Return to Portugal and Drive to The Douro Valley

Monday 13 March 2023

This morning's train leaves from the old train station, not the one we arrived at yesterday.  The Portuguese train strike was not affecting the route we are taking today.  Vigo to Porto.  The train is a few generations older than the Spanish train.  We jammed the suitcase in the overhead.  I checked it every few minutes to make sure it had not moved to crash on my head.

On the trip, we had some beautiful sights.  We also saw an area that might be perfect if we thought we were considering moving to Portugal.

The train returned us to the Campanha train station in Porto; we departed from the bus side just a few days ago.  We picked up a car from Avis.  The first car had a dead battery, so they switched us to a backup.  The train workers still had a picket line out front.

The drive to Peso da Régua started like most of the previous days in Portugal:  Cloudy with fog and scattered showers. But, by the time we actually reached Régua, the skies were clearing.

We had a little confusion about how much and where we wanted to eat.I made a faux pas by using the serving side table for my jacket and fanny pack. OOPS.  But the meal was great.

After lunch, we started a driving tour of the Valley. 

We found ourselves at D'Origem - Museu do Azeite located in an oil mill, transformed into a museum, that showcases the traditional method of producing olive oil.  You can have an oil tasting, as well as wine tasting, with a breathtaking view over the Douro.  

Further up the road from the oil mill, is a scenic lookout.  Not much further up the road, because the museum is pretty much at the top of the mountain.

Tonight, we are staying at the Quinta de La Rosa.  The Quintas are the wine estates.  So Quinta de La Rosa is a working winery.  Many of the Quintas have lodging and very nice restaurants.  de La Rosa is very much like a bed and breakfast.  There is a 'family room' with coffee and tea, a TV, sofas, and games.

Our room looks out over the river valley.

After checking in, we took another drive around the valley.  The scenery is great.  When the terraces fill up with grape vines it will be hard to see the steps. (Location: Double Viewpoint De Loivis)

The Quinta's restaurant is the Cozinha da Clara, named to honor Claire Bergqvist... The study of this Quinta is an international soap opera involving Napoleon, English money, and many other countries and people I cannot keep track of...

Train to Vigo and Ferry to The Cíes Islands

Sunday 12 March 2023

We woke up this morning and took the train to Vigo, Spain.

We walked the mile downhill to the hotel when we arrived in Vigo.  The hotel had a room ready, and we took it.  We were advised it might not be okay for my height... it was on the top floor and had a slopped ceiling.  It was a great room.

We bought our ferry tickets and picked up coffee, tea, and pastries at an outdoor cafe.

The Cíes Islands are a group of three islands located off the coast of Galicia, Spain, in the Atlantic Ocean. Access is via a 45-minute ferry from Vigo. The islands are part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park.  The islands are characterized by their golden sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters, and rugged cliffs.

The weather changed for the better while we were on the island.

The islands separate the Ria de Vigo estuary from the Atlantic Ocean.

While on the islands, we had a picnic lunch of cheese and bread leftovers from last night's dinner.

After the ferry ride back to Vigo, we went to the Jamoneria MARCOS (ham shop) for a little more to eat, before heading back to the hotel to relax.

We walked along the harbor's wide promenade.  in addition to the shops and restaurants, there is a statue of Jules Verne, who visited Vigo at least twice.

In Jules Verne's famous novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, he dedicates a chapter to "the Bay of Vigo." In this chapter, Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus, enters the Vigo Estuary on a mission to rescue the treasures of Rande. 

Nemo narrates the Battle of Rande, which took place in 1702. As the divers search for the chests filled with gold and silver, Verne vividly describes the underwater breathing apparatus and lamps used, which were the same as those used during the historical event of the rescue of Rande's treasures, which occurred around the time Verne wrote his novel.

Battle of Vigo Bay. (2023, March 30). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vigo_Bay

There was a beautiful sunset which we watched from the piers across from the hotel.

We then had a late dinner, where we shared a hamburger.