Barb's Portugal trip report

Old Jun 14th, 2006, 08:01 PM
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Barb's Portugal trip report

First some general observations: We hit the highlights rather than spend a lot of time in one area. This was ok for our first trip. Next time we will really focus on one area and learn more about it.

Driving: Roads are very good and for the most part well marked. Main highways ("A" roads) are expensive but get you there quickly and easily. Back roads ("N" roads) are beautiful and well maintained although can be round about and slow. The "I" roads are somewhere in between. Tailgating was the scariest problem I had but I learned to not take it personally!

Food: I gained 5 pounds - enough said! But I think it was the drinks that did it. We had good food in all areas of the country. It seemed that the smaller, less fancy the place was the better the food, as is often the case. And we never got sick, even the porto from the big jug, although it was a headache maker.

People: We met so many friendly, helpful people everywhere we went. Restaurant staff, most hotel staff, museum guides, people in cafes and on the street were always ready to just talk and be helpful. Maybe it is the great weather but everyone (even tourists) seem to be in a good mood!

Ok the report

DAY1: Because we were flying on FF points, Jim and I were on different flights. After connecting in different cities, we arrived at the Porto baggage claim within seconds of each other! BTW the TAP flight I took from Heathrow was excellent even though the check in process there was total confusion.

We decided to take care of the cell phone first since we walked right past the Vidafone place we figured lets get it over with. It may have been more expensive but convenience is worth something. We got a SIM card for 25 euros which included 15 euros of call time. The girl was very helpful and we called her to make sure it worked. The minute charges were about .29 within Portugal with free incoming calls. To call the US was about .43 on weekdays and .20 on weekends. I called home two times and we made a few other calls so I think we only used about 5euros worth of calls.

Next was the rental car and that went well at Hertz. They were very careful about checking the car over and giving us instructions. It seemed like it had a lot of mileage and was kind of a mess inside and out (the antenna was already gone!) but our 4 pieces of luggage fit perfectly in the back so they were hidden from view.

Then we were off to Aveiro. Since I do not read maps well, I drive and Jim navagates - we get along much better that way! It was mostly the highway around Porto and on to Aveiro. Since I had looked at a map for the location of the hotel we drove around a bit a there it was! The Best Western Imperial with a few hotel parking spaces near by. For 63euros a night with breakfast, it was very comfortable. It was also very convenient to the main tourist area, canal and restaurants.

We wandered around and found big screens set up and beer trucks all ready for the Under 21 football matches. We relaxed with the locals, having beer and watching Portugal play. Then dinner in one of the small restaurants - our first of many wonderful fish dinners.

DAY 2: Before leaving Aveiro we wanted to stock up on water and take some daytime photos. Unfortunately we forgot to go to the railway station which is suppose to be beautiful. I successfully bought stamps at the Post office after it was explained to me that I had to have a ticket before I stand in line. We also found the internet place near our hotel where the first 1/2 hour was free so we checked in with everyone at home and sent them our cell phone number.

Then off to Nazare. We began the drive along the coast for awhile to see the striped houses at Costa Nova. But that seemed slow so we tried to go back to the main highway A1. It was a very round about route but we finally got there and headed south at a much faster pace - 90 mph or so! Our first stop was Batalha. The unfinished chapel was our favorite part.

Next we stopped at Alcobaca. What a really interesting place and story. The tombs of Pedro and Ines as well as the kitchen were the best parts.

We arrived in the Nazare area and our hotel which was actually in the very tiny village of Pederneira. The Hotel Miramar. It was on a high cliff overlooking Nazare and the ocean. Nice pool and rooms with a view. Also a restaurant but we only had drinks on the patio. Free internet. Cost 65 euros breakfast included. We could have stayed here more than the 2 nights!

That first night we wandered Nazare and ate at a very small place a block off the beach. We were the only customers and felt like we were guests at the woman's home as she waited on us, cooked and chatted about the food, football, etc. I had the octopus/rice dish that was one of the best meals of the trip. We returned to our hotel room patio to watch the sun set over the Atlantic!

More to follow, still a bit jet lagged
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Old Jun 14th, 2006, 09:22 PM
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Thanks, Barb, reading your report so far brought back a good and vivid memory of visiting the fish market in Nazare! Can't wait to read more.
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Old Jun 15th, 2006, 06:54 AM
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DAY 3: Got an early start because we wanted to cover a lot of ground and weren't sure of travel times. Turns out the driving between Nazare and Tomar was quick, easy and beatiful so we got a lot done in one day.

First stop was Fatima. After all the discussion here I did not know what to expect. We found the town ok but could not find the basilica. We found the tourist office which was closed so we drove out and in again and finally found it - right across from the tourist office!! Luckily it was early in the day and not too crowded when we arrived so we found a spot to park near the gift shops.

Although I am not Catholic, I am a religious person but I found it too big and cold to be a moving experience. Some of the sculptures are interesting but we did not get in the museum because the English tour was a long wait. I must admit to a couple souvenirs in one of the nicer shops however.

From Fatima we went on to Tomar. We liked the sights there better than either Batalha or Alcobaca. The Convento de Cristo and the Templar Castle were very interesting and the town itself had other beautiful churches. We are beginning to like the Manueline architecture.

From Tomar we back tracked a bit but then headed into the Parque Natural das Serras de Aire. I had wanted to see the dinosaur footprints but I think the trip was catching up with us and when we saw the sign for it but did not know how far out of the way it was we decided to skip it. The Parque is beautiful and we headed toward the Mire de Aire for the caves. I know those are the most touristy and we should have gone to one of the others but again we were a bit clouded in judgement at that point.

The caves turned out to be an experience. We drove past it a couple times because there was not a soul there and we could not believe that was it. A man trying to get his 6 or 7 goats led by a donkey up the street said no that is it and it is open. So we went into the café and found the ticket booth. It was now about 5pm. So the girl said ok 2 tickets for the 5:15 tour so we said ok. Just then a man came and changed the clock to 5:30 tour! So we sat in the café and had a drink, as they were obviously cleaning up to close, and waited.

At 5:30 the man who had been dealing with the goats came and opened the door and led us into the cave. So we had our private tour and found it very interesting if a bit hokey. Some of the formations are different than others we have seen and we were glad we had gone.

Then back to Nazare and dinner. We decided to check out Sitio for dinner and without really looking, found the place Rick Steve's suggests - Restaurante O Luis. It is filled with locals (large family gatherings). Luckily we were a bit early so we had the waiter's attention before he was literally running and serving food. One group of 4 had an assortment of shellfish served in a big fishing boat bowl! The fish was fresh and delicious.

A long but fun day.

DAY 4: Leave Nazare for our next stop - Sintra. Again we drive along the coast some to the beautiful village of Sao Martinho. They are busy with construction getting ready for the summer season but it is still a perfect seaside town.

Stop at Obidos. We arrived early but the tour busses were not far behind! This is not our kind of place but enjoyed the back streets and a short wall walk, the church of Santa Maria and a little ginjinha in a chocolate cup! Guess what our souvenir of Obidos is!

On to Sintra. We arrive but can not find the hotel - Hotel Tivoli Sintra which is right across from the Palacio Nacional but we don't see it. So we park on the street and walk to the tourist office (closed) but ask a policeman and there it is! So we park at the hotel and get our wonderful little suite with a terrific view from the corner sitting room. This hotel was 85 euros including breakfast.

After a quick lunch we decide to save time we will taxi to the Palacio da Pena. What a place! We spend all afternoon there and things are closed by the time we return to town. Relax at the hotel bar and then a small restaurant up the hill on a back street for dinner.

DAY 5: We want to be at the Palacio as it opens so we do not have to check out of the hotel until noon. How can each place we visit be more amazing than the one before? But it is. Love the magpie ceiling and the kitchen chimneys.

We check out but leave our bags and car at the hotel and walk to Quinta da Regaleira. The palace is not the feature here - the gardens. What fun! We spent a couple hours, wandering and gawking at it all.

Finally out of Sintra and the drive to Cabo da Roca. This is a much shorter, easier drive than I had anticipated from the looks of the road on the map! A great view and we can say we were at the most westerly spot in Europe but did not spend the 5 euros for the paper to say so!

On to Lisbon via the coast: the sand dunes of Guincho, and Cascais and Estoril. These look like interesting places and worth more time next time. It is a really nice drive along the Atlantic.

We arrive in Lisbon at rush hour - my husband drives this one and we actually find the hotel. I think rush hour was a good time because traffic was slow and it gave us time to know where were were.

We were at the Hotel Turim Lisboa. It is a few blocks from the Parque Metro stop and perfect for us. The hotel is 64 euros the first night and 53E each night on the weekend with breakfast. This was a bit too good to be true because I had hoped for a kitchenette and a laundry from descriptions I had read. It did have the kitchenette - for another 7.50 E a day. We decided we did not need it. Also the safe rental was another 2.50E a day. BUT the private parking garage under the hotel was only 8E a day. So all in all we were happy with it - the room was big and comfortable. Laundry will have to wait.

We found dinner down the street at a small fish restaurant. Another good meal. I should have kept notes about these places and meals but I did not. I think most readers find their own favorites any way there are endless places to eat good food here!

So if you are still awake I will post the Lisbon days next. Need to rest my mind and fingers now.
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Old Jun 15th, 2006, 09:37 AM
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Barb - I'm enjoying your trip report - like you have mentioned, it's like reliving my trip. I would have liked to have driven along the coast near Lisbon - I guess that'll be next time!
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Old Jun 15th, 2006, 01:42 PM
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Barb. Your trip report brings back so many memories. The tailgating drivers is one of them. Before you know it they are in your rear view mirror.

Are you glad you had a cell phone even if you did not use all of the time?

You visited some of the places we did not get to like Aveiro. And we ate at O Luis and I can still taste the clams I had. They were the best!

There were very few tourists in Obidos when we visited. I have to agree with your opinion. It was just o.k., I thought we were the only people who had that thought.

Am waiting for your post on Lisbon.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 04:29 AM
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Sher: We were glad to have the cell - Matt and Lobo could call us and welcome us to Portugal! But with family situations at home I always like to feel we can be reached. When driving I always feel safer knowing I can call for help although there are lots of SOS phones on the highways in Portugal.

DAY 6: Since the Gulbenkian Museum is within walking distance of our hotel we decided to hit that first thing. What a collection. The tour of preschoolers in their smocks and caps trying to pose like the statue of Diana made the visit complete!

Big mistake of our visit - not going to the tourist office first to learn about public transportation tickets. Since we were walking past the El Corte Ingles shopping mall (and Jim needed another memeory card for his camera already!) we decided just to get the metro there and head for Belem.

We bought single fare metro tickets to get us to Cais Do Sodre where we got the #15 tram (actually just a bus) for which
we then had to buy another ticket. Did the same on the return trip but decided for convenience to get each of us a 10 metro ride ticket - that seemed to be the smallest multi ride ticket available. In the end we only rode the metro about 5 times so this was a real waste. When we finally went to the tourist office the next day we found out there is a one day pass for 3 Euros that covers all public transportation. So those following - check it out first at the tourist office although I don't think you buy them there.

Belem: I know not everyone cares for it but I wanted to see the coach museum. It is a bit much but very interesting we thought. Since I choose that, Jim choose the Maritime Museum. Again way more than you may want to know but a great collection and the boats are beautiful.

After those two inside places, we headed for the Belem Tower. We decided to check it out inside although our tour books said it was not much. No but a fun climb and nice views. Then more of a walk to the Monument to the Discoveries. That simple monument really says a lot about Portugal, its history and people. We did not go inside but spent time studying the figures.

It was now getting late and we had a 7:00 date to meet the LDC at Praca do Comercio so we felt bad about missing the Monastary of Jeronimos but needed to make our way back to the hotel to clean up a bit.

It was tight but we made it to the meeting about on time only to find out poor Matt and Liz had to drive over the bridge since there was a ferry strike. But we all did get together and I know Jim and I felt instantly that we were among friends and out for a great evening. Matt's report on the LDC thread says and shows it better than I can but the evening was really a highlight of the trip. Have not stayed out to 2am in many years! Thank you all so much!

DAY 7: Got a little late start due to the late bedtime. But we had seen so much the day before we decided to take it slow and wander the neighborhoods of Lisbon. Metro to Restoradores took us to the tourist information (although it was not of much use now) and we had hoped to ride the Elevador da Gloria but it is closed for work or something.

Sher this was near the Hotel VIP Eden so good location if you like to be near things. It looks good from the outside. There seems to be an underground parking garage across the street.

We basically wandered and discovered small churches, monuments and the cow parade entries. We did ride the Elevador de Santa Justa and had lunch at Cervejaria da Trindade. We headed for the Fado Museum but Lobo did you know there is another pink building in that general area - it is nothing! So we were confused and tired so we got a taxi to the Tile Museum. It was very interesting to learn about the coloring and creation of the tiles as well as see so many beautiful examples. That museum is out of the way, but worth it! The taxi ride back took us right past the Fado Museum, oh well, next time.

Since we had the ride we had the taxi take us up the hill to the Castelo and we would walk back down seeing the sights of Alfama and taking photos since Jim did not have the camera the night before.

Since we had so many metro rides we went back to the hotel for Happy Hour and relax before deciding on dinner. We then headed for the Rua das Portas de Santo Antao area to find something. I hated all the menu guys trying to lure you in so we found a place on a side street with excellent spicy chicken as the feature. We could skip fish for one day.

DAY 8: Sunday and we pack and prepare to leave Lisbon. Since we are disappointed we did not see the Monastery in Belem we decide to drive there on our way out of town. So we drove past the Aqueduct and were able to stop and get photos and got to the Monastery and just parked in front! Plus being Sunday morning it was free - so it all worked out just fine and we were very glad we did not miss seeing it.
Then the drive to north to the final destination of Bucaco Palace Hotel. We took the A1 all the way and I knew there were interesting sights on the way but something has to be saved for next time.

We decided to stop at Conimbriga and see the ruins. It was much more than I expected so worth the stop. Although I think it was about 110 degrees F out there in the open.

Then on to our one splurge of the trip - our stay at the Palace Hotel in the Bucaco Forest. And it was worth every penny! I had read it was showing its age but our room was beautiful. There was the most wonderful desk I have seen outside a museum. It had many small drawers all carved in curvy wood. I will try to post that photo when Jim returns from his current trip and can find it for me.

It was just so much fun to be staying there and the service and people were the best. With senior citizen rates it was 135 euros a night including breakfast. They also had free internet but you had to sit in one spot in the lobby to get the wireless connection on a lap top. They let us borrow one and it was interesting sitting there using a lap top amid knights and antiques.

We decided to wander into the spa town of Luso to find dinner. I really like this town although there is not much there. They seem to always be having a festival as there are booths along the street and music playing. People come with their water jugs to fill up at the fonte. Our little water bottle had to do it for us and they were kind to let us in line.

We found a small bar/restaurant and had a good meal and some drinks by the tv to watch football.

Another full day but back to our palace to sleep!
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 05:39 AM
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Barb.
We didn't treat ourselves to Pousadas on the last trip so the Hotel Bucaco was our splurge too.
I really thought it was so unique. The grounds are beautiful.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 11:36 AM
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Barb, Thanks for the great trip report. We are leaving in 2 days for portugal and it is a great help. Could you explain more about the sim card? I have read about it before on the Lisbon thread but honestly I didn't really understand it. Do you just put the sim card into your regular U.S. cell phone? My husband has a blackberry that can be used internationally that we were just going to use but the phone company told me it could be up to $5.00 per minute. Thanks for the help for a slow learner.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 12:14 PM
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I am a dummy about cell phones. Most US phones are locked and you can not change the sim card (which is a little chip inside). The services we have here keep it that way I guess.

I have no idea about the blackberry and how they are like or not like cell phones. If it could change the chip you could get a service in Portugal.

One person we talked to has cellular one here and he was happy because they were willing to unlock his phone or something and he could call from Portugal and still have his US number while there. I think it would have been about $1.50 per minute. Course when we had to call him, we were calling a US number from our cell phone and we were both in Portugal!

But you need to have a phone that will accept SIM cards (chips) to keep the costs down. Check some of the threads on this subject - there are lots of helpful people out there.

Glad my trip can help you. I am working on the rest which is the Duoro Valley and Porto. This is as hard as the planning!
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 07:02 PM
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DAY 9: We started the day by doing something about the laundry which was now critical. It turns out there are no self service coin laundries in Portugal but the town of Luso does have a lavanderia. So we dropped off what we felt we would need to last the rest of the trip to be picked up the next morning. It was 4 euros a kg and she put the bags on a big hanging scale - 6kg. Yikes! My husbands heavy cargo pants no doubt but the next morning they were all ready and much better than I do at home! So for 24euros we were ready for the next week - better than hotel prices!

Coimbra We got an early start after dropping off the laundry and the drive down N1 was not bad at all. We found parking just over the Santa Clara bridge. We then walked… We walked the lower area and visited churches on our way to the funicular. We took that to the upper area and the University. The library and the Sala grande are the highlights there. We can't stop thinking about those bats!

We had decided we would eat dinner at the palace but I really wanted to have suckling pig in Mealhada so we hoped we could find a late lunch there. We pulled into the Churrasqueira Rocha which is on the road to Luso. Kind of looked like a bus tour stop with the big parking lot but it looked empty at 2pm so…

It was the start of an adventure! We asked if they had lunch and he said the only thing we could get at that time is the suckling pig - HMMM that is what we wanted! So out it came with all the trimmings and it was a delicious meal! By this time we were the only customers and the owner came and asked how we liked it and said we really had to try the other specialty of the area - the sparkling wine. Well ok a little but not much for me since I was driving. That is not usually our thing but at the time and place it was pretty good.

As we went to leave and pay the check, the owner began to tell us about the history of the restaurant. He is actually a doctor but took over for his father who has alzheimers . We got talking about the wine and he said let me see if the winery can give you a tour right now. He calls them up and sure enough. He will go there and we can follow him so they will let us in. We figured what have we gotten into - what will this end up costing us!

He waits there with us a bit until an English speaking guide comes out and begins the tour. He shakes our hands and off he goes. The tour was fascinating. Massias winery. Down through cellars with barrels and bottles - some totally covered with cob webs. . She told us all about the process and the various types of wine they have. Through the bottling plant, and then the tasting room. She had various types we could pick to taste, even a port. But not a single thing to buy!! We left in shock and an even greater appreciation of the Portuguese.

Back to the palace to relax before dinner. They have a price fixed menu and we were glad to not have too many choices for once. It was our most expensive meal of course, 35 euros each for 3 courses plus wine but the setting was worth something!

The next day we would head north to the Douro Valley.

DAY 10: We decided to do a little exploring of the forest before leaving. The area near the hotel is beautiful and a short walk can find some nice spots.

Then we packed, leaving our small suitcase empty for the clean laundry. We picked it up and were on our way north to the Duoro Valley.

We left Luso following the signs to Viseu. Some of this was small roads and part IP3 and part a new A road, A24 I think. It got confusing around Viseu because of the construction on the A road. But we kept heading toward Lamego and eventually got there in less than 2 hours.
Lamego was a medium size place but the Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios looms over it. The stairway and the statues are something. We decided to drive to the top and look down. We were prepared for our visit to Braga and Bom Jesus later in the week after seeing this.

We decided to get back on the A road rather than the smaller road to Regua. Even from the highway the views were pretty amazing although we had no idea what we were in for as we went farther east along the river.

Regua was a good stop for lunch (our usual now was a sande fiambre or tosta mista with ice tea) in a small café. Not much here but some nice tile walls.

So we headed toward Pinhao and Quinta de La Rosa. The road along the river was a pretty drive. As we approached Pinhao (which is on the other side of the river) there was stopped traffic. So my husband went to investigate and it seems the bridge is under repair so there is a ferry to take traffic across to Pinhao. BUT it does not run between 2 and 5 pm. It was now about 4. We had no other choice but to sit for an hour and wait. We were in view of the Quinta and it was a bit frustrating but we were glad we had not arrived at that spot at 2:30! It would have been nice if the Quinta had mentioned that when I made the reservation.

SO ANYONE DRIVING FROM REGUA TO PINHAO BEWARE!!! Do not arrive in that area between 2 and 5 pm. In fact it took probably an hour or more to get the line of traffic across once it did restart. It then went until 9pm.

Eventually we got across and arrived at the Quinta. The room was small and not very well furnished but the place was pretty and the river view nice. It did have a/c so we were comfortable after sitting in the hot sun waiting for the ferry.. In fact all the places we went had great a/c, unlike much of Europe. There was also a pool but we did not feel like doing anything about then. This was 75 euros a night including breakfast.

What we wanted was a cold drink. There was a tiny refrigerator in the common area but no beer! But cold water would do. There was also a price list for any drinks you removed, except the water was free because the water in the faucets was not drinkable.

I had made reservations for dinner as well at the Quinta. This was Jim's birthday and I thought that would be special - their 3 course meal with their own wines is how it had been advertised on the web site. So at 7:30 we went to the dining area and decided to sit on the outside porch area. There was one woman there who did not speak English so we motioned to her that we wanted to sit outside. She just kind of smiled. So we sat and waited. Nothing happened.

She seemed busy in the little kitchenette area - all I saw was a 2 burner hot plate and a sink. She would come out once in awhile and smile.

Finally at a little after 8 o'clock another couple and their toddler came out and sat outside also. The woman spoke to them and finally the mother said in English that the woman was sorry she did not speak English and did not know where we wanted to sit. Ok so we all got seated outside and the tables were set for dinner.

In a few minutes we were served soup (by this lone waitress, cook, wine server) and a glass of white wine. No mention of what we were eating or drinking. Then came the main entrée of pork (I think) in a sauce with potatoes. And a glass of red wine. Again no discussion. When Jim raised his glass to ask for a refill of wine she just set the bottle on the table. Dessert was ice cream. She did ask if we wanted coffee but we said no. Jim was very disappointed that no port was offered. The poor woman was trying her best but all in all we were upset that this was our 25 euro per person winery dinner.

We did have a nice conversation with the mother who turned out to be a very interesting person. She and her husband are wine merchants in Macau and sell the wines from Quinta de La Rosa. I was surprised they were not treated any better than we were!

With all the wonderful, friendly people we had met, we were a bit taken aback by the coldness of this place. And I had expected the opposite.

So we ended the day sorry that we had a 2 night reservation but determined to have a better day the next day.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 07:12 PM
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Wow Barb. And the Quinta had looked so promising. What a disappointment.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 10:13 PM
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I'm enjoying your report. Brings back a lot of memories. The last time I went to Portugal was about 5 years ago. We were there for 6 weeks, and loved the country and the people.
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 06:31 AM
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Sher is was a surprise and a disappointment - maybe they are in too many tour books! Sharon thanks for the comments, glad you can enjoy my trip.

Ok folks the end is near - promise!

DAY 11: Breakfast is pretty slim. Coffee in a thermos, barely enough orange juice for the guests, some rolls, ham and a choice of 2 cereals. Some fruit and yogurt would have been nice. Tables are set inside but all the guests want to be on the porch so we move the place settings.

We decide the only way to actually learn anything about the Quinta wines and port is to take the scheduled tour at 11 am. So we explore Pinhao for an hour or so first. The tour consists of 6 other people who are staying at the Quinta. We learn about their grapes and see the various barrels and bottles as we learn about the many processes involved. The

tasting consisted of a good assortment of red and white as well as a couple different ports. We did end up buying 2 bottles.

We decide to take a drive to see some of the area to the northeast of Pinhao and then later in the afternoon take the train to Pocinho. This has got to be some of the most amazing views and landscape I have ever seen anywhere. A good option is also the narrow gauge train from Tua to Mirandela but it takes planning to make the train connections and the schedules seem to change. We missed it.

It is a bit early for dinner so we try out the pool at the Quinta. It is nice and refreshing if a bit chilly! We check out what is available in Pinhao for dinner. There are a few small places. As we are looking at a window menu the owner comes out and points to what he thinks we should have and ushers us in.

We are served 2 glasses of port right away(from a huge plastic jug) and the food just starts coming - we ordered nothing ourselves, but had bread, soup, salad, and an entrée of pork, and a small carafe of white wine. Then more port - Jim like this place! Unfortunately the flies also came - we had to cover the food with napkins and the guy kept apologizing but no other customers seemed bothered. As usual we skipped dessert and coffee but the owner came with a bottle of port and said this is my fathers own port (no label) if you like it, it is only 7.50 euros. We had had enough of it that it seemed like a good idea. Complete meal plus port - 32 euros.

It was a gorgeous night - as were they all - so we sat on the porch of the Quinta and drank port for awhile. Tomorrow we would be on to Porto.

Day 12: start with the same slim breakfast but even more so because there are fewer people at the Quinta, 6 of us. It takes awhile to check out because her charge card machine isn't working. Plus all that port has given me a headache.

We drive north from Pinhao by way of Sabrosa on N323. Jim drives this one - I do not like the heights. More amazing sights. The N322 then takes us toward Vila Real by way of the Mateus castle. There would not be a tour for a couple hours but we could see the grounds and they were the main attraction any way. The different types of flowers and the huge cedar hedge are worth a stop.

Vila Real is another small city and a good lunch stop. But we are now ready for our last stop Porto and Jim has to make sure all is in order for his meeting the next day (this is the reason for the trip) so we head on to Porto.

The hotel we are staying at is Le Meridian because that is the location of the meetings. It is out of the tourist area which is what we like any way and is a very nice, modern hotel. Unfortunately the first room they give us really had a smoky smell so with a lot of maneuvering they finally found us a room on the no smoking floor. There seemed to be a lot of conferences and the hotel was full. Since we were on a special rate I am not sure what this hotel may cost but there may be deals around 110 euros including breakfast. The parking was 22 euros a day. So it is a typical big city hotel and was very comfortable - the breakfast was the most complete of any on the trip.

The rest of that day was taken up with business matters but we had dinner at a Brazilian restaurant next to the hotel which was really good. I was back to fish but some of the others had beef steak that was very good. Plus Jim could have cachaca (a very powerful Brazilian drink).

DAY 13: I am on my own for the morning so decide to walk the neighborhood. It is residential and people are going off to work. I find a shopping mall with an internet café and I am set for the morning!

On the walk back to the hotel I stopped at Cemiterio de Agramonte which is known for its sculptures and tombs.

In the afternoon Jim is finished with work so we head for the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. We get a taxi at the hotel and take it to Ribeira area and walk across the Ponte de Dom Luis I (lower level thank you). We decide to visit 2 cellars - Vasconcellos and Ferreira because they are less familiar to Americans. The tours were enough different that we learned more about port in each. The tastings were also informative and in the end we bought an LBV from Vasconcellos. We realized we had to watch how much we were loading ourselves up with for the trip home!

Since we had to do a business dinner we taxied back to the hotel. A group of 5 headed to the Matosinhos area for a fish dinner. The taxi driver informed us that all the commotion around our hotel and the Sheraton next door was because the next day was a national holiday and the president was staying at the Sheraton. It was heavily police patrolled and many big black Mercedes but hardly the scene that would take place in the US when the president is around. But we had a good Portuguese history lesson on the way!

Unfortunately we never got the fish dinner. We wandered the area, had a relaxing bottle of wine at a café on the beach and searched for a restaurant. A woman suddenly attached herself to us - trying to help us find a good place to eat? So to free ourselves of her, we ducked into an Italian restaurant for the worse 21 euro meal I have ever had. I had a pasta which was basically in mushroom soup. I guess some of the other meals - mostly beef were ok.

By this time we were about vacationed out as I am sure any one who is actually reading this is also. Two more days to go and then home. Bear with me.
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 06:53 AM
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Great report so far. I'm taking notes of all your driving tips. Will you post any pictures?
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 06:00 PM
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Thanks laartista. I hope my driving tips help. I did not think the driving was bad at all. In June at least less traffic than I am use to!

I am not the photographer of the family although I hope to put up a few eventually. Check out some of the other threads here for great photos.

Here is my final installment.
DAY 14: Saturday and a National Holiday. So we decide on a road trip and take another couple with us who has been in meetings in Porto all week and had not been able to see the countryside. I wanted to see Guimaraes, Braga, and Barcelos.

We arrived in Guimaraes just as the Teleferico da Penha (cable car) opened for the day. It was a fun ride up with of course terrific views while riding as well as at the top. For those really adventurous I guess the thing to do is ride up with your dirt bike and bike down. The path below the cable car looks treacherous!

We then went to the Paco dos Duques and the castle since they were together and we wanted to see the castle. Being a holiday - admission was free which made it all the better! We did find both these very interesting.

There is a lot to Guimaraes but we moved on to Braga and Bom Jesus. Braga was really gearing up for St. Joao day even though it is not for a couple weeks. The decorations and events here were more than we had seen anywhere for festivals. We had our usual lunch in a café on the main square. We walked around the various sights and the couple we were with enjoyed seeing places other than a big city.

But the big attraction here was Bom Jesus. The entire stairway was not visible as the one at Lamego and we decided to drive up and walk down. The funicular was not operating and looked as if it hadn't been in a long time but maybe it just was not ready for the tourist season yet. The various levels and the sculptures on each are a lot of fun. We could not see much of the church itself as a wedding was about to begin.

Then on to Barcelos. For various reasons this was one of our favorite places of the trip. We were too late to see much in the way of crafts or maybe because it was a holiday but the sights we did see were special. A copper craftsman showed us his workshop and had so many beautiful things. How could we get that big beautiful still or huge pot home? Oh well we settled for a bell and a few other small items - total 12 euros!

The festival decorations here were unique also. Large decorated banner type things on high poles, each one different - from a different parish church maybe? I will try to eventually get a photo up of these.

We then headed back to Porto and the Ribeira district to find dinner. We even found a parking space not far up the street by the Palacio da Bolsa. We settled on one of the places right on the river and it was very good.

DAY 15: Our last day and we pushed ourselves to see the sights of Porto. Being Sunday we figured we could drive even down to the Ribeira and save both the taxi fare and some of the parking cost at the hotel.

So we drove out to the Foz area and walked along the beach. This is actually a fairly nice area and I love walking along the ocean where ever. Then drove along the ocean/river to Ribeira. We parked in a pay lot right on the river, just short of Sao Francisco - 50cents an hour.
I guess I forgot to mention we had seen Sao Francisco after the port tours on Friday. So we now wanted to see Palacio da Bolsa but the next English tour was an hour away so we had a drink in the café across the street which looks out over the river. The food there looked great so we considered coming back for dinner. The Palacio is yet another marvel and the Arabian room is a bit over the top.

That made us want to enjoy nature a bit and we took one of the bridge tour boat rides. We were lucky in that only 5 people were on our boat and it was a relaxing hour along the river to the ocean and back.

After that it was the climb to the Cathedral, which took us through the only not so great neighborhoods that we had seen on the entire trip. The obvious drug dealing in one area was a bit scary and maybe we had taken a wrong turn somewhere. After all the beautiful places we had seen this was not worth the climb. So back down a bit to see the tiles of the train station. Again, we had seen more beautiful although the subjects were informative. Oh well.

The restaurant did not reopen until 7 and it was now only about 5 so we got the car and went back to the hotel hoping maybe to have Brazilian for dinner. But nothing seemed to work on our last night - most of the restaurants in the hotel neighborhood are not open on Sunday. McDonald's or Pizza Hut? I refused. We walked a bit and found a nice little café with the football game on and the kitchen still open. I had a great broiled fish so left happy! We even had a delicious dessert to celebrate our last night.

DAY 17: We get an early start for the airport. Our flight is not until noon but we were not sure about Monday morning traffic. It turned out to be fine.

We turned in the car at Hertz and as I have posted in another thread that was interesting. All seemed ok except the computer was down so we could not get a final bill. He circled the amount on our original contract and that seemed fair. But then he said oh yes - the car washing fee and wrote another 7.28 on the contract. This had not actually been on the original contract but was a small sheet of paper stapled on to it and did not say the amount. HMMM. We have not gotten that credit card bill yet so I am a bit nervous and will write to Hertz if I think there is any wrong doing.

So then off to the airport and a short wait for the Lufthansa desk to open and then another wait to boarding but we are soon on our way home.

This was by far one of the greatest vacations we have had. Plus I have so much already I want to do on our next visit to Portugal - more time in Northern Portugal,Porto, and Lisbon, and definitely visit Alentejo region and Evora. Perhaps spend a week in one or two places and explore an area more thoroughly.

But we can not wait! And will be planning every time we have a glass of port.

Thanks for letting me share all this and I hope now I too can help any one who is on their way to this wonderful country.

Barb
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 07:30 PM
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Thanks Barb for the report.

I really enjoyed reading your post.
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