Cruise on the Douro
After our morning roasting, errr, critiques, we walked down the street to a very local little restaurant overlooking the river. This is the kind of place where the daily special rules. They also had a very odd dessert menu with character (think Pokemon) ice cream novelties. I guess restaurants everywhere are susceptible to the traveling Good Humor Man.
This afternoon's venture was for shear pleasure. We've already narrowed down our photo choices and really just wanted some wine and river cruising. Pinhao served as our launching point for a delightful two hour river cruise.
Scenery along the way was stunning. This is a major wine growing region, which means steep, rocky hills/mountains and twisty roads made even more adventuresome by tackling them in a bus. Winding down the valley, we were afforded views of the major wine producing region of Portugal.
Boats lined the river, waiting for afternoon passengers looking for a little R&R. Our boat, like many others on the river, was traditional Portuguese. We were not out to win any speed competitions, but made a nicely paced trip down to our turnaround spot to head back to our starting point. Vineyards rose up on either side with what I can only imagine are the estate owners' dwellings and also tasting rooms for visitors to the region. Remnants of stone houses are still visible alongside newer construction. This would be a perfect spot for touring wineries over a several day stay or even taking a multi-day river boat cruise. I plan on a return trip to explore the area further.
Concluding our cruise, we boarded our bus for the return journey. Our driver opted for a less twisty path back to Amarante to alleviate some motion sickness experienced by some on our drive there. Taking a little longer to return, we still made it back in time for one more patio meal at our hotel.
Tomorrow: Fado!!!
This afternoon's venture was for shear pleasure. We've already narrowed down our photo choices and really just wanted some wine and river cruising. Pinhao served as our launching point for a delightful two hour river cruise.
Scenery along the way was stunning. This is a major wine growing region, which means steep, rocky hills/mountains and twisty roads made even more adventuresome by tackling them in a bus. Winding down the valley, we were afforded views of the major wine producing region of Portugal.
Boats lined the river, waiting for afternoon passengers looking for a little R&R. Our boat, like many others on the river, was traditional Portuguese. We were not out to win any speed competitions, but made a nicely paced trip down to our turnaround spot to head back to our starting point. Vineyards rose up on either side with what I can only imagine are the estate owners' dwellings and also tasting rooms for visitors to the region. Remnants of stone houses are still visible alongside newer construction. This would be a perfect spot for touring wineries over a several day stay or even taking a multi-day river boat cruise. I plan on a return trip to explore the area further.
Concluding our cruise, we boarded our bus for the return journey. Our driver opted for a less twisty path back to Amarante to alleviate some motion sickness experienced by some on our drive there. Taking a little longer to return, we still made it back in time for one more patio meal at our hotel.
Tomorrow: Fado!!!
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