Quando Ramalho Ortigão convida o leitor a fazer "o mais belo dos passeios permitidos ao habitante de Lisboa", é ao Cais do Sodré que se dirige, antes das sete da manhã de um domingo de Setembro de 1876. Ali, na ponte dos vapores, comprava-se o bilhete de ida e volta para Cascais por dez tostões, tomava-se uma chávena de leite …

His descriptions of old Porto retain an almost archaeological quality. Consider, for example, his description of the Bainharia area, so named because for centuries it was home to sheath-makers, artisans dedicated to crafting sword sheaths. In the mid-19th century it was still thus, in Ramalho's eyes:

it was almost exclusively inhabited by tinsmiths. It had an entirely golden tone produced …