Regua to Caldas de Aregos

Friday April 12 Regua to Caldas de Aregos. 

In the morning we travel to the town of Lamego with origins before the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, Lamego is known for its historic city center, having a long history as a principal city of the former Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province.The most significant moment in the town's history was in 1139, when nobles declared Afonso Henriques to be Portugal's first king.

Stairway to Our Lady of the Remedies cathedral

First to Our Lady of the Remedies cathedral can be visited by way of a theatrical stairway that climbs Monte de Santo Estêvão (St Stephen’s Hill) to this 18th-century Baroque and Rococo sanctuary. Religious devotees have been braving the climb since at least the 1300s. The journey is half the fun, and requires 686 steps via nine landings and is enriched with tile panels, chapels, fountains, obelisks and statues. You can catch your breath on the nine patios, and one, the “Pátio dos Reis”, has the images of the 18 kings of Israel. Also on this upper terrace is a chestnut tree more than 700 years old and cloaked in ivy. After, we stop by for Bolas de Lamego which are varieties of ham, cheese and fish in a corn bread. We had ours with the local sparkling wine at Casa Do Presunto.

Our Lady of the Remedies cathedral

 Then we visit  the Museu de Lamego which is loaded with precious painting, sculpture, goldsmithing, tiles, archaeology, furniture and liturgical artefacts from many eras. A lot of these works were gathered by the Bishops of Lamego, but the collection has been expanded in the 80 years that the museum has been open.

Museu de Lamego

In the Afternoon we visit The Mateus Palace located in the civil parish of Mateus, municipality of Vila Real, Portugal which was built in the first half of the eighteenth century by Antonio Jose Botelho Mourao, 3rd Morgado of Mateus. It replaced the family home existing on site in the early seventeenth century. In 1911 it was classified as a National Monument. The baroque architecture of Italian style, is attributed to Nasoni for consistency of style and resemblance to other his works. The sculpture of John Cutileiro, sleeps on the lake since 1981, is now a part of the House image. The Palace is surrounded by a fantasy garden with tiny bushes, statues, and quiet walkways.

The Mateus Palace

We then cruise down river to dock at Calas de Aregos for the night. It’s about 90 km from the city of Porto. It has a unique natural scenic beauty. It is said that first King of Portugal was here treated, in its sulphurous waters. Every year thousands visit here from all over the country, for various treatments such as: rheumatism, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, etc. For us it’s another wine paired dinner from Pasterick winery. A meal that was a little off, maybe due to ghosts rumored to live in the village.

Cruising to Calas de Aregos 

Pinhao to Regua

Thursday April 11 Pinhao to Regua. 

In the morning we have a leisurely walk through the town of Pinhao and visit the train station. You can take the train from Porto through the Douro Valley and in fact one stopped while we were at the station. There are 24 tile panels depicting the life, culture and history of the Douro Valley. The moors introduced the idea of tiles on walls and ceilings and they have been produced in Portugal since the 16th century. In 1937 the station received a total of about 3,047 tiles, were produced in Aleluia Cerâmicas by J. Oliveira, an artist who also decorated other stations.

Pinhao train station

We head for the Quinta de Avessada for a traditional country lunch. It is in the town of Favaios where moscatel wine was invented. It’s a high plateau which provides wonderful views. The family is now seven generations of wine and port production. The owner is delightful and enthusiastic about his Quinta. The lunch was an array of Portuguese food.

Quinta de Avessada

That evening we are treated by a wine paired dinner from Quivera where the signature dish is an Iberian pork cheek paired with a zinfandel that was very good. Time to turn in.

Barca d’Alva to Pinhao

Wednesday April 10 Barca d’Alva to Pinhao. 

The sun gate entrance.

In the morning we go to the historical walled village of Castello Rodrigo where we walk the medieval narrow streets and visit the church in the town. We sample the various preparations of almonds as well as cheese, bread and wine. The houses have 16th century facades in the Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic composite style of architectural ornamentation incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral.

Castello Rodrigo

In the afternoon we visit Quinta da Roeda one of the Croft port wineries. We take a walk through the vines and then taste some port in a wonderful tasting room housed in Roêda’s old stables which have been carefully restored in the traditional Douro Valley style. The property has a magnificent landscape and the stunning views across the Douro River.

Quinta da Roeda

In the evening we have a wonderful dinner paired with the wines from Collier Falls winery with a signature dish of lamb shank, which is big enough for 2. A perfect end to our first full day aboard the ship.

Salamanca, Spain to Vega de Terron, Portugal

Tuesday April 9 Salamanca to Vega de Terron. 

Salamanca street scene

We check out of our hotel in Madrid and drive to “The Golden City” of Salamanca which dates back to 220 B.C. The sandstone used in construction gives the buildings the golden color. Unfortunately it rains hard as we approach the city. So our tour of the Cathedral, the Plaza Mayor and the the house of shells starts in the cold rain and finishes in the sun.

House of shells

We walk through the University which was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the third oldest university in the entire world still in operation. We finish our visit with a paella lunch at the 5 star Alameda Palace Hotel in the center of the city.

Ama Vida at Vega de Terron on the Douro River

We are then off to meet our ship the Ama Vida at Vega de Terron on the Douro River. The ship was built in Portugal in 2013 and is 260 feet long and 37 feet wide. There is a crew of 30 to perform all the duties for the 102 passengers. We have 4 wineries on board from the Dry Creek Valley: Collier Falls, Quivera, Pasterick and West Wines. We are invited to dinner with the captain and enjoy our first night on the ship.

Toledo, Spain

Monday April 8 Toledo

Toledo

Today we are off to the the famous city of Toledo which dates back to Roman times and was the location of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Muslim culture for hundred of years and in 1492 Muslims and Jews were compelled to convert to Christianity or flee; a grievous tragedy in this city of many faiths. 

Inside Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue 

The walled city is naturally fortified with the Tagus River surrounding three sides. It has very narrow and hilly cobblestone streets. We do a drive around the city of 80,000 to get an orientation. We then visit Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue which was constructed in a muslim style and has also been a christian church during its history. We are then off to the cathedral the fourth largest in size and historically important due to the power that bishops of the cathedral have historically held. We then head to the main square, Zocodover where there are many shops and restaurants. We have some lunch before heading back to Madrid.

Zocodover 

We decompress with a walk through the Real Jardin Botanico, botanical garden which is a quiet escape from the pace and noise of the city. It was founded on October 17, 1755, by King Ferdinand VI, and installed in the Orchard of Migas Calientes, near what today is called Puerta de Hierro, on the banks of the Manzanares River. It contains more than 2,000 plants collected by José Quer y Martínez, botanist and surgeon.

Sightseeing and Flamenco in Madrid

Sunday April 7 Madrid. 

We have a great breakfast a the hotel buffet and are off on a tour of the city. We are competing with a half marathon which closes many streets, and an assortment of political demonstrations that are a daily event in Madrid. We are able to get to the Las Ventas bullfighting stadium then off to the newer part of the city to see Picasso’s tower and the local football Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Las Ventas bullfighting stadium

We are then go to the Royal Palace and the cathedral. Since it's Sunday the streets are very crowded. We walk through the old part of Madrid stopping at a main square Plaza Mayor. The shops are open and it's very lively. We end our tour with a stop by Puerta del Sol. As we approach our hotel we encounter another political demonstration, so we take a detour to a local spot for lunch, no english spoken. We have two course platas del dia which were quite good, including green salad with tuna, risotto, some light fish and beef. We wander back to the hotel for some rest before our big night.

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We attend the Corral de la Morería the most famous flamenco tablao in the world, being considered as the Cathedral of Flamenco Art in Spain. Uniting the best tablao with haute cuisine is pure emotion in every way. The prestigious Michelin star chef David Garcia a wonderful dinner before the show. He is a defender of the organic garden, controlled cultivation and good raw materials, its root cuisine stands out for the broths, funds and juices made with natural products and top quality. A wonderful time.

The Corral de la Morería 

Madrid

Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, 2019.

We fly from San Francisco to Madrid with a stop in Atlanta on Delta. Everything went as planned but it was not a particularly enjoyable or comfortable flight. We land early at 7:30 AM and our connection to our tour is waiting for us and we head to the Westin Palace hotel.

Palace hotel

Much to our surprise our room is ready and the hotel and are room are very nice and the staff very efficient. We get prepared for some sightseeing and exploring the hotel. We are located in the central city and after a nice walk we eat lunch at a local place the Taberna El Rincon de Jose. We share anchovies and roasted red pepper, and sirloin and garlic washed down with a local beer. Great lunch that demands a nap.

Anchovies and Roasted Red Peppers

We meet our fellow travelers at a reception and after learning that the hotel restaurant is fully booked we head to the bar for tapas and a bottle of local tempranillo. All that takes its toll for lack of sleep on our plane ride and we fall asleep.