Getting there
We flew from Toronto via Lisbon and Porto in Business class so we were eligible for a visit to the Signature Lounge. The food, wine and ice wine were delicious. There’s a long walk to the gate and a comfortable flight at the end. Both Lisbon and Porto used stairs and buses to disembark. The benefit was that each bus went to a separate area to check in for the EES biometric registration so it didn’t take long. We had forgotten the amount of families that travel in August and felt for the parents with children that wanted to let off energy after a long flight.
Porto
Ubers are easy to get in Porto and we used one to get to the Renaissance Marriott hotel. The food in the restaurant is excellent fine dining. The hotel is in a older residential area and we were within 20 minutes walk of Old Porto for excursions and tours. We booked a WithLocals food tour and really enjoyed the walk around the city and eating local food, port and green wine. One place is Meia Duzia – flavours of Portugal. There are a lot of cranes and new buildings although still views of lovely terracotta roofs. The easiest route is to cross the river via the Ponte de D. Luis to taste port wine, the top path has great views of the city and the cable car. We had tastings in Graham’s garden patio.
Portugal has a history of using tiles in the decoration of their buildings, both inside and out. The most amazing tiles are on the outside of the Chapel of Santa Catarina. Tiles on the outside of the older buildings help to regulate the cold and hot temperatures. Porto is hilly with cobblestone streets and is very walkable. Otherwise there are trams and small electric buggies and old cars for tourists. The train station has about 20,000 hand-painted tiles inside showing the history of Porto. The waterfront area has tourist souvenirs and places to eat and taste wine.
Porto - Pinhao
Our first full day on the cruise was spent sailing a few hours to Pinhao. The ship sails mainly during the day and stops each day for a cultural or walking experience. The time on the river is relaxing watching the vineyards and forests glide by. Pinhao’s train station is worth a stop for their tiles depicting the history of the area. There are five dams with locks that we need to go through, especially the Carrapatelo lock that is 35 metres high and takes about 30 minutes to navigate.
Pinhao - Vega de Terron
The excursion today is to the Quinta do Tedo vinyard for some port wine tasting. There is a choice of doing the tasting or having a walk through the vineyards and up a steep hill before earning the tasting. We could imagine the workers walking the track with 70lbs of grapes on their back. The port talks explain the level of difficulty well, though a mask would help with the dusty track. The vineyard creates their products using organic methods. We gave the Portuguese toast of “Saude”, meaning health.
Vega de Terron - Salamanca
It was a long day busing to Salamanca in Spain. This is as far up the Duoro that the ship can go as it gets too shallow and narrow an the Spanish side. The bus ride meant we could see some of the Spanish scenery showcasing the sunflowers and hay bales that are their big exports. There was usually shade and a breeze during our walk. There was the old cathedral from around the 13th Century. Then the new Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen from the 16th Century. Very ornate decorations and organs. Some of the carvings around the door were updated recently and include a carving of a spaceman!
We also walked around the university that dates back to 1218. A Tuna group of medical students sang and played for us at the end of the day. We had free time in Salamanca and we found a quiet place for lunch that turned out to be a Michelin star restaurant! The Restaurante El Meson de Gonzalo is close to the Plaza Major that used to be the bullfighting ring.
Pochino - Regua and Castelo Rodrigo
Today was an hour bus ride to Castelo Rodrigo, an ancient medieval village that now houses about 50 people, plus additional Airbnb guests. There are steep cobblestone paths with some smooth concrete stones to aid walking. The highlight is a small church with painted carvings and a painting of the Last Supper with the list of the Ten commandments in Arabic numerals. This area had periods of time being ruled by the Romans, Moors and Spaniards.
The end of the tour included tastings of local products of almonds and port wine. There were almond and cherry liqueur as well as ruby and white port. Several stores sold cork products which is also wide spread for souvenirs through Portugal. We then went back to the ship and had a port wine cocktail demonstration.
PORT PASSION – Shake together – 5 cl White Port; 8 cl Passion Fruit Juice; 1/2 Lime.
Regua and Lamego
A 20 minute bus tour took us to the village of Lamego and up the narrow streets to the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies. There was an ornate interior and a recording of a choir singing in the court outside as well as some statues that led to the 686 steps from the Sanctuary to the village below. The Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in the village is a 12th Century cathedral with an 18th-century painted ceilings.
The Cathedral also had a side entry to a rose garden. There were several side rooms and through grills we could see paintings and tile mosaics. We had time to relax and sit under some trees and read our books before the bus continued. Our lunch experience was at the estate Qunita da Pacheca where we had some green wine produced at the estate. Some of us got up and danced to the music at lunch produced by a violin and piano. A magical experience.
Return to Porto
We headed back to our origin port with time to relax on the sun deck or in the pool. At different points taller items on the deck needed to be lowered for low bridges and locks and we were asked to leave the deck for safety. There is a walking track as well as tables, chairs and loungers. This is the best place to view the docks and the narrow passages that the Captain needs to navigate, including moving to the side to allow other ships to get through the locks.
There is a full day to experience the picturesque town of Porto. We had explored Porto before the cruise so we didn’t join the bus and walking tour or the guided walking tour from the ship. We did end up back in the market as we went of a quest for Portuguese chocolate and biscuits to take back with us. The highlight of the day was the ship sailing back up river and then out to where the Duoro meets the Atlantic ocean. Great views and historical notes to finish the trip.
