20111103  Barca d'Alva, Portugal to Pinhao, Portugal

Owen Photos      Dolores Photos

We were the first up for breakfast. Later, Gayle & Jim joined us. Still later, Glenn came down without Marylou – she's coming down with a cold and wanted to take it easy in cabin.

The ship was underway headed downstream when we woke. We soon went through the Pocinho lock. In a little while, we'll go through the Barragem da Valeira lock. Then we'll continue down to Pinhao. We'll tie up there for the day.

The event today, if it comes off, will be interesting. We're supposed to learn how to harvest grapes, how to stomp them into juice for fermentation, and some wine tasting (of course).

However, the weather is cloudy and breezy with periods of light rain. High temp for today is forecast to be 52*. I'm not sure I want to work the fields in this stuff.

We had our cruise-ending disembarkation lecture – nothing new there. Big suitcases into the corridor by 0700, breakfast, take carry-ons to the bus. Settle accounts tomorrow, put tips in the basket by tonight.

We arrived a little late at Pinhao. Then we started a wonderful tour, maybe the best day of the trip.

The buses took us through little tiny streets, up the sides of mountains, down the sides of hills, around little bitty round-abouts, and put us at the little town of Favaios, where there are nine bakeries for the 1,500 inhabitants. We were greeted by the town mayor who gave a talk and were given little bottles of three-year Apertif Muscatel called Favaitos.

We walked up the street to a bakery while we tasted the great bread with butter and some six-year muscatel. The lady baker was dancing around with a bottle of muscatel on her head while a mini-band of accordian, drum, and tambourine played folk songs.

Then the buses took us to the the Adega de Favaios winery plant. This is a co-op wine-making place headed by the sixth-generation current wine-maker. Muscatel (real Portuguese muscatel is good!) and table wines are made here.

This first stop showed us the massive tanks and barrels and tuns in which the wine matures. Interesting that the American oak (there were many different oaks, they are always changing to test new tastes and trying new aging processes) is shipped here, then the tuns & barrels are assembled here.

We walked around the corner (raining) into a tasting room. We got a mini-lecture on wine making and tasted some of the Favaios Reserva, very nice.

The buses then took us up to Quinta da Avessada on a hill next to acres and acres of vines. We entered through a mini-museum and gift shop to the dining room, with a glass-enclosed dining room adjoining. Our group hopped into the glass-enclosed space and sat. The bearded and suspendered Texan joined us – a true Texas character – says he still pees off his back porch in Dallas if he feels like it. There were both red and white wines on the table. The servers brought in huge cauldrons of soup, which was then ladled to toureens and brought to table for serving. The salad was nice, the soup was good, the bird was fine, the liver appetizer was interesting, the sausage appetizer I could do without, the pork barbecue was good. Mucho wine. Off and on, the mini-band played Portuguese folk songs.

I forget what the dessert was. By that time, we were all rolling. We were offered knives and buckets to go pick grapes, so Dolores & I took off into the field. We each got about half a bucket of dark grapes, not enough to win the prize. We got a little muddy and wet, but it wasn't too bad.

Then we went into a room where grapes were dumped into huge tiled basins big enough for eight or ten people for some wine-stomping. Gayle got into it immediately and some others joined her. She said it was cold and slimy but she kept stomping till the end and encouraging others to join her.

Then we went into a spectacular tasting room. The mini-band was playing while we filed in and picked up glasses of wine for yet more tasting. The wine was good, and the sixth-gen guy gave a rousing talk about the wonder of Douro wine. A singer popped up and sang a folk song (O, Muscatel) with the chorus being sung by our crowd; I grabbed it on video for later review. 

So then we rolled onto the buses and went through the same tiny streets and circles and roads to the ship. We arrived in time for happy hour. Rather than go to the lounge, we broke out bottles in Glenn & Lou's room and drank our own.

Off to dinner, with more Portuguese red & white wine (Vinho tinto & vinho branca). We finished it and decided to skip the entertainment. I went to bed while Dolores loaded today's pictures into the computer, then we slept like logs.

20111104  Pinhao to Porto (Vila Nova de Gaia) with several stops

Owen Photos      Dolores Photos

Up for breakfast late because I didn't set the alarm clock. We found the ship already underway, bound for Lamego. Down to breakfast (light) which we took while watching the ship transit the lock of the Bagauste Dam.

We pulled in sideways (love those thrusters) and docked at Lamego about 0830, and boarded the buses for the old town of Lamego. There (see map) we were taken to the head of the main street at the Sanctuary of our Lady of Remedies. This is on a hill with about 700 steps leading down to the street.

Dolores said she wanted to do it, so we walked down all 700 steps (50, then a landing). At the bottom, she said her legs were like rubber and walked very slowly the rest of the morning. We walked the remainder of the main street to the cathedral and museum. Dolores rested in the small cathedral for a while, and I wandered around some back streets. All I found were stores serving the general public, but for one souvenir place. Dolores bought some things for her fellow workers at GCSC and herself. 

The buses returned us to the ship, and we got underway for Gaia. The six had lunch together and sucked up our last bottle of ship-stored wine. I came back to do some of this typing. 

We passed through the lock at Carrapatelo dam in the early afternoon. Dolores came bursting into the cabin to tell me the store was selling off polo shirts for ten Euro, so I scurried down there and bought one.

Dolores felt crippled after the 700 steps, so we just took it easy on board. We docked very briefly to let the last tour group off for their bus tour – to meet us in Porto. The ship then scurried downriver and through locks and arrived at Gaia just after dark (1730 or so).

We were all getting ready for the last dinner, but it was delayed and delayed again until the tour group showed up. They'd been delayed by Friday night traffic.

The dinner, very nice, went well. The crew did a small show in expression of their gratitude for us being aboard. 

The six of us finished off the remaining cabin wines and talked and packed. The bleeping internet was up and down, and I finally gave up on it entirely.

So the cruise part of the trip ends. It's the end of the season for the ship as well. Late tomorrow, the crew will be looking for new jobs or taking a vacation before working elsewhere. The ship will be cold and empty, and will be tied to the dock until next season's visitors come along.