Day 3
My next adventure in Porto was a day trip to the Douro Valley where port wine is produced. My tours for today and tomorrow were booked through a local company, Detours, and I cannot say enough about how fantastic they are. My guide today, Ana, was so personable, well educated about the area, and you could tell that she loved the region – this made the day even better! The trip out to the Douro Valley took about 1.5 hours and was a beautiful drive. On the way out to the Douro Valley, Ana gave us some history of the area. She discussed how eucalyptus has become part of the industry in Portugal and pointed out how it was grown on the side of the road as a crop and the issues it has caused the natural landscapes and vegetation.
After a beautiful and winding drive through Portuguese wine country, we arrived in the little village of Pinhão, where there was a train station to transport the port made in the Douro Valley to Porto for export. After touring the train station and grabbing an espresso, we walked down to the shore of the Douro River and boarded a solar boat for a trip up the river. The scenery was absolutely stunning – no pictures do it justice. The grape plants are terraced up the hills instead of planted in straight rows. The helps naturally prevent erosion. For extra protection against erosion, there are olive trees with their strong roots nestled in amongst the grape vines. 10 out of 10 – if you’re in the Douro River Valley, do not miss an opportunity to view the shores from the water.
Once we returned to dry land, we drove up (almost vertically) for about 15kms to the most breathtaking family restaurant on top of the world. Sadly, I forgot to take pictures so you’ll have to take my word on this. In addition to the breathtaking view, the meal, served family style, was homey and delicious. Almost like what your grandma might make on a cold night. The only problem – it was 28C (82F). I’ve read about how those in warm climates often eat soup and drink hot beverages to cool down and I now see why – it works! Lunch consisted of a hot cabbage and potato soup, fresh green salad, Bacalhau com Natas (salted codfish with potatoes, onion and cream). The meal was capped off with an espresso facing the vistas on an outdoor patio.
We concluded our day trip with a stop at a family run vineyard: Quinta Seara d’Ordens (https://searadordens.com/). Do yourself a favor, buy their olive oil – it’s worth the tariffs. We started with a tour of the “caves” which was fascinating. We had a crash course in wine fermentation and the aging process and then we made our way to the tasting room. Here we sampled the estates olive oil (most delicious I have every tasted) and several of the port wines. It was an exceptional experience that was made incredibly special by the warmth of the staff.
After arriving back in Porto, I decided to explore a bit while making my way to a Fado show recommended by Ana earlier in the day. I didn’t know what to expect but I was not disappointed. The show was brief – just over an hour and detailed the history of Fado and the different types heard across Portugal.
At this point, I’d worked up an appetite so at the suggestion of a friend, I made my way to Adega São Nicolau for the most amazing grilled octopus. Again, 10/10 – order the house white and you’ll be set. Having consumed a dinner for two, I needed to walk a bit so I made my way across the Luís I Bridge to Gaia to take in the sunset. I was shocked to arrive to a full blown, sunset party on the shores. I ordered a Caipirinha (again, thank you C for teaching me how to say Caipirinha all those NYE’s ago), and sat to take in the breathtaking sunset.
Since I walked along the bottom of the bridge on my way from Porto, I decided to walk along the top on my way from Gaia. Upon climbing to the top of the bridge, I was met by an outdoor party the likes of which you will NOT find in the USA – especially on a weeknight. There were venders selling beer, fruity drinks in coconuts, food, several different live music areas and my favorite – an old man singing karaoke in English. The vibe on that hilltop in Gaia will continue to breathe life into me long after I left. It was absolutely magical – people dancing, laughing, joking, just having a great time!
Reluctantly, I left knowing that I had another early morning. This is one thing I wish Journee did a little better – day trips are great but I would have preferred they be staggered a little instead of back-to-back. I felt with so many early mornings, I didn’t get a chance to experience as much of the nightlife as I would have liked. I took a few minutes on my way back to Porto to gaze across the cityscape at night. Something about standing there, with the cool evening breeze across my sunburnt shoulders, I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two for the beauty of it all. I just felt so damn lucky to be right there at that moment.
Day 4
K. Day 4 will be brief. The jet lag, lack of properly eating, heat and dehydration all hit at once on the side of a mountain right there in the most beautiful national park I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. We won’t discuss how it was 32C (90F) and I almost had to surrender life right there on the mountainside.
Let’s back up a bit. Today’s day trip was to the Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês and was again booked through Detours (link here). Pedro, our guide for the day, picked me up bright and early – 7am! After picking up the other members of the group, we headed out of Porto for a two-hour ride north to the Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês. Along the way, Pedro shared stories of the local history and pointed out interesting sites from the car.
Arriving at a fairly standard trail head, we took off on what had been described as a moderate 5km hike. I kind of knew trouble was heading my way when the first 2.5 kms were all downhill, and obviously easy. At the bottom, we arrived at a lush freshwater pond with crystal clear water. After resting and taking in the beauty of the surroundings, we started the ascent. A good portion of the trail was still in the shade and while very steep, doable because the sweltering heat wasn’t an issue. .5kms from the top, sweat pouring down my face and breathing like a freight train, I begged for a quick break. I had started to feel a little dizzy from the heat and altitude. As I sat there on a rock in what had turned from a lush green forest to an arid desert landscape, I thought to myself, well hell. Obviously, there is no other option but up and out and it had to under my own locomotion. Pedro, our guide, was absolutely amazing. Finally, we made it back to the car. Never in my life had I been so grateful to see a vehicle (until tomorrow).
On the way to our next stop – lunch at the base of a waterfall, we stopped at a café for a coke and a Super Bock. Both breathed new life into me, along with the random unicorn we encountered on our way to our lunch spot. By the time we’d finished lunch, I was right as rain. After lunch, we took turns jumping from the top of the waterfall into the freezing cold water below. I’ve swum in cold water before but this took my breath away and had me surfacing choking and sputtering. Poor Pedro probably thought he was going to lose his first ever tourist on this trip today.
On our way back to Porto, Pedro stopped at an old medieval castle that while in ruins, was fascinating. Story has it, the first future king of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques, held his mother prisoner in the castle of Guimarães after defeating her army in battle. It was a great little detour (no pun intended) – unexpected and wonderful.
Arriving back in Porto, I was exhausted. My hotel had a rooftop pool and I decided that was just what I needed. I spent an hour our so soaking my sore muscles over the Porto rooftops. Not wanting to travel far for dinner, I picked a place Journee had recommended that was close to my hotel. I made my way to The Food Gallery and had the most amazing grilled Douro and of course a glass of local green wine (it’s not actually green, the grapes are bottles when a bit unripe and naturally ferment in the bottle creating a light bubbly wine).
With yet another 7am morning, I made my way back to the hotel, grabbing a pastel de nata and glass of tawny port on the way.
My Next 40 Years 
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