In the evening, we did a tour at the Calem winery which included a Fado concert which we had booked for 21 Euros from a Tourist Information Office. Given that there were more than 50 people on the wine tour including a screaming child and that the tour guide didn't use a mike, we didn't get much out of it. Therefore, I can't say I would recommend it. The Fado concert was good but only lasted about 3/4 hour although it was accompanied with two glass of port - one white and one red. I came away thinking there might have been a better option to have this experience.
 |
| The red and white ports we tasted |
As the taxi drivers had been on strike for over a week here, getting to the winery from our hotel and back was a bit of a challenge. To get there, we hired a "tuk tuk" driver who had given us a ride the previous day. It was pricey and, in hindsight not the smartest decision. Following the concert, we used Uber to get back to our hotel. I had downloaded the app onto my phone and this was my first go at using it. I was impressed - and the ride home cost about 1/3 of the cost of getting us there.
Thursday, we picked up our rental car and drove east up the Douro river to Cinfaes where we had booked a nearby hotel called Porto Antigo. The scenery along the way was fantastic although the drive was a challenging because the road was winding and hilly. There were moments which provided amazing and dramatic views of the river and its steeped, terraced banks. Unfortunately, there were a limited number of places to pull over for photo ops.
Where we are staying is right on the river with a bar and restaurant right beside the water. The weather continues to be perfect - too hot at 33' - and we enjoyed our dinner sitting outside. We will explore the Douro valley for the next two days.
 |
| The view from my room - so beautiful |
No comments:
Post a Comment