommodated. The tavern is decorated throughout with plastic vines, wine bottles and other ornaments – it’s not the most... Read review

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Advantages: Very cheap, Very Comfortable, Very Fast
Disadvantages: Bit too fast to take in the scenery

...This is not a travelogue on Lisbon and Porto but a review of the Alfa Pendular high speed train service that runs between the two cities. Lisbon and Porto deserve at least a book each, their being two of the most picturesque and interesting cities on the Iberian peninsular. On a simple level Lisbon (Lisboa) and Porto (Oporto) have the same relationship and rivalry as do London and Manchester in the UK. Lisbon is where the money and power of Portugal are centred, whereas Porto has traditionally been an industrial hub. In particular it is the centre of the textile industry just as Manchester was, and also Port wine production, as Manchester certainly has never been. The distance separating them is roughly the same; 350k (210 miles). Their football teams, especially Benfica and Porto FC are by far the most supported in Portugal... Read review

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Advantages: Consistently lovely like Olivia herself, with an uplifting positive spirit to the lyrics. Wonderful easy-listening pop for a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Disadvantages: Nothing negative is allowed here.

...I was twelve when I queued round the block to see "Grease", and fifteen when the video to "Physical" <ahem> came out. So when I saw an Olivia Newton-John CD on sale in a Barnardos shop for £1 how could I say no? What a bargain it turned out to be. Gaia (or Gaea) was the Greek goddess of the Earth, and more recently the name given by author William Golding to the theory that planet Earth behaves as a single complex organism.* On the cover is a picture of Olivia barefoot, cuddling planet Earth, and inside these words explain the album's genesis: I was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 3rd, 1992. Not only am I a survivor, but I have never felt stronger physically or spiritually...this is my journey. Along with the lyrics there are short explanations of how each song came about. For example, of the title track she... Read review

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Advantages: Quieter less popular holiday venue for Brits
Disadvantages: Weather doesn't stand comparison with the Algarve

...Nova de Gaia, and it comes as something of a puzzlement to find that there’s no sign of them on an actual map of Porto. We spent a day there, having arrived by the splendid São Bento station, with its tiled murals in the main ticket hall. This is a largely suburban terminus nowadays, serving medium to short distance lines like the Braga, Guimarães and Valença. The next stop, a through station at Campanhã handles the express traffic like the swish Alfa trains to Lisbon and through trains to Spain. Both Spain and Portugal share the same ‘Iberian’ gauge of approx. 1.68 metres, which is fortunate, but not fortunate enough to be the same as the rest of Europe, which includes us (for a change). It’s a short downhill walk to the waterfront from the station (remember that when returning loaded down with port bottles), and once by the Douro, you... Read review

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