5 Into the Douros

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Travelling through Europe it always amazes me how many songs I hear in English whether it be on the radio, buskers playing in the street or piped through the supermarket. On our camper’s radio we’re listening to Radio Comrcial a mixture of modern English music dotted with some Portuguese and international songs. We’re heading for Vila Real just for a stopover. I’ve mentioned before, you always have high hopes that the campsite will have wonderful amenities, or perhaps a lovely view. This had neither, but once settling in we make do and get used to what we have. Down the hill from the campsite across the river there was loud music and a commentator speaking through a PA system - we decided to investigate.

So going down many steep steps and crossing the river there was and event called Tribul, basically a five a side football game played on sand. This must be a big thing here, judging by the big names sponsoring. It looked tough playing in the heat, but when they weren’t playing they were dancing!

Leaving Vila Real, a few hundred years into the journey I mentioned to Ali these barriers they have put either side of the pavements, to protect pedestrians is a bit over the top, the last time I saw something like this was the Monaco Grand Prix….then I realised and exclaimed ‘We are on a racetrack!!’ and indeed after an error in navigation we had completed the whole 3 miles of the Circuito Internacional de Vila Real an annual saloon car race. I think we made the record for the slowest time though.

Most dual carriageways and motorways in Portugal are really good and they go over some amazingly high bridges. They seem to descend forever, the downside is they go up forever! On one of these motorways, we seemed to float down from above the mountains. We could see the start of next area to explore, the Douro, the largest grape producing area in the world. Not surprising as there didn’t seem a square metre to plant anything else. At Peso da Regua we crossed the Douro River to pick up the N222 which we followed by the river to the village of Pinhao. A brief coffee and we thought we would head for another village, Tua, for a possible trip on a narrow-gauge railway. Now Google maps and GPS is a wonderful thing until they send you on short cut through a twisting, meandering mountain pass with a steep drop. After I thought it was going to send me on another narrow path we aborted and decided to head for a campsite for the night. We have been disappointed with our campsite choice in Portugal we needed a site that had good reviews, where we could unwind for three nights, stock up on supplies, spring-clean the camper and of course do the laundry. We headed to Mogadoura a bit further east than we had planned, but we weren’t disappointed. It was lovely. It was part of a modern large sports complex and had a proper pool, something we always aim for, and a nice view.

Exploring the town of Mogadoura, it was a place of two halves the old town rather dilapidated, centred on the Castillo at the highest part with more modern buildings down the hill. It seems restoring the old building is not what people want, preferring modern housing and a bit more space.

Leaving Mogadouro we head back and pick up the eastern end of the N222 that takes us over the mountains and picks us back up with the Douro. A quick stop at the confluence of the Douro and Sabor river enables us to have a quick paddle and coffee while watching the River Cruisers pass by. A perfect spot.

Our next overnight stop was at Quinta de Padrela, the owner of the site was Pedro a delightful man who said we can stay as long as we like with Wifi, showers and toilets.

It was a lovely place overlooking the mountains. We had heard he did a wine tour so us and our fellow voyagers. A mixture of German, Dutch and French listened and tasted his excellent wine and Port. He explained to us there are 40,000 grape producers in the Douro Valley and only 200 wine producers which he was a small one with 12 hectares. We tasted his Port, to be honest it tasted like Christmas in a bottle. The main fame of the Douro valley apart from their excellent Doura wines is Port wines and you see the famous names on banner on larger vineyards such as Taylors and Grahams and Sandemans.

After a bracing cold shower overlooking the mountains we head downwards to follow the River Douro. The River is peaceful now, it is difficult to imagine not too long ago that before the dams and barrages were built to slow the river, the boatman of the Douro had to negotiate a fast flowing river to bring there produce to Porto, and the mouth of the Douro-our next destination….

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Comments

[Lorraine]

Driving mountain passes....
Sounds as though you’re both filling your days with excitement on your travels again...with an amount of fear on the roads too!! Great photos...enjoy all to come!

[Lesley]

Looks amazing
The bridge looks scarey!