Douro River Cruise

After our time in Madrid and Lisbon we boarded the Viking Torgil in Porto, Portugal.  

We really enjoy traveling with Viking - rivers and oceans.  We had booked a room without a balcony but when we asked about getting another cabin we found that a cancellation left a suite open...and we jumped on it.  For a little more we had a great cabin!

After we settled in we enjoyed the welcome from the ship staff with a glass of champagne.

Next morning we set off on the river...so beautiful and peaceful.

Soon we arrived at a large lock and watched another Viking ship coming in the opposite direction. It is amazing to see these ships navigate the tight spaces in these locks!

The captain navigated us through...

Our first stop was the Casa de Mateus - you might remember the image of the home from the Mateus wine bottles.  The family did not make the wine...someone from the village asked to use the image for the label.

We toured the home and ended up in the old kitchen for a wine tasting.  I was in awe of the beautiful library!

And the formal gardens were so beautiful and peaceful.

From there we went on to the Sandeman Port Winery...on the top of a very high hill...with no guardrails...on a bus...

We learned all about the making of port wine and the history of the area.

And we got to taste two kinds of port wine.

Such a beautiful and peaceful place...

and after tasting the port I did not mind the drive back down the mountain quite so much!

After a beautiful sunset...

and a great dinner we headed to the evening entertainment.

A trivia contest...which we won with our team - 

and our prize was a bottle of port which we all enjoyed!

The ships on the Douro River cannot sail at night, so the next morning we had a presentation by the chef on how to make the famous Portuguese pastries.

In the afternoon we headed to a little medieval village...and learned about the different cultures that lived there.  Our guide showed us the markings on the house that designated the religion of the people who lived there...an issue during the Inquisition.

When we returned to our cabin John was thrilled to find the steward had polished his shoes!

Dinner that night was a taste of Portugal followed by a flamenco show!

The next day found us traveling to Salamanca, Spain - where we started at the town market for some tapas and wine.  It was only 10:30 AM...but when in Spain!!!

We had a great tour, I found the library, and we saw the markings for the pilgrims who walking the Camino de Santiago.

The town is a famous university town and has beautiful buildings and a cathedral.  It is good luck to touch the frog on the church facade.

The next day was a town called Favaois - where a wine cooperative took all the grapes from the region to make wine and port.

I had to buy one of these tee shirts1

We enjoyed the wine tasting...

then went to the town bakery where they make a four corner bread.

We learned how the bread is made and got to taste it, too.  This little town has really come together to make the wine and bread a success.

Then it was off to another winery for a delicious lunch.

So much fun to sip the wine right in the view of the grapes!

The next day we were in Lamego, Portugal - and toured the Sanctuary of our Lady of Remedies.  

A beautiful church with bullet holes left over from when Napoleon invaded Portugal!

The steps up to the church are marked with beautiful tile mosaics.

Back on board we enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea.

And spent the afternoon watching the world go by...

Before dinner we invited new friends to our cabin to share a bottle of champagne.

The evening entertainment was music by a "tuna" group...

In Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries, a tuna is a group of university students in traditional university dress who play traditional instruments ...

I was picked to wear one of the traditional capes!

Then it was our last day... touring the beautiful town of Porto!

We enjoyed strolling the streets and seeing the murals, the tile facades, and enjoying the beautiful day.

We walked back to our ship across the bridge that was build by Gustav Eiffel.

On the river we saw the traditional boats that carried the wine down the river to Porto.

And then it was time to say goodbye to Portugal and make our way home.  It was an amazing trip...we learned SO much, we met wonderful people, and we drank a LOT of wine!

Thank you for coming along on our adventure. Have you been to Portugal or Spain?  What are your memories?  Do you like to river cruise ?  Leave a comment below and let me know - I love hearing from you!

Thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista!