Today was a miserable end to the holiday. Due to the British Airways flight cancellations we had to fly with Easy Jet at 09:40 on the way home (missing a half a day in Porto) and we spent 4 hours waiting in Gatwick. Essentially, we spent a full day queueing, waiting around and travelling. We were all pretty fed up by the time we got back to Jersey at 17:20.
Phil was still not feeling well at breakfast so he decided to stay at the hotel this morning.
Tarina and I enjoyed a panoramic tour of Porto. The first part of the tour was with a driver and guide, exploring some of the further away sites, including the beachfront at the mouth of the Douro River. The second part of the tour was on foot. Porto is amazingly compact and easy to get from site to site. We saw the Sé do Porto, the Torre dos Clérigos and the azulejo-tiled São Bento Train Station. For the final part of the tour we got back in the car and went over the bridge to Vila Nova De Gaia where all the Port wine warehouses are located. I hadn’t appreciated that Porto and Gaia were two completely different cities separated by the river. Looking at them you’d assume they were one city. The tour ended back at the hotel.
We collected Phil and wondered down to the riverside (Cais da Ribeira) for lunch. We found a cute little Portuguese-Asian fusion restaurant and enjoyed salt cod bao buns and other tapas….mmmm. Phil was feeling much better. After lunch we strolled up to show Phil the São Bento Train Station then went back to the hotel for a rest.
In the evening, we had a lovely meal at Yakuza.
We had a lazy morning. Unfortunately Phil developed a tummy upset in the night. It could have been yesterday’s riverside steak (and “flies”) or it might have been the pork at dinner. He was really not well so we fed him lots of Imodium to enable him to drive us from Douro to Porto Airport, to drop back the hire car (about a 2 hour drive). We were supposed to be meeting our driver at the Sixt depot but the representative misunderstood and was waiting in the Airport terminal. This meant we were hanging around for about an hour.
The driver took us into the heart of Porto and pointed out some of the key sites. He then took us to the wrong hotel (which was where we had booked for dinner that night so at least it wasn’t a complete waste of time - so we now know the route to get there!). When we finally reached the M Maison Particulière, Phil had some work to do and he wasn’t feeling great so Tarina and I went off to explore Porto alone, leaving Phil to work and nap.
We did a bit of shopping and then slowly walked back to the hotel stopping at little bars along the way to sample local sparkling wines, olives and nuts.
In the evening we went to dinner at Le Monument (one Michelin Star). Phil attempted to join us but, due to his continuing illness, he had to leave after the second course. Lucky, he did because not even Tarina and I enjoyed the course of turbot, mushroom and coffee. The meal was a ten course tasting menu, prepared by French chef Julien Montbabut (who we met before being seated), taking guests on a gastronomic journey through the different regions of Portugal. Some of the courses were lovely but some were just too weird to be tasty e.g. the fish and coffee! Tarina and I enjoyed a final lychee cocktail in the bar before heading back to the hotel.
Today we started the day with a two-hour cruise along the Douro river in a traditional Rabelo boat. We each had an audio guide that described the farmhouses, terraces and vineyards that line the river. After the river boat we went to lunch at a riverside restaurant. It was a long wait for food but when it came it was lovely. Steak, salad, chips and rice. The only problem was the flies (and the fact that the restaurant was cash only so Phil had to run to a cashpoint)!
After lunch we visited Quinta do Bomfim (part of the Symington family estates) that have been producing port in the region since the 17th century. They produce all the ports we usually buy back home (Graham’s, Dows, Warrer’s, Otima and Cockburns). We took the tour of the winery first and then did a port tasting in their riverfront tasting room. Tarina, who is not a fan of port, convinced the host to let us try some of the really expensive Tawny in an attempt to find one she likes. It was great. When Phil went to move the car, Tarina and I went to the shop. The host came with us and let us have additional tasting samples of some of the ports on offer.
Next we visited Sandman for a tour and tasting.
In the late afternoon we went back to the hotel, picked up a nice bottle of dry white from the the hotel wine shop and relaxed by the pool. The pool is cold but very refreshing in the afternoon heat.
This morning we booked on a 4x4 estate tour at Quinta Do Ventozelo. Our guide was super enthusiastic and it was a lot of fun. We went from the highest part of the estate to the lowest part by the river. Our guide showed us o few of the most significant grape varieties and explained how to identify them by their leaves.
After the tour we organised a picnic and went off in the car to explore the Douro under our own steam. We stopped at the town of Amarante which is located on the banks of the Rio Tâmega, a major tributary of the Douro. Here we found a nice spot by the river and had our little hamper. The hamper was packed with sandwiches, little pasties, cheeses, meats, olives, peppers, cakes and homemade minted lemonade. There was far too much food for two people (which is mad because I picked the smallest option!).
Full of food we went for a quick walk around to look at the picturesque medieval bridge and church of São Gonçalo before we headed on our way.
We arrived at the airport quite early (mainly because Tarina’s flight was very delayed). This gave us time to get the hire car changed at the Sixt terminal. With nothing to do but wait we sat and had a drink. I managed to purchase a few cans of Super Bock for the car journey back to the hotel (obviously not for the driver!). We made a little sign for waiting in the arrivals hall so Tarina could spot us.
After collecting Tarina we headed back to the hotel. The journey was around 1h 30m but we were entertained singing old school 90’s R&B and catching up. I am super excited to have my sister with us for the next four days.
I don’t have a fantastic recollection of today and (sadly) it’s not because of the wine.
We met our driver, Carlos (the 3rd), at 9:30am and he took us to the first winery, Quinta Do Vallado. Set back from the Douro River in Régua, about half an hour from Pinhão, Quinta do Vallado is a wine estate established over 300 years ago. Though it has been around for hundreds of years, it features a modern complex known for its dramatic architectural design. I recall being told something about letting gravity do the work when it comes to turning grapes into wine. I also remember some yummy wines at the end of the tour. It’s just the in-between space which I am hazy on.
We had lunch at a little converted railway station place by the river in Pinhão (we had steak to share, chips and salad - yum). The setting was stunning (and the chips were lush) but I only had about 20 minutes to eat before a conference call which then lasted an hour and a half!
The next winery was Quinta Do Seixo on the south bank of the River Duoro. I remember almost nothing about this one.
Finally, we visited Quinta Nova, a beautiful vineyard complex known for its restaurant and stunning views of the surrounding valley. It has a wine making museum which is pretty interesting. I remember a moment, after the wine tasting, when I had just electronically signed the affidavit/statement I’d been working on all day and, having done so, I looked up to see the beautiful view over the river. The wine was nice and we took a few minutes to soak up the atmosphere and raise a glass to a job well done.
Back at our hotel, Quinta do Ventozelo, I had a rather refreshing (a.k.a. cold) swim to shake off the day. The view from the pool and from our little room is simply stunning.
Today we were transferring from Sintra to Douro. We knew it would be a long day in the car so we had planned to stop at a couple of places on the way.
The first stop on our road trip was the mediaeval town of Óbidos. It is very similar to Saint Malo in France (which is a day trip for us from Jersey). It has well preserved surrounding walls and a maze of streets in the interior. I loved the little cobbled streets, white houses, blooming flowers and tiny shops selling everything from handmade goods to tourist tat. We walked through the streets to the far end and admired the castle then we went up onto the ramparts. The ramparts are quite narrow in places and don’t have a rail (which was a little disconcerting as I was having a bit of a dizzy day) so we took a few panoramic pictures and made our way back down. We only stayed for an hour but I’m really glad we stopped. There was just enough time for a single shot of ginginha from a chocolate cup. The scenery is beautiful and the aqueduct is striking against the otherwise rural landscape.
Next we stopped (well… we tried to stop) at Nazaré. All I wanted to do was visit the light house (Farol da Nazaré) next to one of the biggest wave spots in the World. Sadly, that was not to be. Nazaré itself is quite rundown and the satnav was being annoying with its suggestions. Then the carparks were either full or closed and there were these old guys trying to convince people to park in their fields and charge you for the privilege. I got the impression that if we had parked and not paid them, they would have scratched up the hire car. Anyway, after three tries at parking we gave up and just moved on. I was a bit disappointed.
Our final stop was the Douro Valley. Wow, what amazing scenery! Twisty roads, sweeping terraced valleys and vineyards boasting huge signs announcing their property. I think we are going to be very happy here.
Today we picked up the hire car and headed to Sintra. Sintra is where the very wealthy Lisboans used to go when it got too hot in the City (although Cascais is now also a modern favourite). The old town is set up in the hills (about 400m) and has its own microclimate which keeps it cool. The roads are very windy and the sat nav kept trying to send us up streets with no entry signs so we had to resort to google maps on the phone to get us to the hotel.
Having finally arrived, we had a lovely lunch out on the terrace (finally some green food!).
Francisco (our guide from Lisbon) and Carlos II (a new driver, also called Carlos but not to be confused with Sir Carlos from earlier) met us after lunch for our tour of two palaces.
First, we visited the Palácio Nacional de Sintra which is made up of a collection of royal buildings and believed to have been constructed around the 10th or 11th century. We particularly liked the huge medieval kitchens complete with smoke room/plate warmer, indoor BBQ and multiple cooking stations. It was also fun to see the historic tableware, huge platters shaped like animals (a cows head to serve beef in and a huge fish for…well…fish obviously).
Next we visited the house and gardens of Quinta da Regaleira. Created by the hugely wealthy António Carvalho Monteiro with the help of Italian opera-set designer Luigi Manini, the house and gardens are an extravagant flight of fancy – complete with a hidden spiral staircase (behind a hidden revolving rock door!) which leads into a grotto/man made cave system, ending in a little “Garden of Eden” (with a little waterfall and stepping stones). There is also a chapel and mini fake-castle walls, all overlaid with lush greenery, flowers and vines, designed to give the feeling of stepping into a magical fairy tale world. I could definitely see the theatre design influence in these gardens and I can see why the place was popular with writers and artists, including Hans Christian Andersen.
At the end of our tour we walked into the centre of the historic town and pottered around the little shops. We stopped at the famous Piriquita to feast on Sintra’s traditional cakes, travesseiros (a puff pastry oblong with sweet ground almond and cinnamon centre and sugar coating). Yum.
Today we decided to get out of the city and took the train to the nearby seaside town of Cascais (about 50 minutes away by train). Having not really done a great deal of research about Cascais I found a self-guided walking tour online and we decided to follow that. It wasn’t the most obvious of routes and didn’t have pictures of the sites it was guiding us to so we were mostly lost and confused. Luckily, the town isn’t exactly large so you can’t get lost for long and, a lot like home, most roads lead to the sea.
We saw the Praia da Rainha beach (a favourite of Queen Amélia), Fortress Nossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais (a fortified fort which has been repurposed as an art district), Cascais marina complex (a posh harbour with restaurants and shops) and the Boca do Inferno (a cliff side rock cave formation thing which has collapsed and is now a rock bridge, situated about 800m outside the town). The Boca do Inferno was good but the trip back to the town centre was the highlight. We rented electric scooters and scooted back to town in no time at all. Loved it.
We had a really nice lunch in a very unassuming Italian restaurant which served the most yummy wood fired pizza and Super Bock beer. Then headed back on the train towards Lisbon. Having enjoyed scootering SO much we decided to get off the train in a place called Algés (middle of nowhere) and hire scooters from the station. We then scooted 5.2 miles back to Lisbon past Bélem Tower, the Discovery Statue, etc. It was absolutely epic! It took 35 minutes and was heaps of fun.
In the evening we had dinner at a funky steak house (Palacio Chiado) near to the hotel.
LOVED scootay Sunday.
Today we had a slow start and ate a large breakfast at the hotel before gathering the courage to undertake more walking.
After breakfast we walked to the Convento do Carmo (a collapsed monastery) and took a quick look inside. The monastery collapsed in the earthquake, which destroyed a large part of Lisbon in 1755. It doesn’t have a roof but it stands as a memorial.
We then wondered down to the Praca do Comercio to collect the famous Tram 28 (well, the red tourist version rather than the yellow version which is full of pickpockets. Riding the tram can be summed up as spending 1 hour 15 minutes stuck in traffic only to arrive back at the place where you started. Still, they say that you have to have a “tram experience” when in Lisbon and we certainly succeeded in doing that…I just can’t claim that it was a good one. Having arrived back at the Praca we had a quick refreshment outside the beer museum before hopping on the bus up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge.
We spent a lovely few hours wondering around the Castle and taking in the panoramic views over Lisbon. We hopped on a free tour and learnt a bit about the people who dwelt there over the ages (from prehistoric times, the later Islamic period and the first kings of Portugal). We stopped for an ice cream and then for a Crepe (Nutella and banana with almond flakes… yum) followed by a cup of actual English Tetley tea(!) and had a good rest before starting the amble back to the hotel.
After breakfast we were collected by our guide (Francisco) and driver (Sir Carlos) and taken to the West of the city, the Belem area. The first stop was Belem Tower where we learnt about its historic significance in defending Lisbon. Back then it would have been surrounded by water but the river has shrunk and there has been a good deal of land fill since then, so it’s now attached to the land.
From there we went to the discoveries statue and learnt a little about each of the characters immortalised in stone there. The famous sailors and explorers of Portugal. After that, it was time for a tea break so we stopped at Pasteis de Belem for coffee and warm custard tarts. I’m not usually a fan of custard tarts but these things are amazing! If you are in Lisbon you must travel to Belem and have one from the source.
Next we visited the Jeronimo’s Monestry and learnt about the history of the Portuguese monarchy and some of the other heroes of old. Then, we took a walk around the LX Factory, which is a bit like Camden market, with trendy restaurants and little stalls selling vintage and bohemian products. It’s got a pretty cool bookshop, with a bar!
After exploring the West of the city, we travelled by car back to the city centre for a panoramic view from the Parquet Eduardo VII. By that time we were getting pretty hungry so we stopped at the Time Out Market for lunch (think Borough market but perhaps a bit more organised). There were so many food options - Pop up shops from some of Lisbon’s top and up-and-coming restaurants. We were a bit overwhelmed so we ended up just having wood fired pizza and a beer.
After lunch we began our walking tour. We visited Pink Street, Parca do Comercio, Se de Lisboa, Santa Maria Maior, Jardim Julio de Castillo, the Elevator and so many other places. It was an epic walk…I wish I’d strava’d it as we did over 14,000 steps. We were both so tired by 4pm that we went back to the hotel and immediately took a well earned daytime-nap.
Too tired (and too sore) to move we had cocktails and dinner at the hotel.
