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From Portugal to the Pyrenees and onto Paris

From Portugal to the Pyrenees and onto Paris

Old Nov 12th, 2016, 11:25 AM
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From Portugal to the Pyrenees and onto Paris

Our 3 week trip this past April from Portugal to Paris was ambitious as far as the distance traveled and the logistics involved in covering those miles. But as we approach our seventies, we feel the need to fit in as many of our bucket list destinations as we can on each trip. Somehow, that darn list, instead of getting shorter, seems to be lengthening as we add more places we'd like to see while we are still able.

We have travelled to Europe from our home in upstate New York several times over the years. After spending a year in Germany while my husband was stationed there in the Army back in the sixties, Europe became our favorite destination, even though there were often many years between trips as work, kids, and financial restraints got in the way. Now that we are retired, however, we try to plan an vacation somewhere in Europe every year. On this trip, we wanted first to return to Portugal which we visited last year, specifically to visit Sintra, Porto, and the Douro River Valley. After Portugal, we planned a visit to San Sebastian in Spain and then the Basque region of France before heading to the midi-Pyrenees to follow some of the famous Tour de France routes. Then we were off to the town of Ceret in the Pyrenees-Orientales in southeast France, a town that captured my imagination when I read a brief description of it while researching vacation rentals. After 5 days in Ceret, we would head to Paris, which we have visited 5 times and always love.

PLANNING - Trip planning is one of my favorite hobbies, and I often start planning the next vacation a few days after we return from our last one. I usually start with the Michelin Guide for the area plus a few other guidebooks to get a sense of the premier sights and their locations. Then I go to the Fodors Forum to research how Fodors travelers experienced these places.

Once I have an idea of where we want to go and in what order, I work on the logistics of how to get from place to place. Typically, we combine train travel with car rentals. We use trains to go long distances or between major cities, renting cars on the outskirts (usually at airports) to negotiate the countryside and small towns. The older we get, the less we like to drive anywhere challenging but we know that having a car is often necessary to really see some of those out of the way places we love.

Lodging is something I give a lot of consideration to these days. As we get older, we tend to spend more time relaxing in our own space, so we want that space to be a satisfying part of the vacation, reflecting the ambience of where ever we are. I try to find a room with a view, either of life on the street below or of a lovely bit of scenery out our window. That way, after a day seeing the sights, we can sit with a glass of wine and continue to enjoy the area around us. Advice from Fodors Forums, Tripadvisor reviews and other review sites are good resources and we usually end up in good places. Often we alternate between hotels and rentals of apartments or small houses. When we rent, we enjoy cooking our own meals. Marketing and then preparing meals with local ingredients is a great way to add to the experience of an area, plus a break from restaurant meals is not a bad thing now and then.

ITINERARY :
Flights - American to Chicago then Iberia to Madrid and onto Lisbon
Sintra - 2 nights
Porto - 1 night
Douro River Valley - 2 nights
Obidos - 1 night
Night Train - Lisbon to San Sebastian, Spain
San Sebastian - 1 night
St Jean de Luz, France - 3 nights
Loudet - Midi Pyrenees - 3 nights
Ceret - Orientale Pyrenees - 5 nights
Paris - 2 nights
Flights - American to Philadelphia and onto Syracuse

Too ambitious but it was a wonderful vacation. Next post, I will try to give some details that might be helpful to others in their trip planning.
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Old Nov 12th, 2016, 02:31 PM
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Ceret is on the itinerary I am working on...I will be eager to read your report. Thanks for posting!
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Old Nov 13th, 2016, 08:13 AM
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Kansas, I had never heard of Ceret before I stumbled across a description of it while researching apartment rentals, as I said. But I knew right away it sounded like a perfect town for us to visit on this trip An artists colony in the early 20th century, its picturesque squares and small side streets still glow with the golden light that attracted the likes of Picasso and Matisse. Although it has a very helpful tourist office in the center of town, tourism doesn't seem to be the dominant force like it is in some other similarly attractive villages. Ceret feels authentic, with lots of traditional character, so it was easy to feel we were living like locals for the five days we were there. We wished we could have stayed longer.
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Old Nov 13th, 2016, 08:54 AM
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One of my most memorable travel stories took place in Ceret. We drove into town and wondered why it was so crowded. We got to within site of our hotel but were turned down to a side street by the traffic cop. Turned out we got there only moments before a big parade started - it was their town festival. We were therefore stuck in a square within a circular parade route that continued for hours! Two of us left the third in the car and walked to the hotel, checked in and then we watched the parade until we were finally able to drive out to the hotel and park the car. Will never forget Ceret.

I'm looking forward to your trip report - especially the San Sebastian and St Jean de Luz parts as I'm presently planning a trip to that area next summer.
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Old Nov 14th, 2016, 02:33 AM
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Next time you need to visit O Grove in Galicia! I went for the first time to Galicia this past October, I have been wanting to go for ages, and what really set my mind to it was when I last year on Spainsh tv saw a clip from the Seafood Festival in O Grove ( yes LOVE food).

Had the best of times, everything so much more economic in Galica in comparation to Barcelona where I live since 16 years, I´m originally from Sweden.

Warm regards,
Sara
Appetite & other stories
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Old Nov 14th, 2016, 12:21 PM
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Isabel, after one night in San Sebastian, we decided it was one of our favorite cities in Europe. Unfortunately, we only had one night there, which was probably the biggest error I made in planning this trip.

Sara, I just looked up O Grove in Galicia. Looks like our kind of place. We need to go back to Spain, revisit San Sebastian and explore Galicia.
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Old Nov 14th, 2016, 01:49 PM
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OFF TO A SLIPPERY START & FLYING IS NO FUN!

The day before our departure, we drove to the airport to pick up a rental car. Lately, we have arranged for an airport rental so we don't have to pay for long term airport parking or recruit family or friends for a ride, usually in the early morning hours. The car rental cost this time was remarkably cheap, somewhere under $20 for a compact car at Hertz. Then, surprise! We were upgraded to a luxury class Chrysler 300. We would have a classy 30 minute ride between home and the airport. Except, the next morning, Mother Nature intervened with a freshly fallen layer of April snow and the luxury car, with rear wheel drive and no snow tires, almost didn't make it up the hill out of our driveway. Hey, we live in the hills south of Syracuse, New York, so we know all about driving on snow, but my husband pronounced this the worst driving of the whole winter. Maybe the snowplows had all been put away for the season, because even the interstate was super slick.

But we made it to the airport after a white knuckle drive, ready to begin our wonderful journey, with our newly issued Global Entry-TSA Pre Check documents in hand. Unfortunately, the PreCheck lane was closed when we went through security so our new status was not that advantageous. Belts, shoes and jackets all came off. But hopefully, on the way home, the effort we made, filing out the applications, traveling to Buffalo for the interviews, and the money spent on this special status would pay off and we would re-enter the USA free of long lines and hassle. Let's hope.

The flight to Chicago was on time even though the plane needed de-icing. Yes, using American Airlines frequent flyer miles, we almost always fly to Chicago from Syracuse on our way to Europe. Seems like we are going backwards to move forward, but it works out.

The Iberia Airlines flight was also on time but we were dismayed when we settled into our assigned seats. We don't remember having such cramped quarters on a plane in a long time. My husband's knees were jammed into the seat in front of him. When the passenger ahead put that seat back it was claustrophobic. Plus the seat backs were configured in such a way that there were fairly wide gaps, allowing the person behind to have a unobstructed view of the person opposite in front. I don't know, but I like a little privacy when I'm squirming around trying to survive an overnight flight. It's often pretty undignified. I know I probably sleep with my mouth wide open. On the plus side, there were plenty of movie choices on the seat back screen. Unfortunately, the provided earphones had poor quality audio and it was hard to hear the dialogue. Add to that, no beverage service except a glass of wine with dinner. Dinner and breakfast were both pretty lame. Bottom line, we probably won't fly Iberia again if we have a choice.

We landed in Madrid in the early morning. Frantic, hectic deplaning, long lines at customs, long distances to travel to our Lisbon connection caused some stress. And then there were the dreaded security lines to be navigated before we could access Iberia's Lisbon departure gate. Security here was close to chaos. Everyone was surging through at top speed in order to make connections. There were panicky faces, lost shoes, frenzied tossing of varied possessions into plastic bins, then more frenzied repossession of the bits and pieces sent through the x-ray machine to hopefully be repacked on the other side. Steve set off the walk through machine and had to be patted down. No idea why. We made the Lisbon flight with only a few minutes to spare. The relatively short flight ended with a windy, shaky landing, but at last we are back again in Portugal ready to begin our long anticipated adventure.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 01:31 PM
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BACK AGAIN IN PORTUGAL - SINTRA AT LAST

Last year, we traveled to Spain and Portugal, then back to Spain from Lisbon for 2 nights before flying home. Our last night in Portugal was supposed to be spent in Sintra, which we were really looking forward to seeing. But as we prepared to check out of our rental apartment in Lisbon, we got a message from TAP airline. Our flight to Madrid the next day had been cancelled. TAP pilots were on strike. Of course, panic set in as we first tried to call the airline only to hear a recording telling us that due to high volume, calls could not be answered at this time. About then, the kind young woman who was in charge of the apartment arrived to pick up our key and offered some very good advice. She suggested that we go to the TAP office downtown for help. She wrote down the address for us to give the cab driver and off we went. The office was mobbed when we got there, but we finally figured out that we needed to take a number, only to find out that there were 122 people in front of us. We settled in for a long day. Finally, we were booked on a flight to Madrid leaving early the next morning. We were thankful for the flight but disappointed that our overnight stay in Sintra was no longer possible. We cancelled our Sintra hotel reservation and stayed in Lisbon for one more night. Right then, we decided to return to Portugal the next year so we could finally make it to Sintra.

And here we were. After exiting the airport, we had an easy cab ride to Lisbon's Rossio Station, where the lines for Sintra tickets were long but moved quickly. We made the next train. I don't remember much about the ride except that the train was packed full and the view out the windows was mostly of large housing complexes which were not very attractive. But finally, we pulled into the Sintra station, and with the good directions provided found our way to the Chalet Saudade, our hotel for 2 nights. Arriving at noon, we had 3 long hours till check in, and we were pretty exhausted. Three hours seemed like 3 years but we forged ahead. Lunch at Cafe Saudade, sister cafe to our hotel, was light and good. We both ordered spiced pumpkin lentil soup, plus a ham and cheese sandwich for Steve and a mini spinach pie for me.

Revived somewhat, we headed for the Palacio Nacional. Because it would be closed tomorrow, this was our only chance to see it. Tired and jet lagged as we were, we liked it a lot. For me, it was a much smaller version of the Alhambra we had enjoyed the year before in Granada minus the beautiful gardens. Each room was a visual delight, with painted ceilings, pretty tiles, and great views out of many of the windows. The only disappointment was the kitchen closure due to renovations. We had heard that the kitchen with its monstrous chimneys was quite a sight. Unfortunately, it was not for us on this day.

Steve's dry throat needed a beer after our walk around the palace so we settled into a sheltered table at the Cafe Paris opposite the palace on the main square. Good beer, a glass of rose for me, a nice view of passersby, and lots of friendly attention from a seemingly genuinely happy maitre'd made for a good break. After a walk back to the train station for our tickets to Porto two days from now and a stop to pick up water, etc., we finally checked into our room and took a much needed nap. The bed was comfortable and heavy wooden shutters blocked the light. The 150 year old house, near the train station, with a lovely courtyard and pretty lounge rooms, was a good place for us to stay.

After our nap and a shower, we headed out for dinner. It was early, Just 7:00 pm, and we were the first customers at the Restaurant Regional. Decorated attractively, mostly in shades of white with a sprinkling of color, the restaurant was near our hotel in the less touristed part of town. The maitre'd, who was also the waiter and probably the owner, presented us with iPads as menus which worked great. We didn't touch the bread offered but we did finish the olives and the little cheese filled buns that were brought to the table (both delicious). Our meal began with a shared house salad, then Steve had lamb in red wine sauce and I had bacalhau with tomato, cheese, and potatoes (like homemade chips). I guess bacalhau is an acquired taste and I think I'll give up trying to acquire it. I tried it a few times on our previous trip to Portugal and just kept hoping I would like it more next time. Steve, however, said his meal was the best he'd ever had in Portugal. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel for some much needed sleep.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 03:41 PM
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Candace, I am enjoying your trip report. We are in our 60's; my husband is almost 70, so I understand what you mean about a bucket list and trying to do everything while we are in good health & shape. I admire you for tackling such a long trip, and so many destinations!

I haven't been to Portugal yet, but definitely want to go there within a few years. We have been to Barcelona; and I am currently planning a trip to Madrid and Andalucía for October 2017, to include Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Cordoba and perhaps Ronda. Did you have any favorites on last year's trip to Spain? Where did you go? Any advice?
I like your style of planning a trip. Good advice and suggestions. Do you prefer an apartment over a hotel? When renting an apartment, do you miss not having hotel staff to ask for advice re sightseeing, restaurants, etc?
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 09:00 AM
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Karen, I'm glad you are enjoying my report. Unfortunately, I never got around to writing a report for our trip last year to Spain and Portugal. It was a great trip and we loved Spain. After landing in Madrid, we took the train to Córdoba for our first night. We saw the Mezquita the next morning. It was amazing. Next, we traveled by train to Granada for two nights. Of course, the Alhambra was our focus there and it is absolutely beautiful, especially the Nasrid Palace and the gorgeous gardens. From Granada, we traveled to Ronda for one night. Ronda's setting is spectacular, above a deep ravine, but in retrospect I would pass it up and add a third night to Seville which we loved. The city is so beautiful, especially in the old barrios where we were constantly getting lost. We were there during the April Feria when women young and old dress up in their colorful ruffled dresses and the brightly decorated carriages fly by on their way to the festival grounds. Fun to see. We ran into celebrations again when we spent our last day in Madrid on May 1st. Parades and big crowds, but we enjoyed all the pomp and circumstance complete with mounted cavaliers and lots of music.

In answer to your question about apartments and hotels, we really enjoy our rental stays as a way to settle into an area and live a little bit like a local. Generally, in Europe, when we arrive at a rental we are met by either the owner or their contact person. That person generally offers a really enthusiastic welcome full of information about the area and they are always ready to answer any questions. It is sort of like having our own personal concierge, as they are always just a phone call away. Also, most rentals have guest books that previous guests often fill with extensive tips on local restaurants and sights, so there is no lack of that type of information. That being said, hotels can be more convenient as far as checking in and checking out goes. A hotel stay doesn't require prior arrangements as to time of arrival etc. which a few times has become somewhat complicated with a rental.

I hope I've helped. And I hope you have a great trip to Spain when you go.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 01:46 PM
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SINTRA CONTINUED

Last year, when the TAP strike ruined our plans to spend our last night in Portugal in Sintra, we were disappointed. As we checked into a hotel for our unexpected fourth night in Lisbon, we mentioned to the receptionist how we had missed out on visiting Sintra. He replied that one night was not enough to spend there anyway, and we should come back for at least two nights. And we are so glad we did. It is a beautiful place. Our first afternoon there, walking from the train station, jet lagged, up to the old center of town in a drizzle of cold rain, we kept saying "This is beautiful!" The curved walkway leading up to main square and the Palacio Nacional overlooks the town and green vistas, and is punctuated by marble statuary along the way, each unique and lovely. High above, the crenelated walls and towers of the Castelo dos Mauros are outlined against the sky, making a dramatic statement anytime we look up. The town center itself is dominated by the yellow and white Palacio Nacional with its unique twin chimneys. The forested hillsides below the Castelo reveal small castles and turreted mansions among the trees, sort of like a magical kingdom.

So, in the morning, which was sunny and cool, we set out to visit the Pena Palace and the Castelo dos Mauros. We lined up by the train station for the bus that travels the circuit of major sights. The first two buses to pull up to our stop filled up as we waited our turn. When we finally boarded the next bus there were no more seats available. The packed bus lurched its way up the steep hill as we clung to straps and bars. When we finally reached the Pena Palace, there was another line to buy tickets. If its crowded in Sintra in April, it must be crazy during the summer.

The Pena Palace is an extravaganza of deep red and orange towers, turrets, and terraces, set off against the brilliant blue sky above. A child with a box of big bright crayolas might have designed and colored the fantastic scene before us. Taking in the twisted columns, cartoonish carvings, and various patterned tiles, we walked the wall with all the views in every direction, some even of the distant sea. Moving inside , we enjoyed the interior, with rooms fit for nineteenth century royalty, luxurious, filled with rich color and lots of opulence. I was especially taken by the candelabras in the shape of full sized Persian princes holding their tapers high. Exiting the palace, we walked the pretty grounds on our way down to the Moors Castle, where the view down to town was wonderful. We walked half way around the castle wall until the scary heights combined with the lack of railings discouraged us from going further. We headed out to the road to catch the bus back down the hill.

We had a good dinner that night at a restaurant near our hotel, the Restaurant Apeadeiro. A more casual establishment than the place we ate the night before, it was busier by far. (I did a TripAdvisor review if anyone is interested.)

After dinner, we walked the promenade up toward the town center. It was so worthwhile to spend the night here. The crowds are gone and everything is bathed in gorgeous light. The sculptures along the way are mostly marble and glow, seeming almost to come to life. And the Moorish Castle floats above, surrounded by backlit clouds, shining like the gates of heaven. It seems to hover there in the sky.

It is our last night at Chalet Saudade. We have been comfortable here. And I have to comment on the breakfasts, which are included with the room and are served in the Cafe Saudade around the corner by the "Cuban" as he calls himself . You are offered a menu which includes great and varied choices and the Cuban provides plenty of amusing conversation. It's a great way to start the morning.

The next day, after our generous breakfast which included enough bread, ham and cheese for lunch, we head back to the train station. Off to our next stop, Porto.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 03:16 PM
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Candace,

Your trip sounds lovely, and this report will be helpful as DH and I start to plan our trip to Europe next September. Thanks for posting!
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 01:26 AM
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Enjoying your trip report, especially the food part. I ate well in Portugal too
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 05:34 AM
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Candace, thank you for responding to my question about the places you visited in Spain and about hotels vs apartments. Your response is very helpful.

I love your description of Sintra! You should be a travel writer!

Visiting in April sounds like fun with all the festivals. But I assume hotels and perhaps restaurants might be more expensive at that time. Did you find this to be true?
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 02:02 PM
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Thanks, all, for your kind comments. Yes, Karen, festivals do cause higher lodging costs but the increases weren't drastic in Seville. We spent two nights at the Apartmentos Suites Santa Cruz for two nights and although I can't remember the exact cost, I know we wouldn't have booked it if the price was too high. The apartment was an annex of the hotel, and the high point for us was the large private terrace with a view of the cathedral. At night, we stretched out in the lounge chairs and watched the kestrel Hawks diving like tiny shooting stars around the illuminated cathedral tower. Magical.
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 02:55 PM
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Having returned a few days ago after three weeks travelling in the north of Spain and Lisbon, your report is so timely for me! And so well-written and filled with detail. Please keep on..I will eagerly await the next installment.
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 05:09 PM
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NO PORT IN PORTO BUT A DELICIOUS DINNER

We caught the train from Sintra to the Oriente Staion in Lisbon, where we boarded another train to Porto. The three hour ride in second class only cost 12 euros but you get what you pay for sometimes. It was a long three hours in uncomfortable, crowded seats and the toilets were nasty. Not much decent scenery on the way although we did pass by the sea a few times. But things looked up when we took a cab from the station and found our hotel easily after the cabbie let us off a block or so away. Our hotel, the Ribeira do Porto, was right on the riverbank, in the Ribeira district. The district is full of color, with eccentric old buildings jammed together, funny old boats bobbing down on the river and the music of various street performers thumping away. Our hotel room turned out to be the perfect place to experience it all. Our room, number 31, was a corner room with a wrap around balcony. From the balcony, we had a great view of the river and the Pont d Luis. We could have just stayed put and watched all the action, but we decided to walk across the bridge (on the lower level) and visit a port house for a tasting on the other side. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. The recommended spot had no English tours available so late in the day. Never the less, we did enjoy a good long walk on a nice sunny day. When we got back to our hotel, we asked the young man at the desk if he could recommend a good place for a light meal, or maybe just tapas. He could, and sent us to a place right across the square, Jimao Tapas e Vinhos.

Our expectations were not high for Jimao Tapas e Vinhos but the friendly greeting as we stepped through the door made us feel welcome. The restaurant is small and there were only two tables free when we arrived but the hostess fussed over us, worried that the table by the door might be too drafty. We settled in and ordered four tapas to share: sausage cooked in honey, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, an omelet with sardines, asparagus toast with cheese and ham, and finally cheese toast with tomato jam. Each dish was unique and delicious. Great wine enhanced every flavor. And the young wait staff, obviously very well trained, were knowledgable and enthusiastic and just a joy to watch in action. They struck just the right note, even when turning unhappy customers away from their very full restaurant.

Back in our room, the view from our balcony was glowing. The bridge sparkled with white lights, the waterfront and the river shimmered in gold, and the Cathedral across the way was lit up in turquoise and yellow. We hated to eventually close the curtains and go to bed.

We took a cab to the airport the next day to rent a car. Europcar employees won our customer service award for this trip. The young man and woman at the rental desk worked long and hard trying to enter our remote and probably obscure destination for our first night on the road into the GPS. Finally, they called the hotel themselves and got the coordinates entered.

So we were off. The GPS worked perfectly most of the way but some glitch (shortest mileage maybe) eventually took us up and over the mountains on incredibly steep and winding roads, instead through the valley on the normal, straight and level, but maybe less direct highways to our destination. Finally, in a remote little village high above the valley, the sweet and refined female voice giving us her steady straightforward directions, finally lost it and began taking us in circles which dead ended in narrow lanes with no place to turn around. The views were fantastic, as we were high above the Douro Valley in truly rural countryside. But we were really lost. Finally, after driving by him a few times, we asked a local man for help. He wrote "2 km" in mud by the roadside with a stick and waved us off in the right direction.

The Casa do Visconde de Chanceleiros, when we finally found it, was worth the drive. Extensive gardens, immaculately cared for, surrounded the antique farmhouse. Our room was spacious, with a wisteria covered patio overlooking the distant hills. The weather was sunny and mild. I could have sat in that garden for days except this was, unfortunately, the last sunny and mild day.

Dinner was served each night in a glass enclosed veranda with a sweeping view. Dinner the first night was pork tenderloin in a creamy wine sauce with mashed potatoes, carrots and broccoli. Shrimp bisque and marinated sausage with olives were starters with a burnt creme pudding for dessert. It was all very good and after a short stroll around the garden, we headed for bed, looking forward to the next day when we would head down to the Douro Valley and travel up the river.
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 05:42 PM
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Ekscrunchy, I have often noted your comments and followed your trip reports, especially regarding travel in Italy, where we are planning to go next April. Thank you for your kind words.
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Old Nov 18th, 2016, 07:20 PM
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THE DOURO RIVER FROM PINHAO to POCINHO

We had read that the train trip from the little town of Pinhao along the Douro River to Pocinho at the end of the line, was the best way to see the section of the Douro everyone believes to be the most scenic. In the morning, clouds and rain smudged the view from the glass enclosed veranda where breakfast is served at the Casa do Visconde but we decided not to let the weather alter our plans. After breakfast, we headed down the steep, winding road to Pinhao. The train station at Pinhao was pretty, covered with blue, white, and yellow tiles depicting local scenes. The train at Pinhoa, because it is a local line, does not require reservations. We bought our tickets and climbed on board when the train pulled into the station. We knew that seats on the right hand side would provide the best views of the river and there was no problem finding seats on the right hand side. The problem was that most of the windows by those seats were covered with graffiti, which completely obstructed the view. Even though the train was not crowded, we went through two or three cars before we found unoccupied seats with clear views through unpainted windows. Then, as the train pulled away from the station, the rain intensified and raindrops smeared those windows, further obstructing the view. But we peered out as best we could, through the rain, and we knew from what little we could see that we wanted to see more.

It was then that the angels who sometimes look out for travelers intervened, and the sky began to clear, the rain stopped, and eventually the sun even came out. In clear view now were the steep riverbanks, with vineyards and olive groves sharing the territory. There were few structures except for the occasional Quintas, both new and prosperous, and ancient and delapitated. The river current was strong in places and the banks were mostly rocky, with occasional trees and sandy eddies. We saw a few lone fishermen with long slender poles and wondered what they were trying to catch. We passed by a few little stations,mostly deserted. One, however, was quite charming with white fences and climbing roses. Closing my eyes, I could image it as a setting for a romantic nineteenth century love story.

But charm disappeared as we approached Pocinho. The train left the river bank for a ways before it pulled into Pocinho station. Disembarking, the first things we saw were smoke stacks spueing white and gray smoke into the cross winds, maybe from a cement factory beyond the tracks.

We had two hours to kill before catching the train back to Pinhao. The little station had a tiny cafeteria that closed soon after the train came in. Obviously, serving train passengers was not a high priority. We asked the conductor, who might have been the cafeteria's only customer, if there was somewhere we could eat lunch in town. After first trying to sell us a 20 euro cab tour of the "city" with a female cabbie who was obviously a friend of his, but who was very unfriendly to us, he pointed us in the direction of the only (I think) cafe in town. In a nicely renovated building, the cafe was clean and basic. No one there spoke English but we ordered as best we could. Steve had red peppered pork with little fried potatoes and rice. I ordered a salad which came with delicious sweet onions and a really good vinegrette. Sharing, we had a nice light lunch. As we were lingering over coffee, the aforementioned cabbie parked her car on the street in front, came into the restaurant, frowned at us, and made her way into the kitchen. Obviously, she is a daughter of the restaurant family. We don't know her story, or the source of her unfriendliness and never will, but maybe we should have taken that 20 euro cab ride and found out a little more about life in Pocinho. Or maybe not.

Taking advantage of the sunny, mild afternoon, we walked back to the station and were soon on the train returning to Pinhoa, enjoying the lovely views as we chugged along in the opposite direction.
Candace is offline  
Old Nov 19th, 2016, 05:03 AM
  #20  
 
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Still enjoying your trip report! I see that you took the night train from Lisbon to San Sebastian. How long did that take? How did you get to your other destinations?
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