Touring the Feira Semanal de Espinho

The Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago, we met our new friends Shay and Kathy for the first time. They arrived in Porto about a month before we did. Shay had given us a few suggestions in advance and we had looked forward to meeting them. So one afternoon we had drinks and snacks on the patio outside the Mercado Bom Sucesso. We had a great time sitting outdoors, talking, and getting acquainted. 

During the conversation Kathy mentioned that she had taken a day tour to see a large open air market – the Feira Semanal de Espinho or weekly fair of Espinho.  We were intrigued by that, partly because we hadn’t been outside of Porto proper except to go to Vila Nova da Gaia.  

Over the next few days we read more about the market, and decided to go by ourselves. 

Espinho and the Feira Semanal

Getting There is Half the Fun

On the Saturday before we planned to go to Espinho, we made a reconnaissance trip to the Companha Metro and train station.  We knew we could take a train from Companha to Espinho, but we had never been to the station and didn’t want to have to figure it out on Monday morning.

The train station is located across a large plaza from the Metro station.  We walked over and familiarized ourselves with the layout of the station, the signage and the tunnels that led to the platforms.  

Mike had researched the train schedule already, but he checked the timetables and confirmed that his notes were correct.  We talked with a ticket agent who told us that our Andante cards would get us there and back – Espinho is considered a suburb of Porto, so we would be riding an “urban train”.  We would not have to buy a separate ticket. 

All of that planning paid off on Monday morning.  We arrived at Companha with about 25 minutes to spare.  As we were walking across to the train station, Mike got a phone call that took a few minutes to resolve, but we were still able to get to the train platform 15 minutes before the scheduled departure.  

The train left promptly at 10:45, as scheduled.  Almost immediately, we went across the Douro River and into Vila Nova de Gaia.  From there, the route proceeded southwest until we got close to the coast.  Then the train followed the coastline south and into Espinho. 

The train was crowded. In recent months, this would have been a concern for us. But almost 80% of all Portuguese over age 12 have been fully vaccinated against COVID, and 85% have had at least one shot. Everyone on the train was wearing a mask. So it’s still a risk, but a much more manageable one.

It took about 40 minutes to make the trip since this was a commuter train that stopped frequently.  There also was a lot of construction on the railway from Vila Nova de Gaia onward. When we arrived in Espinho, many of the passengers got off. 

As we left the train station, we saw a lot of them walking east toward the area of the market. Apparently, we all had the same idea.

First Impressions 

We were not in a hurry, so instead of going directly to the market, we turned west and walked a couple blocks to the beach.

There was a wide paved walkway, similar to what we had seen in Porto, that ran parallel to the broad, sandy beach.  It was a warm day and there were a few people enjoying the beach.  As we walked, a very brief rain shower made us duck under one of the shelters, but it blew over after a couple minutes.  It was nice to get over and see the Atlantic coast from a different perspective. 

We walked south for a few blocks and then turned east on Rua 33.  (The town is laid out on a grid, with east-to-west streets named with odd numbers and north-to-south streets named with even numbers.)  This was a paved street – cobblestones only in the intersections.  The sidewalks were new and level.  Many of the buildings we saw down the side streets appeared to be relatively new condos or apartments. We figured some of those were vacation rentals. 

At the Market

After about eight blocks, we arrived at the market. It covered at least three or four large city blocks. 

We entered at about the middle of the market. As we walked in, we saw several stands that were selling kitchenware – big piles of shiny pots, pans, and utensils.  There were a couple vendors selling clothes.  You could buy different varieties of Portugal football shirts, Portugal hats, and a number of caps with the New York Yankees logo on them. 

Further inside the market beyond that, we found a vendor that was selling tools.  They had chisels, pry bars, pruning shears, and trowels.  But was caught Mike’s eye were the tool heads that they sold without handles – hoes, shovels and pickaxes.  It was really interesting because it was so different how we bought tools in the US. 

Continuing on, we saw lots of stands, selling vegetables, fruits, and meats.  There were a few selling fresh fish and some selling dried beans.  In one area there were a number of stands selling baked goods. 

There were a few unfamiliar things for sale. We weren’t certain about one of the local sausages.

Mary stopped to watch a woman shredding collard greens with a rotary blade for a waiting customer. We’ve seen shredded collards for sale in the supermarkets. It’s the primary ingredient in Caldo Verde, a traditional Portuguese soup. (Mary has published a recipe for Caldo Verde.)

There was one vendor selling live animals. She had cages with chickens, ducks, pigeons, and rabbits. There was even a small box of guinea pigs. This was not a pet shop.  We figured all of those animals were probably going to end up as dinner somewhere, sometime.

We spent over an hour walking through the market, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. Even though there were many shoppers there, the wide aisles made it easy to move around.  We didn’t buy anything on this trip, but we enjoyed seeing the variety of things that were for sale, some of which we had not seen in any local markets in Porto. 

A Short Walk Through Espinho

After finishing in the market, we explored the surrounding area.  We walked past the Centro Multimeios, the multimedia center and planetarium. 

We saw the Camara Municipal, the city hall, sitting on one side of a large cobblestone plaza. There wasn’t much traffic going into or out of the Camara. Everyone must be at the Fiera.

 

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Have you done a day trip to someplace new lately? Tell us about it in the comments below or via the Contact Form.

Happy trails! / Boa viagem!

Mary and Mike

The Cook And The Writer

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