Porto to the Duoro River

The Douro River valley is famous for its many wineries producing predominately port wine - a fortified, aged wine. It’s medium-sweet, and usually taken after a meal. The grapes are grown on terraced hillsides along the Douro, making it a beautifully scenic area. Once the wine has been made, the aging process starts at the winery, then it’s shipped down river to the big warehouses in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto. The wine is aged there for sometimes many years before being bottled and sold.

We decided that touring the Douro River area was a priority on this trip, more to experience the area and the small towns along the river, than the actual wine aspect. Not that we wouldn’t enjoy that part too!

We were picked up at our apartment by Sandro, our driver for the day. He drove east, by way of a major highway, up into the hills. The scenery was beautiful, although we weren't seeing the Douro yet. We did cross some bridges over other rivers in the area. We went to the town of Lamego, where we met our guide Antonio at the TI. This was the first day of our 3-day tour of the Douro River valley, arranged through Portugal Green Walks.

First stop was an ancient bridge, Ponte Fortificada de Ucanha, where we also stopped in at a little cafe and had a coffee and a taste of berry liqueur.

Antonio telling Pam about the bridge, Ponte Fortificada de Ucanha 

The bridge was built during the 14th-15th centuries, and replaced another, older Roman bridge.

Next was the monastery of St. John of Tarouca. San Joao de Tarouca, in Portuguese, was the first Cistercian monastery in Portugal. It was founded in 1140 and its construction started in 1154. The blue tiles in the sacristy of the church are spectacular. Next to the church, archaeological excavations between 1998 and 2007 uncovered the foundation of the original medieval monastic dependencies.

We also visited a convent in the area.

Antonio had arranged for us to have a simple lunch of meats, cheeses, bread, olives, and a tasting of some wines.







After lunch we went back to Lamego. We visited the Church of Our Lady of the Remedies, at the top of the famous staircase with 700 steps that led down into the main part of town. There was an elaborate little nativity scene, on permanent display. and there must have been a fireplace somewhere outside, because they sold little wax figures inside the church, similar to Fatima, to offer up requests to the Blessed Mother. There was also a chestnut tree outside of the church said to be 700 years old.

















We didn't walk down the 700 steps, but got a ride from Sandro, to visit the cathedral in the main part of town.





























At the end of our day of touring, Sandro delivered us to our little hotel, Casa de Casal de Loivos. We were finally seeing the Douro river, and the vineyards stepping up the hillsides.








At the hotel, we were offered a glass of port on the back terrace, as a welcome, and met the other visitors staying there. One group of 4 from Oregon was doing a week-long hiking trip of the area arranged by Portugal Green Walks. Others were driving through the area, and had chosen this little, out-of-the-way hotel, above Pinhao. Dinner was served at a big table in a formal dining room, and included a creamed vegetable soup, cod and potato casserole, salad, and bread. When the manager heard that Gail had just celebrated her 80th birthday, she helped continue the celebration by putting a candle on the dessert cake, and we all sang. I sat next to a German family, and had a nice chat with them during dinner. We've learned two important words or phrases in Portuguese - Obrigada (thank you, said by a female), and BomDia (good morning). We made sure to use our Portuguese at every opportunity.

Around Porto on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus

Our apartment, O Quarto Direito, has five bedrooms, one for each of us, and a balcony on each side of the main floor of the apartment, as well as a balcony upstairs on the top floor. We're in the penthouse of a 4-story building, and our apartment is spread over 3 floors. The apartment also has 3 bathrooms. Although we're renting the whole place, the apartment is also run as a B&B, one room at a time. That's why there is a live-in housekeeper.

For breakfast, we had some pastries bought the night before at a chocolate cafe. Aside from the free port we had on arrival, there was no free coffee or tea, or free anything else at the apartment. There were lots of food items available for a small fee, and we could also request meals, for a fee. Grocery stores had been closed by the time we got to town, and some would be closed today also, since it was Sunday. So, we purchased coffee at the apartment on this day, but we'd stock our own supplies when we were able to shop.

We took the Hop On Hop Off bus tour of the city and saw lots of beautiful blue tiles on old buildings and churches around town.

Clerigos Tower

Carmo Church

The side of Carmo Church

The town is built on the north bank of the Douro River near where the river meets the Atlantic. We got off the bus at the Foz (fozsh), or beach, and walked for a while.

The riverfront on the Porto side of the river

Cable car that runs along the waterfront

There were a few parks, and we came across an outdoor market and bandstand with musical entertainment going on. We picked up sandwiches and ate at a picnic table with a view of the fishing boats bobbing in the water, and saw the huts for storing their nets along the shore.

Fishing nets are stored in buildings along the walkway

Our tour drove by the Ribeira, which is the old part of town along the river, and also drove across a bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wine storage warehouses have been for generations.

Looking over the wine storage warehouses toward Porto, from Gaia

We noticed a McDonald's ad at the water taxi stop

Even old, rather rundown buildings, sport beautiful tiles

On our way back to the apartment we stopped at a grocery store and bought coffee, fruit and vegetables, and ingredients to create a stir-fry with our leftovers from last night's dinner. Nancy's improvisational melange of ingredients turned out great, in spite of the fact that we weren't sure of the flavors of some of the sauces we bought at the grocery store.

Our great dinner of leftovers augmented with some stir fry veggies and a nice salad

We're having beautiful warm weather, and lovely cool evenings.

Visiting Fatima and on to Porto

We were all up early to make sure we had time for showers in the single bathroom before we needed to leave to catch the bus. Nancy and Janet hadn't slept well, and were up at an ungodly hour. Since we were all ready by 7:30, we headed over to the station to find something to eat. We found breakfast at a coffee shop at the train/bus station (I think we had our first taste of the famous Portuguese custard tarts here - Pasteis de Nata) and took the 9:00 bus to Fatima, arriving at about 10:30. We were able to leave our luggage at the bus station for a few euros each.

We headed out, following the small crowd, to see the shrine to the Blessed Virgin. Candles of all sizes were sold at souvenir shops, and also wax replicas of body parts, all to throw into big fireplaces.

These candles are about 5 feet tall

Wax heads, among other wax body parts

Janet holds a wax arm

Fireplace where worshipers throw their candles or wax body parts

People stood in a very long line to add their candles, along with their prayers, to the fire. We heard somewhere that the melted wax was re-used to make more candles or body parts. A nod to conservation, I guess.

Also, some believers walked on their knees across the plaza to the basilica to honor Mary.

Crossing the gigantic plaza on their knees

Oddly, the little shrine to the sainted children had electric votive candles that lit up when you inserted money.

Shrine to the sainted children who experienced the visitation of Mary

We went to the museum, and watched a film explaining what had happened to qualify this as a holy place. Part of the museum was a display of gold objects given in gratitude to the Blessed Mother for answering prayers. There were hundreds of gold objects, spread over a few rooms - jewelry, candlesticks, medals and other ornaments. No photos were allowed.

We had lunch in a small sandwich shop and caught the bus to Porto.

We arrived in Porto and found our apartment, O Quarto Direito, near the School of Music, the Casa da Musica, in the Boavista neighborhood. First order of business, a glass of port to welcome us to our home for 9 days.

Nancy and Janet drinking port in Porto!

Pam, Gail and Kathy

The view is from our terrace, of the rooftops in the neighborhood.




We had dinner at a restaurant in the neighborhood. The housekeeper, Marianna, and her 10-year-old son, Pedro, live in the apartment with us.

Pam, Gail, Marianna, Pedro, Janet and Kathy

Marianna said the restaurant was good, so we tried it. Chicken and ribs, grilled, were a bit dry, but the meal was very reasonable at about 58 euros. And, we'd been served some hors d'oeuvres that we didn't order, to the tune of almost 13 euros. They included fish paste stuffed turnovers, salmon paste stuffed dumplings, spicy sausage stuffed puff pastry, olives and bread. We'll have to be aware of this in other restaurants. We took leftovers home. Nancy even poured the leftover wine from a carafe we'd ordered into her empty water bottle to take home.
We all slept a little better, knowing we didn't have to get up early tomorrow.

Portugal 2019 Trip, Seattle - London - Lisbon

Our flight was OK until we got near Iceland, and then we had a few hours of turbulence. Others in my group don't recall any bumpiness, but I notice every little bit of it. Discussions with the various pilots and aeronautical engineers in my life should make me totally relaxed when dealing with turbulence, but I still have some anxiety about it.

A dismal breakfast burrito was served shortly before we landed in London, but I wouldn't have enjoyed even the nicest meal after all that bouncing around. We landed safely, of course, much to my amazement. It was noon when we landed, and after a short layover in London, we took off for Lisbon where we arrived about 5:00 p.m.

Our host at Oriente DNA Studios, Andre, picked us up at the airport, for a small fee. He gave us a little tour of what we were passing as we drove from the airport. Our place is in a quiet neighborhood, where our host grew up. The family home is now the family business. Nancy had arrived earlier, and greeted us at the apartment, which consisted of 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Andre pointed out places where we'd find restaurants nearby and said that walking through the neighborhood after dark was very safe.

We had arrived in Lisbon on Gail's 80th birthday. We found Butchers Restaurant, within walking distance of our apartment, on TripAdvisor, and dinner there was fabulous. Our waiter, probably the manager, was very helpful and friendly. We arrived at the restaurant about 8, and were seated promptly. Nancy and I ordered some wine, and the manager brought us a few samples to taste, describing the qualities and relative complexity of each. We both enjoyed our choices and paid about 4 euros for each glass, an amazing deal in a big city. Along with the wine, we were served two small plates of olives, bread, cheese and salami, at no extra charge.

Dinner choices were very tasty - steak or steak sandwiches, and a hamburger (with a poached egg on top). All were served with regular or sweet potato fries. The manager, wanting to help with a birthday celebration, brought Gail some lovely lime cheesecake to share. It arrived with a candle on the top, and we all sang Happy Birthday. He then served us each a little glass of port, which we loved.




Gail with her birthday cheesecake

Our dinner had been delicious and fun. It was a great start to our trip. The bill was a surprising deal at 58 euros for the whole thing. Nancy insisted on paying and left a nice tip on top of it. We're not sure about the tipping protocol here, so probably will err on the side of over-tipping, rather than being too cheap.

Back at the apartment, we all collapsed into our comfy beds, and had varied amounts of sleep through the night. We need to be up early to catch our bus to Fatima at 9:00. We're staying close to the train/bus station, which Nancy had already scoped out, and which would make our departure easy in the morning. She had also already purchased our bus tickets to Fatima, and on to Porto. Our research had suggested the bus as the preferred way to get to Fatima, since the train station was farther away from the shrine.

Portugal 2019

After a year, or more, of planning, reading, and researching, here we are at the start of our Portugal trip. Pam, Gail and I, ready to head to the airport.




Here's our itinerary:
Fly into Lisbon and spend one night there.
The next day, visit Fatima on our way to Porto.
Stay in Porto for 2 nights
Tour the Duoro River valley for 3 days and nights with Portugal Green Walks
Back to the apartment in Porto for 7 more days
Take the train to Sintra via Lisbon
Stay in Sintra for 2 nights
Stay in Lisbon for 3 nights
Fly home from Lisbon
19 days total

So, we're off! Janet will meet us at SeaTac, and Nancy will be in Lisbon when we get there.

Nancy flew from Portland to San Francisco to catch her flight on TAP Airlines, which was nonstop to Lisbon from there.
Our flight, on British Airways, departed at about 8:00 p.m. We all booked our tickets using frequent flier miles, many months before departure. My miles are on British, and it seems to me I could book the tickets about 350 days prior to departure. I usually jump right on it, and get the tickets booked so I don't have to worry about it. Pam and Janet were using Alaska miles to book their British flights, and had the same timeline. As much as I love the British non-stop flight to London from Seattle, the fees added to the "free" tickets are very high compared to other airlines. We each paid over $500 for fees on our coach tickets. Other airlines charge less than $100 for the same.

Pam and Janet sat in the back of the coach section, the advantage being that they were able to reserve 2 seats on the side, a window and an aisle. Farther forward, the sides had 3 seats each, so to have an aisle and a window would mean a stranger in the middle seat. Gail and I were excited about our upgrade to Premium Economy, costing more miles and fees, but which we heard would provide more legroom and wider seats. Sadly, we were seated in the middle two seats of four, with gentlemen on both sides, on the aisles. It didn't seem that special, or more comfortable, but when comparing our experience with Janet and Pam, it sounded like we might have had more dinner choices.

My main complaint about all this is that in order to book seats more than 24 hours ahead of the flight, we needed to pay extra. The booking fee was $75 per person for just the Seattle to London leg, and $80 each for London back to Seattle. Seems like it would create lots of good will from passengers toward British Airways to drop this system.
We had a nice dinner, along with a selection of wines, and cocktails and other beverages had been offered to us soon after takeoff. And, there were lots of movie options on our seat-back screens to help pass the time.