Last week I had to go over to a post office to pick up my new residency card, with my new address on it, hooray! It only took a few minutes and it was still pretty early afternoon, so I pulled out my (usually) trusty Google Maps and checked out whether thereI were buses from the post office to Mercado do Bolhão, the just-opened, fully rennovated historic market here in Porto, which I’ve been hearing a lot about. Lo and behold, there was a bus right across the street that would let me off a few blocks from the market … well, it turned out they were super-long, uphill blocks, but that’s the risk you take when staring at a map on your phone. Other than the toll all the walking and standing took on my poor debilitated body (next day spent suffering and barely able to move), it was great – well worth it I would say, though I probably won’t return until fully recovered from my upcoming surgery and reaping the hoped-for benefits.

So, first, some history on Mercado do Bolhão. It’s interesting. In the early 19^th century, 1839 to be exact, Porto acquired a plot of land in the centre of the city. Initially, this land was actually a slough, where several courses of water ran. Legend has it that the abundance of water came from a spring that formed very large bubbles (bolhões) – hence, the name of the market. There were already several merchants on the site, and by 1914, it had been transformed into a formal open market, consisting of stalls and sided by iron fencing, housed in a huge, two-story neo-classical building.

The market flourished for over a century, but by 2015 or 2016, it had become quite dilapidated. The mayor of Porto at that time, Rui Rio, referred to by my Portuguese landlord, an artist, as a “creep,” wanted to turn the site into a luxury mall/hotel. Apparently, though I’ve been unable to find a detailed account, the people of Porto rose up in protest, accurately recognizing the market as the historical heart of the city; they prevented the conversion and voted him out of office (note to the people of Los Angeles – you could do this, though it’s way too late for so many historically sacred places, most significantly, Union Station, which is now blocked from view by two of the ugliest and most prosaic buildings ever constructed. Don’t get me started).

So, with the support of the new mayor and the city’s population, an innovative and historically faithful renovation began in 2018. Vendors moved to a temporary location, with the promise that they could return when the work was completed – originally projected to last a mere two years, but not surprisingly, it didn’t happen until this month. The renovation itself was not entirely free of controversy – it seems that a decision to remove the traditional iron walls between stalls caused some consternation – but overall it had the approval of the citizens. When it finally re-opened, it was with a lot of fanfare, the new mayor ringing a bell, loads of news stories, etc. Here’s just a taste of the brouhaha.

When I first saw the photos of the inside, it didn’t look that exciting to me. Visiting in person completely changed my mind. There are four entrances; I went in through the door that has this view, but not from above – all on the same ground level. Looking straight ahead, you can see … so much. Vegetables, flowers, sausages, fruit, cheese – it just invites you in. It’s nothing like the chaotic markets (which I adore) I visited in Vietnam, or the dirty markets (which I also adore, though perhaps a bit less) in Georgia (Didube, I’m talking to you), or even the more organized but smaller American markets I’ve visited. It has its own energy. Here are some photos that give an idea of what it’s like.

As for my personal experience, I cruised around on my crutch, slowly but surely touring through the whole place, turning only when I hit the fish section – quite a smell. At one point I decided to get some cafe and a little pastry, but the guy behind the counter was so much more interested in flirting with another customer that he just put the plate and the cup and saucer on the counter for me. Navigating with two plates and my cane/crutch was not easy. I stopped at a counter to try and get a firmer hold on things, and the young woman behind the counter (it was an information/assistance booth, it turned out – lucky for me) came shooting out, grabbed the plates, took them over to an empty counter and then ran and got a stool for me. You know what, I was so grateful I wasn’t even the least bit embarrassed. And at least I know how to say thank you very much in Portuguese!

The only other negative thing was the restrooms – the facilities themselves were perfectly fine, clean and nice, but to get there you have to walk down about 5 stairs; there’s no other way. There’s not even a bannister, so I kind of leaned against the wall with my hand going down (going up was easier). There is no way a person in a wheelchair could access the bathroom, and I didn’t see any alternatives. There is a second floor being finished up, which will have mainly restaurants and shops, and there is an elevator up to that, so maybe the answer will be found once the second floor opens. I hope so!

Otherwise … heaven. I could have bought about a hundred things, but having learned the hard way recently that hauling heavy bags up the stairs is just really not a good idea for me at the present time, I confined my purchases to what would fit in my very tightly packed backpack. A fair amount actually! I hit the wall with the purchase of a beautiful, fat avocado on the way out, so I put it in my raincoat pocket, where it survived just fine all the way home but then got smacked by my cane, I think, on my way up to my apartment. It split open. It was ripe. Enough said; I had to wash my raincoat, lol. Here is a shot of my loot:

And now it’s time to go make some dinner and use up those shiitake mushrooms you see … an omlette, perhaps. Come visit me in Porto someday and we will go to the market!

Note – all the photos in this post were pulled from various open sources on the internet except the very last one.