This story tugs at my own heartstrings a little, I had a flat in Porto for a while and got familiar with things there over the next six years, flying back and forth from UK to there, so I know that journey from the airport to Porto city centre by Metro very well :) But other things in life came around to take me away from there and I had to let the flat go. I miss it now and it would have been an ideal bolthole for me to have been in, throughout the craziness of the past few years since covid started, though I appreciate being near my daughter now, I miss Porto.
Great to hear it sounds like it's been resisting some of the commercial pressures that have ruined, and are continuing to ruin UK.
Anyhow, all the best, thanks for your story. On the food, I notice you didn't mention Tripas, that delicacy surely has to be something on offer in every snack bar. I wasnt expecting to like it from experience of trying things claimed to be like it in UK, but I found I liked Porto Tripas, despite expecting to really not like it, I was pleasantly surprised, but would never try it anywhere else :)
Ps Caldo verde is still my all-time fav soup but it's really hard to find in UK :)