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Published: November 1st 2010
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Its another beautiful fine day and we're going to explore the source of Portugal's famous port wine, the Douro Valley.
On the way we are charmed by the town of Amarante, locals flowing out of the church as we enter the square. Its an idyllic spot with a sunny cafe, the river and old stone bridge, and the old church. Keith is happy to soak up the square's atmosphere, sitting near an accordian player while we explore the church.
Pulling aside the thick red curtain we discover yet another delightful church interior, and in the adjoining courtyard a well-worn row of confessionals. I briefly consider taking the opportunity, but unfortunately the dimensions were not designed for wee frogs.
We follow the Douro River up the valley. The steep hills have been extensively terraced to provide footholds for the grape vines and olive trees and although the environment is very dry and rocky, this seems to suit the plants. The harvest is over and the vine leaves are turning autumn shades of red and gold, striking in the afternoon light.
Stopping briefly to buy some port, we are entertained by a group of locals performing traditional dances, then
its up the hill to a miradouro to take in the panorama before heading back to Porto. Its at this point that Simon the GPS decides to lead us astray as following his directions we begin to bump our way up a narrowing dusty 4 wheel drive track through isolated vineyards. Although its wonderfully quiet and very scenic up here we decide to about face, ignoring Simon's pleas, and make our own way back to the main road. Its a beautiful location and he obviously wanted to stay here, but reluctantly he leads us back to Porto.
The next day finds us in the town of Sintra, just North of Lisbon, according to guides "it's imposing mountain range bestrewn with palaces, churches and country estates". It deserves much more than the half day we have available, but we choose two of its gems to explore, the Castelo dos Mouros and the Palacio National da Pena.
The Moorish castle was built by the Arabs in the 8th century on top of a hill with stunning views to the distant sea. They used the naturally occuring rocky outcrops as the foundation for a formidable defensive wall. We walk the ramparts
that remain, imagining the lives of the people under seige.
A 20 minute walk away on a neighbouring hill lies the Pena National Palace, "a consummate specimen of Portuguese romantic architecture dating back to 1840". A line of kings and queens lived here and the palace has been preserved as a museum. Its a bizarre combination of architectural styles with a fairytale feel, and of course commanding views.
We end the Portugal leg of our trip back where we began, coastal Lisbon. Although we've only had a small taste of Portugal we've enjoyed the variety of experiences that the country has to offer and we've loved spending time with our very generous and hospitable Portuguese friends. Hopefully we'll visit again soon!
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