Portugal Trip

13 - 25 October 2024

 

I booked a riverboat tour in Portugal with Uniworld aboard the Sao Gabriel. I  flew American Airlines from DFW to Philadelphia to Lisbon leaving on Friday and arriving on Saturday. Traveling with only a backpack and a carryon bag made flying much simpler. After passing through Passport Control in Lisbon, I walked downhill about 200 meters from the terminal in bright sunshine to Hotel Melia Lisboa. Checking in was easy because I had paid for 2 nights so that I could go to the room when I arrived. The room was clean and adequate—nothing special. I think everything in it came from Ikea. 

 

Sunday15 October - I rode a shuttle back to the airport for my one-hour TAP Air flight to Porto. After landing in Porto , I connected with the driver who took me to the Sao Gabriel riverboat tied up across the river from Porto in Cais de Gaia. It was raining. Riverboats were tied up along side each other and the Sao Gabriel was the third, so I walked across two others to board. I enjoyed lunch onboard. The rain stopped, but skies remained overcast. 

Then I watched the boat traffic on the river and waited impatiently until being shown to Stateroom 107. 

Before dinner, the Hotel Director welcomed us, gave the safety lecture, and introduced the cruise manager. After a brief overview, she explained tonight’s and tomorrow’s activities. The following day’s schedule was explained each day before dinner. The sun had begun to peek through as we enjoyed a one hour's scenic sail before tying up again before dinner.

Monday 16 October -  My walking tour of Porto left at 8am. The day was overcast, and light rain fell at times, but it really didn’t impact the tour. We rode a bus from the boat up the hill to a top of a small hill where we had a panoramic view of the cities of Porto and Gaia. Gaia is where the wine warehouses are located and where the riverboat is tied up. From the time I got off the bus around 8:30 until we returned about 12:30, I was either standing or walking; I never sat; David was our guide. 

We walked across the Louis I Bridge and saw an older iron bridge farther upriver designed by Gustav Eiffel. (He also offered Porto a tower, but the city declined so he built it in Paris.) We saw remnants of the city wall and walked up to the Cathedral. We did not go inside. Outside is a statue of Vimara Peres, who freed Portugal from the Moors in 868.

Our next stop was the St. Benedict Train Stationcompleted in 1916 on the site of a convent. The interior’s tiled walls are the work of Jorge Colaco and are spectacularly unique.

We saw the exterior of Clergios Church and Tower, a city landmark.

Then it was time to begin walking down towards the river. A recently constructed parking complex with a roof garden containing olive trees was unusual. 

We paused in front of Livaria Lallo, a bookstore made famous by J.K. Rowling, because it’s mentioned in her biography.

We spent about an hour in Mercardo do Bolhao. 

 

This included a sardine tasting and verde wine tasting; I didn’t try the sardines and didn’t like the wine. Who knew (or cared) there were so many types of sardines and canned fish?

Walking the streets and seeing the architecture was interesting. Some of it is art deco while other facades are covered in tiles. We saw the Majestic Cafe, another JKR spot, several fountains, and parks.

In front of the Church of St. Francis stands a statue of Prince Henry the Navigator, who was born in Porto. An interesting fact is that Prince Henry suffered from seasickness.

After reaching the Duoro, we crossed on the lower level of the Louis I Bridge and back along the riverside to the riverboat. Boats which haul barrels of wine during the season were moored in the river. (A man about my height who was on this tour said his step counter showed 14,033 steps which is about 6 miles for him.) 

Once back aboard, I went to lunch. At 2:30, there was an update on today’s activities and extensive overview of the cruise. We continued sailing upstream and went through a lock. It was a pleasant, overcast afternoon of smooth sailing. It’s interesting to note that it is too dangerous to sail the Duoro River at night, so all boats tie up each evening. After dinner entertainment was an excellent Fado Show.

 

Tuesday 17 October -. It was raining. We sailed through the deepest lock in Europe around 8:30. After leaving the lock, I was fascinated by the houses and buildings perched on the steep riverbanks. The sun began to peek through about 9:30. Shortly after that, we sailed beneath a long viaduct. Terraced hillsides contained vineyards on the eastern side of the river while craggy granite lined the opposite side. 

Around 10:30 we tied up at a commercial pier in Caidas de Aregos for supplies. About 11, we boarded a bus and a ten minute drive across the river to the Duoro Museum in Regua, a town of 17,000. it was 20 C (68F). On the drive we learned that there are 25 riverboats operating on the Duoro and that locks must be booked 3 years in advance. At the museum, we heard a lecture and saw a video about wine making in the Duoro Valley, the oldest regulated wine region in the world. A mountain range blocks the strong winds from the coast and a climate of 9 months of winter and 3 months of hell is perfect for growing naturally sweet grape. Temperatures can reach 25 to 27 degrees C (77 to 80F) during the summer. Vineyards are created by breaking through the granite shale to reach soil and construct terraces; this was originally accomplished by backbreaking manual labor. Older terraces hold one row of vines while some newer ones created by machinery have two or three. Most rows are horizontal on terraces but if the slope is less than 35 degrees, the rows may be vertical. All vines are varietals grafted onto American root stock. Many vineyards are bordered by olive trees which help hold the soil, and all contain rose bushes to alert to the presence of a fungus which is killed by spraying. The terrain requires that almost all harvesting is done by hand. Originally women picked the grapes and men carried the filled baskets from the vineyards. Women were required to sing while picking to prove they weren’t eating the grapes. An interesting video from the 1960s showed the Duoro River before dams were built on it. Often the boats hauling the wine had to be pulled by men using ropes or by oxen.

We returned to the boat shortly after noon for a buffet lunch. At 2, we boarded buses and drove a little more than 30 minutes to Lamego, a town of 23,000. It was raining and 19C (66F). We didn’t see many vineyards because they don’t grow grapes higher than 500 meters; we saw olive trees. Several gas stations showed €1.85/liter (about $5.18/gallon). Our destination was the Sanctuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, a hilltop church situated at the top of an elaborate staircase of 684 steps which some penitents climb on their knees. Not on your life! The bus dropped us off just behind the church, and we went inside for a tour. 

While some walked down the 684 steps to the town; I rode the bus. We learned that during WWII, the French brought white grapes to the region and taught the Portuguese how to make champagne, which must be called sparkling wine. Crowning another hilltop is Castelo de Lamego, a medieval structure. During the Inquisition, it served first as a refuge for Jews; later it became a ghetto for those who did not convert.

Once in town, we received a tour of the cathedral during which we learned how to differentiate between gold leaf and gold paint. 

Then we returned to the boat. At 7, it was back out into the rain to board the buses for a 10-minute drive to Quinta de Pachica, a wine estate. We were greeted with a glass of port and stood in the larga, the grape stomping area to learn the history of this business. Dinner was followed by 40-year-old Port. 

Wednesday 18 October - We sailed east and there was intermittent sunshine.. At 8:20, we arrived at a lock; passage took about 30 minutes. After passing through the lock, the scenery included vineyards and olive groves. As the terrain changed, some vineyards became larger. At 11, Catarina presented an enjoyable Portuguese lesson. It’s similar enough to Spanish to be both easy and confusing. We were scheduled to pass through a lock at 2 and leave on a tour at 2:30. That didn’t happen because we had to wait for a downstream boat to clear the lock. Our schedule was off by 30 minutes. 

The town where we disembarked is the last town on the Duoro Railway which begins in Porto. We boarded buses for Castelo Rodrigo, a medieval village. The one-hour scenic drive coiled its way through a countryside of vineyards, olive groves, and almond orchards. We learned that green and black olives are the same depending on when they’re picked; green ones are picked in September and black ones in January. We drove through the Coa River Valley, intended site of a dam and reservoir. The discovery of Paleolithic carvings prevented the construction. School children and young people led the opposition with the slogan, “Carvings Can’t Swim.” We saw a couple of flocks of sheep. Upon seeing some cork oak trees, we learned about harvesting cork and its many uses; some trees had numbers on them showing when the cork was harvested because 10 years should elapse before the cork can be harvested again. The hilltop ruins of Castelo Rodrigo stood out against the partly sunny sky. A very strong wind made being outside uncomfortable and walking the uneven stone streets was treacherous. Miriam explained the history of the village to us before we visited the church. Afterwards we visited the pillory to learn of medieval punishment. I skipped the downhill walk to the Jewish quarter and visited a couple of shops selling cork items, almonds, and snacks before boarding the bus which was parked beside the cemetery. 

We had a 45-minute drive to the riverboat tied up at Barca D’Alva on the Spanish border. One small herd of cattle grazed near a barn. At one point on the drive we were able to see both Portugal and Spain on opposite sides of a tributary to the Duoro River. The night’s entertainment was the opening of a bottle of vintage port. 

 

Thursday 19 October - Departure for Salamanca was set for 8:30. The forecast showed rain and a high of 59F. At 10:37, the bus departed Barco D’Alva and we quickly crossed the River Agatha and entered Spain. It was overcast, rainy, and 16C (61F). Although Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal time wise, we operated on Portuguese time all day. We followed a twisting route up through hills to reach a plateau. While Portugal has a population of 10 million with another 4 million citizens living overseas, Spain has a population of over 40 million. Town, each dominated by a large church, seemed to cower under gloomy skies in temperatures of 15C (59F). The highway across the undulating terrain was punctuated by speed bumps in towns or at intersections. The landscape reminded me of west Texas; there was prickly pear. There was plenty of stone to provide material for buildings, fences, and have some leftover. Oak trees produce the acorns to feed Black Iberian Pigs, source of the famous jamon.  Miriam mentioned dairies, but I only saw beef cattle. Rain fell much harder, and the temperature dropped to 12C (54F). In fact, the nearer we got to Salamanca, the harder it rained. There’s some truth in the song lyrics “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.” 

When we reached Salamanca at 10:35, it was raining and 14C (57F). The rain tapered off as we walked to the Hotel Palacio San Esteban for pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and restrooms.

At 11:15 we enjoyed almost 15 minutes of sunshine as we walked to the Plaza Mayor for some free time. Because of the siesta, many shops close at 2 for a couple of hours, so shopping time was before lunch.

 I walked over to the Mercado Central and made photos.

Then I walked back to Plaza Mayor and walked all around it under the portico. 

I waited with a group until time for the guided tour at 1pm. The remainder of the afternoon was spent wading water as the rain never stopped. We passed the House of Shells on the way to 

The University of Salamanca founded in 1218. Its unofficial symbol is a frog which originally was meant by professors to denote lust but changed by the students to indicate luck. We saw some of the original classrooms and learned about the red writings on some of the walls. Originally all students were rich young men, some of whom even brought multiple servants with them. All classes were lectures in Latin, and no one took notes. After 5 years, a student was eligible to take the examination to receive a degree. The night prior to the exam was spent in vigil in the chapel. On examination day, the student sat facing the bishop with their feet touching in hopes of transferring knowledge. The examination was oral, and only about 7% passed. Those who passed were given the title of Doctor and allowed to teach. In celebration, he was expected to provide a meal for all the faculty, a party for all the students, and a bullfight for the city. He then wrote his name and a symbol designating his degree on a university wall in bull’s blood. We also visited the chapel containing the reliquaries of St. John of Sahagún and St. Thomas of Villanova before sloshing to the Cathedral. 

Old Faded Student Writing

Original Classroom

Modern Student Writing

Old Chapel Ceiling

"New Chapel"

Newer Chapel

The Catedral de la Asuncion de la Virgen was constructed between 1733 and 1753. Some of its decorative elements are Plateresque, meaning they’re delicate like the work of silversmiths. Its architecture is a mix of Gothic and Baroque. In typical Spanish style, the altar and the choir were on opposite ends of the nave. While the altar was elaborately gilded, the choir was intricately carved walnut. The ambulatory contained several chapels including one with a statue of Our Lady of Solitude which is processed in total silence at midnight on Corpus Christi. There was also All Saints Chapel with walls lined in elaborate gilded images. Near the exit was an ancient offering box asking for money for the Crusades. 

Altar

Chapel of Our Lady of Solitude

Tombs Beneath Floor

Choir

All Saints Chapel

Alms For The Crusades

 

Exiting the cathedral about 2pm, I walked down the street and found a tapas bar for lunch. We met at the Cathedral at 3:30 for the rainy walk to the bus. The weather was miserable with rain the entire time. The bus left at 3:40 for the return to the riverboat over the same route as the morning. There was no rain for the first hour of the drive, and rain fell intermittently after that. Go figure! The landscape appeared to be drenched with water standing in every low spot. Some sun broke through the black clouds about the last 20 minutes of the drive. 

 

Friday 20 October - We began our journey downriver to Porto Antigo. Scenic cruising filled the morning as the sun shone brightly. There was an afternoon tour to Quinto do Seixo, home of Sandeman wines, but I chose not to go.  

 

Saturday 21 October – At first light, the boat sailed from Porto Antigo towards Porto. We sailed into Porto under partly cloudy skies. Street markets along the riverbank were crowded. We tied up at Cais de Gaia.

After lunch, I got ready for the tour to Guimaraes, known as the birthplace of Portugal; It was 23C (74F) when the bus left Gaia for the 50 minute drive to Guimaraes. A narrow roadway wound uphill, but we soon reached a motorway. We learned that this region grows corn, and that grapevines surround the fields and serve as boundary lines. The area is known for its Portuguese Stew made with pork and vegetables and often served with rice. Chestnut trees grow here and are a staple of many peoples’ diets. Eucalyptus trees were imported to drain marshlands and are now cultivated for paper production. The Moors were defeated in 858, and Henry of Burgundy ruled the area. A monastery was established at Guimaraes on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostelo. Henry and his wife Teresa had a son Alfonso, who had a deformed leg. Henry died when Alfonso was a minor and Teresa ruled as Queen. Alfonso rebelled at 16, defeated his mother, and became King. The Portuguese nobility helped him because Teresa was closely tied to Gallacia and Leon in Spain. Alfonso succeeded in expelling the Moors from Portugal and lived to the ripe old age of 76. We arrived at 3:50; it was 16C (61F). The bus dropped us at the top of a hill and we walked down. We saw some shells etched into the sidewalk indicating we were on the Pilgrimage Path. Reaching Sao Maria Street, we looked into shop windows and learned about torte chila, a sweet pastry filled with spaghetti squash. After passing the reconstructed castle, we reached the Church of Nossa Senhora de Olivera. An olive tree brought from the Holy Land by a pilgrim once stood here but was killed by people taking pieces from it for good luck. The present tree was planted in the 1980s and is protected. During free time, I bought a torte chila, probably the sweetest thing I ever tried to eat, and a hot chocolate. As we returned to the bus, we saw the cable car line on the mountain side and got a good view of the Church of Sao Gualter 

We left at 4:55 for the return drive. Greenhouses, corn fields, hay, manufacturing plants, apartment buildings, and solar panels filled much of the landscape. Pampas grass grew at roadside. We had a nice view of the mouth of the Duoro as we crossed the bridge on our return. 

Sunday 22 October – I went to breakfast at 7. It was bags out at 7:30; vacate cabin at 8:30; departure at 9:00. After claiming my bag and seeing it put aboard, I boarded Bus #1 for the trip to Lisbon. We left Gaia and made our way out of the city and onto the motorway. There were cornfields and eucalyptus trees growing beside the highway. After skirting Coimbra, site of The University of Portugal, we made a rest stop from 10:30 to 10:55 at a service plaza. Some of the huge towers supporting the power lines are festooned with massive stork nests; life for the storks is good here, so they no longer migrate. The terrain changed and we saw large vineyards as well as fruit trees: pear; apple; peach; cherry. We reached Obidos at noon and had free time until 1:40pm. I wandered through some shops and ate lunch. 

A number of wind turbines dotted the landscape as we drove toward the capital city A few minutes before 3, the bus stopped in front of the Tivoli Hotel and we met Pilar. Inside the hotel, Pilar handed out schedules and gave us an overview of activities until our Wednesday departure. Someone from the hotel handed out room keys, and I was inside room 217 before 4. The welcome message on the TV was in German; I have been told Bonner is a German name.

 I got ready  for the Orientation Walk of the hotel area at 6:30. Pilar led us down the hill pointing out ATMs, restaurants, pharmacies, etc. By the time I walked back up the hill and got back to the hotel; it was almost 8. 

Monday 23 October - At 8:30, we boarded a bus for a city tour with Isabel as our guide. We learned that Lisbon was founded by the Phoenicians and is the second oldest capital city in Europe after Athens. About 30% of the country’s population lives in greater Lisbon. We drove through Restoration Square as we made our way down towards the Tagus River. The city was almost completely destroyed in an earthquake and subsequent tsunami and fire on November 1, 1755;  that day was a Sunday and many were at mass and holding candles. When rebuilding, a more regular pattern was established with parallel streets running uphill from the river. Lisbon is a city of cars, and parking and pollution are problems, so much so that EVs only pay €12 annually to park anywhere. Reaching the western part is the city, we got off the bus near the Belem Tower which was constructed in the 16th century for defense and as the location for embarkation and disembarkation. The bridge crossing the river is reminiscent of The Golden Gate Bridge and was constructed by the same company. 

Our next point of interest was the Monument of the Discoveries which opened in 1960. It commemorates Henry the Navigator and those Portuguese explorers who opened trade routes to Africa, Asia, and the Americas. There were lucrative opportunities for royalty and investors but not for the sailors; when a returning ship wrecked and the beach was blackened with pepper and littered with coconuts containing small holes, they discovered how the common sailors were making extra money smuggling spices. From then on, sailors were forbidden to bring coconuts aboard their ships. A world map inlaid in colored stone in the plaza near the monument showed the extent of the Portuguese exploration, the year a destination was achieved, and the ship used. 

 

 As we twisted our way through the streets, we passed the Presidential Palacemore than once.

Our final stop was at Pasteis de Belem for custard tarts and coffee; established in 1837, they produce 30,000 tarts each day. The tarts tasted better here—maybe because the crust was very thin, and they were served warm. 

. Near here is the Jeronimos Monastery, burial place of Vasco de Gama. 

 On our return drive to the hotel, we passed under an aqueduct constructed in the 1700s. 

 

We saw many tile-covered walls on both buildings and along roadways.

We arrived at the hotel a few minutes before noon. The President of Guinea was visiting Portugal and staying in our hotel. There was no shortage of Security and Police in and around the hotel. 

Tuesday 24 – The tour to Sintra and Cascais departed at 9:30. The trip, of course, included the usual loop because the hotel is on a boulevard. After circling the Marquis of Pombal roundabout, we headed out of Lisbon. Our first stop was Queluz Palace. It was confiscated from a nobleman who had supported Spain during the time it occupied Portugal and was intended to always be the property of the monarch’s second son. Things got somewhat complicated when the Queen Consort married the second son; then it became a summer home for the monarchy. We toured the palace interior, which is decorated with period furnishings, some of which are original to the palace. The interior is reminiscent of Versailles on a smaller scale. 

Light rain greeted us as we exited the palace through the French style gardens. 

While we drove to the town of Sintra, the guide explained that military service in Portugal is not mandatory. What is mandatory is obeying the summons received on the 18th birthday to spend an entire day having the opportunities available in the military explained. No excuses for absences are granted. At 11:25 we exited the bus in the small town of Sintra, which also contains a royal palace, that we did not visit. The town is a mountain town with cobblestone streets twisting uphill and downhill. Drizzle made the streets and sidewalks wet and slippery. I enjoyed some chestnut and port wine gelato. 

We boarded the bus at 12:30 for the drive to Cascais. It took a while to wind our way through and out of the mountains on a narrow road. We reached the coast and saw Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Cascais is the place to live for the rich and famous and has real estate prices to keep it that way. It was a rainy, gray day; waves crashed on the beach and the strong onshore wind made a beach stroll unpleasant all but impossible. We left the bus at 1:15 and had two hours to shop and to eat lunch.

Children rode a small carousel in a park. 

Portugal was neutral during WWII, and many European royals lived in Estoril during that time. With the royals, came the spies. Ian Fleming was in Estoril during WWII and met several spies one of whom became the model for James Bond. Just as it was then, today Estoril is home to a casino. The rain fell more heavily on the drive back to the hotel in Lisbon. It was a miserable wet day. We arrived at the hotel about 4:45.

 

Wednesday 25 October - Breakfast opened at 6:30am. My bag was to be collected from the room at 7am and departure for the airport at 7:30am. Our group boarded the minibus and left for the airport at 7:25. The flight to Philadelphia departed on time, and we landed in Philadelphia on time. I breezed through e Immigration and Customs and checked the board for AA451 to DFW. The flight was delayed from 4:13 to 5:54 because of storms in DFW. We actually took off at 5:51, and the flight was smooth until about the last hour when storms around the airport made for a very bumpy flight. For the last 45 minutes everyone, including the flight attendants, had to stay seated. We aborted 2 landing attempts before landing at 8:59. Some passengers clapped at touchdown, and the flight attendant came on the PA and asked, “How’re y’all doing back there?” Then she said, “That was rough, even for me.” I came home through some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen.