Tom Sanderson

As someone who loves travel and food I have to say Porto is absolutely fantastic value as well as being a wonderful city to explore on foot. In 24 hours here I had a glorious lunch, and dinner in stunning settings, as well as a few beers, a couple of glasses of port, and even a cocktail, not to mention a few pastel di nata’s and my tram from the airport to my hotel, yet barely spent more than the price of a football shirt…now for my £6 coach down to Lisbon

The last time I was genuinely impressed by the amount of stylish people on streets was in San Sebastián, Spain. And I remember being surprised at the time. I can understand this happening in Milan, Paris, New York, London..but San Sebastián? So I did a bit of research. Turns out the Spanish royal court summered there every year from 1885. Naturally, the aristocracy followed. So dressing well in public became the norm. Btw, Cristóbal Balenciaga (one of the greatest couturiers who ever lived) opened his first boutique there in 1919. His early clients were Basque nobility and Spanish royalty. In terms of fashion style, it's not flashy or Mediterranean. The Basque aesthetic leans toward quality, restraint, and fit. Which is closer to French sensibility (the French border is only 20km away) than Andalusian.