These last postings are showing late since I lost an internet connection - which by no means diminished our extreme pleasure in our final days.
I think I am beginning to feel crabby, knowing it is almost over. But first, what we did today:
Packing was not fun. The suitcases are bulging since we all know clothing multiplies when one travels – somehow things never quite fit the same when you need to get them back in the suitcase. It felt embarrassing how *heavy* my bag is… It was a sad goodbye to Lousa.
We drove about 90 minutes and made a fun stop at a rest area, an experience on the same line as visiting the local grocery store. A little gift shop, coffee and snacks, a zillion kinds of candy bars and quite clean bathrooms – though challenged by a crowd of about 25 five year olds being marched in one by one while the rest sat loudly on the *floor* (ugh) in a circle. Portuguese teachers yell and yank at their young students just like the American ones do.
Packing was not fun. The suitcases are bulging since we all know clothing multiplies when one travels – somehow things never quite fit the same when you need to get them back in the suitcase. It felt embarrassing how *heavy* my bag is… It was a sad goodbye to Lousa.
We drove about 90 minutes and made a fun stop at a rest area, an experience on the same line as visiting the local grocery store. A little gift shop, coffee and snacks, a zillion kinds of candy bars and quite clean bathrooms – though challenged by a crowd of about 25 five year olds being marched in one by one while the rest sat loudly on the *floor* (ugh) in a circle. Portuguese teachers yell and yank at their young students just like the American ones do.
Another 30 minutes in the bus and we arrived at the Manor House (see photo above), Quinta de Santo Inacio de Flaes. Lived in until 10 years ago, it sits intact as if the family had just stepped out to market. We had a tour of all the rooms including a chapel, all very English and all arranged so we could really imagine ironing the linens with a small cast-iron iron (!) and sipping sherry in the after-dinner sitting room (though the women did not ever go there). Then we walked the gardens, some organized and delineated, some wild and ‘romantic’. The zoo – which Jim had always described as a ‘small zoo’ – is in fact huge for a private enterprise with buildings, a gift shop, restaurant and many outdoor exhibits. I made everyone go into the reptile building, my personal favorite. Those Burmese pythons can make your teeth curl just looking at them! Then we had lunch at the manor house restaurant, a wonderful meal of turkey wrapped with bacon and cheese with broccoli and rice with a chocolate lava cake for dessert. And of course two local wines – a green wine, and a red. I can barely do up my jeans anymore and serious dieting awaits me at home.
Next a brief drive to Porto, sitting along side the beautiful river. (Joana explains only tourists call it Oporto, to distinguish the city from the Porto wine.) We make a visit to the Sandeman port wine cellar – It is not where they make the wine, but where it cures in the barrels until it is bottled for their port. We have an interesting tour with a woman dressed like Zorro – the Sandeman signature logo is a person dressed in a traditional Spanish hat, and draped in a black cloak. AKA Zorro.We actually see some port that was bottled in 1906 and though there is a lot of dust on the bottles, the selling price is 3000 Euro per bottle. Sorry Larry, I did not get you any.
After our tasting and shopping we board a boat for a tour of the city. It is a beautiful sunny day and it is wonderful to be on the water. We are surrounded by Italians, Portuguese, Spanish – sometimes it is hard to tell what language is being spoken. I think the whole place looks like Venice (though admittedly I have never been to Venice) with old buildings built along the banks, some on top of sheer cliffs of rock that merely become the outside wall of the building.. how do they do that, how does that get built in the first place??
Next a brief drive to Porto, sitting along side the beautiful river. (Joana explains only tourists call it Oporto, to distinguish the city from the Porto wine.) We make a visit to the Sandeman port wine cellar – It is not where they make the wine, but where it cures in the barrels until it is bottled for their port. We have an interesting tour with a woman dressed like Zorro – the Sandeman signature logo is a person dressed in a traditional Spanish hat, and draped in a black cloak. AKA Zorro.We actually see some port that was bottled in 1906 and though there is a lot of dust on the bottles, the selling price is 3000 Euro per bottle. Sorry Larry, I did not get you any.
After our tasting and shopping we board a boat for a tour of the city. It is a beautiful sunny day and it is wonderful to be on the water. We are surrounded by Italians, Portuguese, Spanish – sometimes it is hard to tell what language is being spoken. I think the whole place looks like Venice (though admittedly I have never been to Venice) with old buildings built along the banks, some on top of sheer cliffs of rock that merely become the outside wall of the building.. how do they do that, how does that get built in the first place??
When we get off the boat we take a walk through Porto, more narrow streets full of shops, restaurants and laundry hanging out to dry. Joana takes us into a shop where they are making gold and silver filigree – just a guy who says he went to school to learn it, but the product is amazing and it results in a flurry of shopping. Then we head back to our bus – I have to say the up-hill is not so bad, but the down-hill is quite painful to our legs after yesterday’s hike…
About an hour takes us to Amarante, a village of 2000 along the banks of the Tamega River which feels a lot like a moat right here because of the large church resembling a castle just across the bridge from our hotel! We will explore more tomorrow. We find our amazing rooms overlooking the river, with huge bathrooms, beautiful drapes, artwork (though I have A LOT of picture straightening to do in this hotel!!), and rose petals strewn over the beds. This is a Relais and Chatueaux property, and the whole property is delicious with many cozy common rooms to gather in and a beautiful terraced pool area overlooking gardens and hillsides. The church bells ring every 15 minutes, and the whole feel here is that we are definitely in another country.
About an hour takes us to Amarante, a village of 2000 along the banks of the Tamega River which feels a lot like a moat right here because of the large church resembling a castle just across the bridge from our hotel! We will explore more tomorrow. We find our amazing rooms overlooking the river, with huge bathrooms, beautiful drapes, artwork (though I have A LOT of picture straightening to do in this hotel!!), and rose petals strewn over the beds. This is a Relais and Chatueaux property, and the whole property is delicious with many cozy common rooms to gather in and a beautiful terraced pool area overlooking gardens and hillsides. The church bells ring every 15 minutes, and the whole feel here is that we are definitely in another country.
At dinner there is a special wine tasting event that we just happened to be here for as it is only scheduled every couple of months. What this means though is that we are at the mercy of the other diners because we all need to be seated at one time… what is supposed to begin at 830 doesn’t really start until the others arrive at 9 and then the service – well things move so slowly here!! It is a nine course meal if you count the espresso at the end. I only made it until #7, the tiramisu terrine with saffron sauce --- which came after glazed veal jarrot, and baby leek veloute, and rock mullet, and oysters with jus….. but all those came after an amazing array of appetizers like foie gras terrine with caramelized apple and vichyssoise with Avruga caviar shooter………. Anyway I’m sure this is all familiar to you so you already understand that it was almost midnight by the time I finished course #7 along with the various wines and a glass of champagne both to start and to finish.
Hm, maybe I should mention the kids, who are still here with us – they stuck it out almost as long as I did at dinner but leaving a bit earlier to try out the swimming pool. We have become so jaded as parents we now say things like: Kids, don’t forget your curfew at 1230AM!!
For as spectacular as this hotel is there is no simple internet connection – They have a set up here where you can only be connected if you have a Portuguese cell phone which I do not. Joanna offered me hers, but it is with the wrong company. I think we are in a part of Portugal that cares mostly about food and wine, and you know -– for my vacation I think that’s just fine.
We play more tomorrow, our last day – it is market day in Amarante, and the water park beckons in the afternoon. Along with our daily riddles we are working on Steven and Sam who seem quite close to joining us in Morocco in July which we all think would be terrific. Once again, it is very sad to think about parting ways with new friends; Sam was very sweet tonight at dinner when she said “But if we don’t go to Morocco we might never see you again!” So I had to promise to visit Knoxville, Tenn. if they can’t make it. Jim, can we run a family adventure in Knoxville??
Hm, maybe I should mention the kids, who are still here with us – they stuck it out almost as long as I did at dinner but leaving a bit earlier to try out the swimming pool. We have become so jaded as parents we now say things like: Kids, don’t forget your curfew at 1230AM!!
For as spectacular as this hotel is there is no simple internet connection – They have a set up here where you can only be connected if you have a Portuguese cell phone which I do not. Joanna offered me hers, but it is with the wrong company. I think we are in a part of Portugal that cares mostly about food and wine, and you know -– for my vacation I think that’s just fine.
We play more tomorrow, our last day – it is market day in Amarante, and the water park beckons in the afternoon. Along with our daily riddles we are working on Steven and Sam who seem quite close to joining us in Morocco in July which we all think would be terrific. Once again, it is very sad to think about parting ways with new friends; Sam was very sweet tonight at dinner when she said “But if we don’t go to Morocco we might never see you again!” So I had to promise to visit Knoxville, Tenn. if they can’t make it. Jim, can we run a family adventure in Knoxville??
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