Saturday was raining so we did laundry and hung around the hotel and area, had a great lunch of Indian food from across the street and decided that we didn’t need dinner.
Sunday we were picked up by the limo driver and along with another couple from New Jersey drove out to the Douro valley, wine country. Such magnificent scenery, it is terraced all the way down and vines grow on each row. The terraces were all hand hewn hundreds of years ago! The leaves were changing and the colors were vibrant. We drove along the Douro river to the dock and then boarded a river boat that cruised up the river. We were treated with a special white port and tonic water cocktail (lemon & mint)
and some local appies. We then drove around the countryside stopped at a little town called Sabrosa, Portugal, the birthplace of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer, who was the fist mariner to circumnavigate the globe back in 1522. Also we saw a bridge built by Eiffel who also lived in the Douro valley. He also built two bridges in Porto.
We arrived at the first winery where we had a tour and the most amazing lunch. We were greeted at the gate with a special glass of port, we then went on a tour of the kitchen and winery. Lunch was in a big tent on the lawn which was beautifully set with white linen etc. We were served local delicacies of cheese olives, smoked meats, clams, black eyed peas, local tomatoes and of course bread and olive oil and a delicious white wine.
The next course was a local potato cooked in cast iron pots over and open fire with local sausage and the most delicious grilled meats of spare ribs, pork and medium rare veal!!!!! Again with a delightful red wine. Dessert was a drunken cake with another port.
We then said a sad farewell and went to a another winery where we sampled several wines and the most delicious port ever. Some of the people were invited to crawl into a empty barrel of port. That was truly hilarious.
Desperately wanted to take some port home but no leeway for weight in our luggage. The girl giving the tasting was part of the five generations that owned the winery. She was so funny, made it even more special.
Sadly again we said goodbye and drove the last hour or so
and arrived home around seven.
You can’t get this port in Canada due to our stupid import laws. Everywhere else you can buy it except Canada…shity.
