The beginning of the end.

Nice view for breakfast this morning. Stunning gardens around the castle. 

  

 This photo was taken just before I gave myself a black eye trying to open the car door. Yes really! 😱

  
We packed and planned the drive back into Lisbon and the Hotel Lisboa Plaza for our last night in Portugal. Tomorrow we fly to Frankfurt , then onto Hong Kong and home. All sounds straightforward but have some long waits here and there along the way. It’s time to go home. Our digestive tracts need a serious rest. They have been working overtime coping with all sorts of interesting challenges, food, wine and water wise! Tonight we are thinking of something plain to eat; something that does not involve cod, octopus, squid or sardines. PD says ‘ a hamburger sounds good’. Pushing for a visit to the ‘Hard Rock Cafe’! 

It’s been a fantastic holiday but as we all know ‘there is place place like home’. 

  

Panoramic views and Palaces.

You cannot help but be impressed by the stunning countryside in Portugal.

 The 150km drive here to the Bussaco Palace in Luso, took us through some spectacular country. Even either side of the highway, the views were fantastic. PD did a stirling job once again getting us here intact. 

Once you drive into the Palace grounds, you feel that you have arrived in another era.  I chose to stay here to give us a different type of experience. Hoping it’s not “The Third Exotic Marigold Hotel”. It was once a hunting lodge for the royal family.        

     

  
Inside is pretty interesting as well. 

      

 
 Paul makes friends quickly.   

The area called Bussaco is actually a forest that once housed a monastic retreat. Dotted through the forest are grottoes etc.   

 
  
And through the forest are little stone buildings and each one has a sculpture of one of the ‘stations of the cross’ inside.  (Behind a grill). 

 
The actual Carmelite Monastery was interesting. Very austere.   

 
 Thoroughly enjoyed a long walk through the gardens, around the castle. Looking forward to drinks and dinner on the terrace. Too cold on the terrace. Dinner in the restaurant. Excellent. 

  

 

Cruising the Douro.

Slow start. Long breakfast. Can’t stop looking at the gorgeous view.    

We love this place. So pretty and the hotel is excellent. A great ‘time out’ from all the travelling. A boat ride was the plan for the morning. Slow boat ride up the Douro past vineyards and holiday houses of the rich and famousPortuguese and Brazilian wine growers. 

   

 

   

Even clumps of Eucalyptus brought here from Australia.     

 Our boat. 

  The river narrows so these temporary docks ( above) are for boats to moor to wait until they can continue on their journey.   

Fantastic trip. Loved every bit of the two hour ride, including the glass of port.  

Our hotel as we cruised past.   

Lunch on the Terrace.   

  
Afternoon reading by the pool. The weather is very warm – 34 degrees but a slight breeze and no humidity. 

Drinks in the bar.    

  
  Delicious dinner on the Terrace. 

View from our room this morning. 

     

We will be sad to leave tomorrow. Onto a palace in Bussaco. 

Vineyards and Views

PD did an excellent job manoeuvring the hire car out of Porto. Left hand drive, right hand side of the road and an SUV. Challenges all round.  

Into the Douro Valley and all along the drive the views were spectacular. I looked and PD drove. That’s fair. 😂

   

Then were arrived in beautiful Pinhao which is about 120 kms from Porto. Our hotel , The Vintage House, is right on the river and we were lucky enough to get a room with a river view.   

  
Nice big suite was also a surprise. Two balconies so it will be lovely this evening after dinner. Doesn’t get dark until about 9.30! 

 
Lunch first with some bubbles for the thirsty travellers. 

The amuse bouche.   
Duck with duck risotto for me and chicken for PD. Too hungry to wait for pic. 😋  Booked table for dinner straight away. 😉
 Drinks in the bar will be first.   

Excellent dinner on The Terrace including a local red, and later a Ruby Port for PD.   

PD feels that this dinner venue rivals Positano. Big call!!!   

  
 

Pausing in Porto 😎

We decided that a quieter day was the best plan for today. The PD ‘dodgy’ knee and a need for some lazy time determined the schedule. A late, long, light breakfast on the Terrace was a good staring point. Love that view.

  Then a walk along the river and over the bridge which can be seen in the picture above. Then a slow amble along the other side in a section of Porto called Gaia. 

Interesting facts borrowed from: http://www.afaconsult.com/uploads/FicheirosImprensa/2391_2.pdf

“The city of Porto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro River, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 1,000-year history. Its development on the north bank facing the sun left the hill slopes on the south bank free to accommodate the amphitheatre of Port Wine cellars. Wines that still carry the perfume of Gaia, the beautiful Moorish princess that lived in the castle facing Porto and that gave name to the left bank.”

View of Porto from Gaia.

  

  

  
Traditional Portuguese cargo boats are available to hire by tourists but some are still used to transport Port barrels.

  

 

Then it was time for a long lunch at a bar that has made it’s home in one of the     Pylons of the bridge.
  

  

  

Siesta then a late afternoon walk around near our hotel. Two interesting buildings, firstly the original mint and customs house. It was built on the remains of an old Roman building. No photos inside but some nice doors! 😂

Then onto an old church, Sao Nicolau.

 

Port in Porto 🍷

It was going to happen sooner or later. The port tasting. And today it did at Churchill’s Visitors’ Centre. 

  

  

First the White Port, served chilled as an aperitif ; then the Ruby Port to serve with cheese; and then the Tawny Port to serve after everything else! My favourite was the White Port, so I will have to find some in Oz. Unfortunately Churchill’s do not export to Australia. 

After tasting we went down into the cellar to see the French Oak barrels , in which the Tawny Port is aged for 20 years. 

  

  

  
The Ruby Port is held in huge French Oak Vats for 7-10 years.  

  
The Port Tasting Experience was all part of our half day tour. Our driver collected us around 10am. The half day tours are a great introduction to any city. We have done many of these in Europe and find that it helps us pinpoint the places that we will re-visit later. Another upside is that they usually use very nice, comfy cars. Aren’t we fickle! 
Today it was helpful as PD has a dodgy knee after knocking it on the marble hand basin in the small bathroom in Lisbon. The disadvantage of being 6’4.

  

Our first stop was Porto Cathedral. It is one of the oldest monuments in the city and one of the most important Romanesque monuments. 

  

  

  

  

Then onto the Monastery, Serra do Pilar where the view over Porto was fantastic. We can see this from our hotel.

  

  
  

  

We finished our tour with a drive through the old town and a visit to the mouth  of the Douro, where it enters the Atlantic. 

  

  
This afternoon we wandered around the old city, visiting the town square and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a busy Friday afternoon.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

And the door collection continues. 

  

Oh Oporto! 💓💓

It was worth all the organising.  

 Trains, taxis, escalators, stairs, train platforms, railway stations et al. That has been the day. However once we arrived and were handed our welcome drink, all was well in the world. 

Big hotel room, opposite the River Douro, right in the middle of the old town. Yay! Hotel Pestana is highly recommended. Great service, location in a UNESCO world heritage building. In fact the entire old town of Porto is a UNESCO world heritage site. Many buildings are being restored on the outside and completely renovated inside. So old exteriors and modern interiors, incorporating many elements of the old building. 

 

First stop, the riverside bar for a beer/wine and some tapas. Then a walk and a siesta. 

Later dinner and another walk. Part of our Tapas meal. Delicious. 

  

Driver/guide tomorrow to explore the city. 😲  

Simply Stunning Sintra.

   

  
Today was always earmarked as a day trip to Sintra. However the original plan was to take a train, then a bus, then walk. Much better plan. Car and a driver/guide. Not cheap but much more relaxing. 😂 OMG we are getting old and lazy!   

Sintra, is a hilltop town; the former summer residence of Portuguese royalty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. It has 2 castles Palacio Nacional & Palacio Da Pena.    The ‘German’ style tourist.      

The inside was less spectacular but very beautiful. 

   The view from the terraces was spectacular. You could see Lisbon and much of the port area and coastline.  

  

 Then onto Cabo da Roca the western most point of Continental Europe. One again spectacular views. 

  A delicious seafood lunch by the surf beach Praia . 

Then onto the ‘Devil’s Mouth’. ( not nearly as impressive as Hell’s Gates! 😉)

  
 Our driver Pedro was great fun and took us to some great little towns on the way back to Lisbon. Cascais, Estoril are all all I can remember.

  
His greatest excitement came from showing us Casino Estoril where I am Fleming fleshed out his ‘James Bond’ concept after speaking with Popov, the Russian Secret Agent. During WW2, Portugal was neutral so the spies felt safe hanging out there. First book of Ian Fleming’s, Casino Royale! 

  
Dinner was a tad ordinary but a great day anyway. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Henry, who’s the navigator?

After breakfast (which included a freshly baked custard tart) we were collected by our driver from yesterday for our half day tour. Comfy car. 😉

 
First stop the Mosteiro dos Jerronimos, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Construction began in 1592 when Dom Miguel made a vow that he would build. Monastery if Vasco Da Gama returned sucessfully from his trip to India. The arch at the main entrance is decorated with a number of figures clustered around Henry the Navigator. Inside is the tomb of Vasco da Gama.

  
    
  
 
  Then it was off to morning tea and another tart. 😋😋. This could become a nasty habit. 

  
Down to Torre de Belem an ornate tower built to defend the mouth of the Tejo River. 

  
 
  Then onto the Monument to the Discoveries, a  54 metre high caravel shaped slab of concrete  erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator. Just in front of the monument on the ground is a marble map of the world charting the routes taken by the great Portuguese explorers.

   
  Then onto The Se, Lisbon’s main cathedral, founded in 1150. It was built to commemorate the city’s reconquest from the Moors on the site of their main mosque. 

  
  
  

The view over Lisbon near the Cathedral was spectacular.
The final part of the tour was a drive through the narrow streets of the old city. 

  
After lunch and a rest we set out on foot for a walk around the area close to our hotel. The main city square, Restauradores, is a popular meeting place for locals. 

  
  

This statue is a monument to Dom Pedro 1V. 

 

Below is a picture of the Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta.

 

 A little bit of movie trivia. Below is a picture of the hotel which they used in the film “Casablanca”. 😘😘 Best I could do without getting run over!!

 
  
  Dinner in the hotel is the easy option tonight. Sintra tomorrow!!

 
  

Next stop Portugal.

Monday was all travel. A very early start from Grasmere. The 2 hour drive to Manchester Airport made all the more interesting due to sheep on the roads in The Lake District and a slight misfeed of the Sat Nav. However after avoiding sheep and a slight reroute we arrived at the airport and checked into TAP Portugal Airlines! 😱 I am a ‘put me on an airline I’ve heard of ‘ type of person so a mild bout of ‘touring panic’ was cured with a strong coffee. However give TAP their due, we arrived in Lisbon, on time and intact. 

We were met at the airport and transferred to our lovely old European hotel. No slick modern hotels for us in Europe. Love the old hotels in the historic part of town. A shower and change, then off exploring. It was hot. About 35degrees so needed a beer and wine stop quite soon which then turned into early dinner. The Portuguese love fish so when in Lisbon…squid for Paul and cod for me. Yum with a big salad. Early bed and ready to explore tomorrow.