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| Aveiro |
Second week was absolutely terrific and totally different than our first week. We extended the trip with our friends Don and Roxanne to see other parts of Portugal. We had drivers and tour guides all along a route that took us to various cities up to northern Portugal. Spectacular scenery everywhere.
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| we happened to peek into a church while a 50th wedding anniversary ceremony was going on |
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| more of the many kinds of egg pastries that are everywhere |
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| ribbons for love - pretty and less destructive than locks, etc. that are in other countries |
First stop Aveiro - known as the Portugal Venice. Stunning tiled buildings everywhere in between the canals. The Moors brought tile making to the area in the 15th century.
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| The old fashioned elevator - the bellman opened the door most of the time |
Next up was Porto. Ancient city originating in the 1st century BC. It's super busy these days as it is Portugal's second largest city. We stayed in a gorgeous older hotel (Infante Sagres Porto) in the city center. And yes, yet another wedding reception was happening our first night. Had disturbed sleep as well, not from the reception but World Cup celebrations going in the street below us. Until 5AM! It is known as a party town...
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| walkers nearby the Camino coastal route entrance |
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| Camino de Santiago entrance - 170 miles |
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| Elaborately decorated train station |
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| fogged in beach - very busy anyway as you can see |
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| my new favorite drink - white port and tonic |
Much to see in Porto. Statues, churches, busy train station, even a side stop at a local beach. Great tour guide who was super knowledgeable. Kudos to our travel agent in Naples.
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| visit to a port wine cellar which had fado singing (below) |
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| mournful singing - not sure if it was our 'jam' -talented musicians though |
Next up was the drive through Douro Valley. 2,000 years old back to Roman times and now a UNESCO site. There are even the original Roman markers on some of the roads. Winemaking has been around since Roman times as well with huge modern expansion now. Official certification of wine making started in 1769 and it is heavily monitored. by the government agency IVV. We stayed at a quinta which includes a hotel that has producing vineyards on their property. Another gorgeous hotel to experience - Quinta de Vacaria.
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| the view from the spa |
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| outdoor breakfast cafe with potted olive trees of course |
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| the pool view of their vineyards |
We had two days of wonderful driver guides who took us through the winding hills and valleys of Douro Valley with stops in various wineries and olive oil producers.
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| abandoned secret police station - Portugal was a dictatorship 1933-1974 |
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| cork tree with layer removed |
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| our driver Marco took us to a local no tourist cafe to experience some local color |
Spectacular private tour of Santa Julia, a private family owned winery. It's been in the same family since 1596! Wonderful wines and gardens. Mark ordered some bottles but they have not arrived yet. Coming by slow boat to U.S.
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| private family chapel |
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| original marker to certify their wines - 1756 |
Last day found us back in Lisbon. What a vibrant city. We walked around, had a last dinner at a cute outdoor cafe, and retired for the night. Next day was big travel day home. Unfortunately by then I had caught an upper respiratory virus which passed to Mark, Don, and Roxanne. Sorry guys! At least it was at the end of the trip. It was all a blast and lovely memories were made for our special Portugal experience.
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| fresh sardines, barnacles!, and mussels |
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| at dinner - trolleys went by every few minutes |
