Porto: Super Bowls Around the World LIX

I know I am Canadian, and proudly so now that Trump is suggesting that Canada should roll-over and be the 51st state of the USA. For many reasons, that is ridiculous. Whatever he says, we beat them at the ice hockey. That's all that matters to Canadians.

But also I've researched my ancestry and I am mostly 75% English and 25% German with a few bits and bobs of Scottish, Irish, Swiss and Austrian thrown in. Sadly none of it recent enough to get me an EU passport.

I flew down to Porto for a long weekend to (1) enjoy fortified wine and (2) watch the Super Bowl in my every increasingly stupid "Super Bowls Around the World" gag.

Why mention my English heritage regards this trip? Only to point out that the Treaty of Windsor, signed in 1386 was the world's oldest known military alliance. Port Wine itself is a fortified wine, that is wine with Brandy added, so more alcohol content than an average wine, but less than drinking brandy itself. It became popular in England in the 1700s while England was at war with France (and thus no French wines being imported).

Port is something I love. It is a drink that one would only have one glass. It is sweet, and heavy, and makes a great end to a meal.

And so I loved the above 40 year old Kopke Tawny. It was brilliant. I had it at their tasting rooms, and they brought it with a few chocolate covers cherries. Sublime.

Eventually one has to leave the joy of Port wines and wander around the lovely city of Porto.

Porto is a lovely place, split by the Douro River. I had a nice bike ride on an awful rental bike, a few lovely walks and a rubbishy run.

Had some decent food. Unsurprisingly, a port city has some really good seafood.

For Super Bowl itself, LIX was played in Louisiana, in what back when I was a kid was known only as the "Superdome," but is now known as the "Caesars Superdome" because branding.

I wound up at the Eleven Sports Bar, which is also known as Adega sports bar. I'd popped in before to watch a bit of the Six Nations Rugby, and it is a proper sports bar.

In Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs. Based on the crowd in Porto, there were fans for both, but there were more Philly fans than KC.

The game itself was not that close. Philly ran away with it from the start. So much so that some of the American fans of both the Chiefs and and the Eagles left before half-time.

The die hard Philly fans stuck around, and were rewarded with a win.

Overall, a great bar to watch the game. The game itself was crap. Kendrick Lamar was very good. Pints of Super Bock were only €3.50 so overall a cheap night to watch a silly American game.

It's silly, but I love it.

The next morning, sleep deprived and hung over I went to McDonald's. McDonald's on Praça da Liberdade took over the Imperial Cafe, with it's gorgeous interiors of stained glass and art deco design. And they kept it. It is the most beautiful McDonald's I have ever had an egg McMuffin in.

Anyways, till next year, eh.

Check out more of my Super Bowls Around the World here.