Paradise Uncorked

Contents

The Douro River
The City of Porto
Gaia and the South Bank
The Miguel Torga
Getting to Know Port Wine
Douro International Natural Park
25,000 Years of History

We have always avoided cruises. Being cooped up on a boat all day did not sound like much fun. But a river cruise along the Douro River with up to 5 miles of vigorous hiking every morning sounded like a good idea. For the second half of our Portugal vacation, therefore, we signed up for Road Scholar's Paradise Uncorked cruise (opens in a separate window).

The Douro is one of the most beautiful, and least known, of the Europe's navigable rivers. It rises in Spain, where it is known as the Duero. After reaching the Portuguese border it flows south for about 65 miles, forming the border between Portugal and Spain. It turns west, and reaches the Atlantic at Porto roughly 130 miles later.

For that 130 miles the river is navigable by small cruise ships. For much of its journey, its banks are covered with vineyards, olive and almond trees, and parkland.

A few small towns are located along the river. Vineyards surround each town, with an occasional view of the buildings where the wine production is carried out.

Towns become more numerous as one approaches Porto. To the west of Porto the river forms a wide estuary, and eventually discharges into the Atlantic.

The middle reaches of the Douro ("Tras os Montes" - "Beyond the Mountains") are the home of port wine. Sheltered between small mountain ranges, the region is perfect for growing the grapes used to make port. The English discovered that fortifying the wine with brandy created a superb aperitif or dessert wine, but there was one problem. Transporting the wine by boat down the Douro to the coast was a hazardous operation.

The river has changed a lot in the last 60 years. But imagine having to drag large casks of wine over rocky hillsides, or navigating around obstructions in the river.

Special boats, known as barcos rabelos, were developed for this purpose. They were steered by several men controlling a large paddle, with others pulling on oars in the bow and stern.

An astounding video showing rabelos in action was produced by RTP, the Portuguese radio and TV service (click to open in a separate window - best viewed at full screen). It shows how hazardous the voyage down the river must have been. See especially sections beginning at 2:00, 6:20, and 18:30. Note also the part beginning at 16:30.

Now the Douro is navigable by much larger ships. The rabelos, sporting a fresh coat of paint, have been relegated to advertising port wine producers. Note how many of the names of the producers reflect the original English developers.

Some rabelos have been converted from carriers of wine "pipes" to carriers of tourists. New rabelos are being built for a variety of purposes.

Apart from the problem of transportation, producing port wine was hard work in other ways. Men gathering grapes used baskets that held up to 70 kg (154 lb), to be carried up and down steep hills. Now the baskets are limited to a 40 kg load, and the old ways can be seen only in tile representations at railway stations.

Life in the Douro valley began to change when a railway line was built along the valley from Porto to the Spanish border. Building the railway was no mean feat, since it often involved tunneling through hard granite.

Developments that took place in the mid-twentieth century really opened up the valley. A series of dams were built, flooding large sections of the river. This of course improved navigation for larger vessels. It also provided hydro-electric power, and a way to cross from one side of the river to the other. A number of new bridges were constructed to carry major highways.

The Road Scholar cruise along the Douro began and ended in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. Our indefatigable group leader for the week was Isabel. She provided a thorough introduction to Porto, as well as shepherding us on the daily hikes.

Porto sits on the north bank of the river. However, we began our tour of the city with a walk of about two miles along the Atlantic seafront, seeing a more recently developed part of the city. The walk took us along the beach, and above rock formations and tide pools.

Our guide for the walk was Pedro, who provided a wealth of information about the history and geography of the area. He even volunteered to assess the temperature of the water in case anyone should feel like taking a dip.

We arrived at the mouth of the Douro, where an old fort, Saint John of the Mouth (free translation), keeps watch over the entrance to the river. A little further on the walk ended at the Garden of the Cheerful Walkway (another). We had lunch near there, and returned by bus to the center of Porto.

Isabel gave us a tour of some of the highlights of the city. We began at Porto cathedral, which is set on a hill so it is readily visible from the river. Built in the 12th and 13th century in the Romanesque style, it features later additions, both Gothic and Baroque.

Azulejo tiles, reflecting the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, are a popular form of decoration in Porto. They are seen on the facades of many buildings. Here's a sample of tiles we saw on houses in the town. Here are some others.

Tiles depicting historic and rural scenes decorate the main hall in the São Bento railway station. Near the station we even passed a large rock on the sidewalk that was decorated with Azulejo tiles.

Another landmark for the city is the Clérigos Tower, built as part of the Clérigos church. The church is unusual for its elliptical floor plan. Although church and tower were built in the Baroque style, the lower sections of the tower are relatively plain. The upper sections are more elaborate. Like the cathedral, the tower can readily be seen from many parts of the city.

Once we had a sense for the layout of the city, we had a couple of opportunities to explore on our own. We did not spend a lot of time shopping for souvenirs, but one place we could not resist was A Vida Portuguesa, a classic old building.

One of our favorite locations was the Rua das Flores. Restricted to pedestrians, the street is a favorite location for street performers, like this organ grinder. He is routinely accompanied by a young boy (bird on shoulder) and a very bizarre chicken. Further along we were delighted one day to come across a trio of Fado performers in the Coimbra style (see photo of a Fado group from the first half of our Portugal tour).

From Rua das Flores we would walk past one of the three heritage tram lines in Porto. It was not far to the Ribeira, the most popular section of the river front. Here more street performers were abundant - singers for example, and a group of dancers. Young boys were delighted to use the area as a place for water sports.

Almost anywhere in Europe that attracts crowds of tourists also tends to attract pick-pockets. A police presence was evident in many locations.

Before the cruise ship left Porto, Pedro led us on a tour of the south bank. The walk began at the Douro Nature Reserve, a great place for bird watching. From the reserve we had a fine view of the Western suburbs of Porto.

East of the nature reserve is a large yacht marina. In addition to enjoying the scenery we were entertained by an adventurous maintenance person clinging to the top of a mast.

One section of the marina contained a dozen or so small yachts with the sails encased in cocoons. Later we saw two of them sailing up-river.

Beyond the marina we arrived at an area devoted to the drying of laundry. We had arrived at a place where local housewives like to do their heavy washing. We were told that the facilities here are far superior to washing machines at home.

Of course, one member of our group could not resist joining in, offering to help with the scrubbing. With a little help from the person being helped, JoAnn developed a pretty good technique.

The streets through this section of Gaia were colorful in many ways. For example, we came to a small market, where merchants offered fine vegetables.

But our walk began to reflect a different part of Gaia. In contrast to areas near the marina, parts further east give sad evidence of years of decay. Warehouses have been abandoned. Elegant estates have sometimes been left unoccupied. Further along, an entire community sits beside the river, unused.

On a more positive note, a walk along the south bank is a good way to view the six bridges of Porto. It is often said that Porto is the only city in Europe with six bridges. In fact, of course, Gaia has six also! (Thanks, Isabel)

The first bridge we came to was the Ponte da Arrábida. Opened in 1963, it may be the most controversial. It has sometimes been condemned as ugly.

The Ponte Dom Luis I may be the most famous bridge. It's a double decker. The lower level is used by pedestrians and cars. The upper level is used by the Metro.

The Infante Dom Henrique Bridge, opened in 2003, is the newest and perhaps the most elegant of the bridges. The most interesting though is surely the Ponte Dona Maria Pia. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel shortly before he built the Eiffel Tower. Interestingly, Eiffel was also involved in the design of the Dom Luis bridge, but dropped out of the project early on.

Eiffel's bridge is no longer in use. After years of complaints that the bridge had become unsafe (parts were falling into the river), it was closed and has been replaced by the São João bridge.

We ended our walk just past the São João bridge, where we came to our boat, the Miguel Torga. We did not make it to the sixth bridge, which is two kilometers further upstream.

Miguel Torga was the pen name of one of Portugal's greatest writers. The ship named after him is the latest in a fleet built by the French company Croisieurope, specifically for Douro River cruises. Although the boat, and a majority of the passengers, were French, it still flew the Portuguese flag.

The cabins were not large, but they offered a good view of the passing scenery. Unless, that is, we happened to be docked next to another Croisieurope cruise ship.

Each morning we would wake at sunrise. We would usually leave the boat for a morning hike (see following sections), return to the boat for lunch, then relax on the sundeck.

Breaks in the routine were provided whenever other ships passed heading in the opposite direction . Once we met one of the Miguel Torga's sister (or brother) ships.

While the boat was tied up at the dock it was possible to make acquaintance with some of the local wildlife. Gordon tried feeding a couple of ducks one morning. He was immediately surrounded by dozens. One of the flock looked a little different from the rest. He saw it later standing on the shore and tentatively identified it as an Egyptian Goose.

While the boat was under way, assuming we were not eating, drinking, or sleeping, the best thing to do was sit on the sun deck and watch the river pass by. Near Porto we passed a number of elegant homes. Some made the most of their river frontage with attractive landscaping.

Further up-river we started to see the vineyards, small at first then much larger (see next section). As we approached the Spanish border the banks became steeper and the terrain became more rugged.

There are five dams along the navigable portion of the Douro, and each dam requires boats to pass through a lock to move from one water level to a different one.

JoAnn, of course, is an expert on locks, having acquired lots of experience during our canal vacation. As we approached the first lock, we were anxious to see how the big ones worked.

We were traveling up river, and the lower lock gates were open as we approached. The gates closed behind us as we entered. The front paddles were opened, the lock filled, the front gates opened, and we sailed forth. Just what we were used to.

Throughout the process we had been prepared to explain to anyone interested just what was happening. Regrettably, no-one took us up on the offer!

The second lock, the Carrapatelo, was a different experience. It is more than twice as high as Crestuma-Lever. The effect was rather like approaching the Galactic Empire's Death Star. Surely something evil lurked behind that gate.

We had to wait a long time for the gate to open, all the time wondering what creature would emerge. The result was an anti-climax - no raging monster, just a small pleasure boat.

Once we were inside, however, and the gate had closed behind us, the sense of dread began to build again. Walls towered above us, and fluorescent streams of water cascaded in front.

But the Miguel Torga slowly rose, the front gates opened, and we could escape, we thought. But no, the lock had one more surprise for us. Directly in front of us, at head height, was a wall of concrete. Better duck!

On the last day of the cruise the tour group ended its walk at the location where the boat docked for the night. We arrived before the boat, so had a chance to observe the docking operations directly.

The ship's captain was supervising operations from the wheel house. Note, by the way, his cigarette. Smoking was not allowed on board, but exceptions can be made!

Tying the boat up involved gymnastic skills from the crew that were worth watching. Once secured, passengers could settle in for the night.

One morning we left the boat to take an extended tour of a vineyard estate, the Quinta Bomfim. Quinta Bomfim is part of the Symington Family Estates, the largest vineyard group in the Douro. Located on the banks of the river near the town of Pinhão, it produces port wine for Cockburn, Graham, and Dow. We were given a guided tour by one of their staff, António.

The spring and early summer had been cold and wet. As a result, the grapes were much greener than they would normally have been. Nevertheless, we got a good sense for how the vineyards are laid out and managed.

Where the slope of the ground is gentle, the most effective way to plant the vines is to use a vertical layout. On the steep slopes, walled terracing is used, as seen on the far hillside.

We had a close view of terracing as we walked up a steep hill above the main buildings. It was a struggle in places, but we had stunning views of the river valley as we got higher.

Whoever goes up must come down. Recent rains had badly eroded the path in places, so walking downhill on the steep slopes was often harder than walking up.

Back at the main house, the reward for the hard work was an opportunity to taste some very fine ports. From left to right, Cockburn's Special Reserve, Graham's Late Bottle Vintage, and Dow's 10 Year Tawny. Perhaps because it was not yet lunch time, few members of the group finished all three.

After rejoining the Miguel Torga, as we sailed past Pinhão, we had an excellent view of the Quinta Bomfim and the hill we had climbed, and descended.

The right bank of the Douro, where it forms the border with Spain, is a natural protected area. It's a rugged, harsh terrain of steep-side valleys, a great place to go hiking.

One morning we took the bus along a winding one-lane road to meet two guides from the park, Marco and Luis.

They led us down a steep, rocky trail into a rather inhospitable valley. At the bottom of the valley was a bridge that has been there since the middle ages. At one time there had been a small community near the bridge that operated a cereal mill.

We crossed the bridge, somewhat surprised to find a pretty stream below.

Climbing the hill on the other side, we passed through one of the few opportunities for shade we would encounter that day. Looking back, we could see the road where we had left the bus, and the descending trail we had taken.

It was a long uphill climb. Eventually we came to the ruins of an old farm house. We were now well above the road we had left.

Tall cliffs towered on one side. This was an area that offered many opportunities for observing birds of prey, especially Egyptian Vultures and Griphon Vultures.

We reached the highpoint of our walk, and progress would become somewhat easier.

Our guides pointed out a number of interesting features along the way. Dovecotes, or pigeon houses, for example. Inhabitants of the area had kept large numbers of pigeons as food.

Marco pointed out a pair of gravesites that are several hundred years old. Luis demonstrated that people inhabiting the area then must have been significantly shorter than modern humans (or shorter than Luis anyway).

Marco pointed out a cliff face containing remnants of Paleolithic paintings - hard to see, but the red marks are thought to represent an owl or otter.

The trail passed by a hilltop where there had been a community also thought to date from Paleolithic times. The road we were walking on goes back to Roman times at least, although the paving stones are more recent.

The trail followed a series of switchbacks down the side of a steep hill. At the bottom we came to an olive orchard, some of the trees being old enough to have been planted by the Romans.

We came eventually to another pretty stream, found our bus, and returned to the Miguel Torga for lunch.

Foz Côa is an archeological site at the mouth of the River Côa, a tributary of the Douro. The site was not discovered until 1998, when a dam was to be constructed across the river. An investigation of the area turned up remarkable carvings on rocks that are roughly 25,000 years old. Construction of the dam was halted. "As gravuras não sabem nadar" ("petroglyphs don't know how to swim"), stated the President of Portugal. Now only the foundations of the dam remain. Perhaps 25,000 years from now, they too will become a source of wonder.

One day of the cruise was devoted to a walk through the area, a tour of the site, and a visit to the associated museum. The walk began at the village of Castelo Melhor, below the walls of the castle. We headed down into the valley of the Côa.

The trail led through groves of almond trees, some newly planted. Views across the Côa valley were beautiful.

Dotted among the trees were a few isolated houses, generally in a state of disrepair. One storage shed, however, constructed from local schist stones, seemed to still be in fine condition. Great skill had been used in its construction.

For the most part the walking was fairly easy, but recent erosion had created some difficult stretches. It was necessary to watch one's footing. Another potential hazard was created by bees! One member of our group was stung.

We came to the archeological park where the engravings were found. Our guide Dina led us to a section where several engraved rocks are located.

We were greeted on arrival be a committee consisting of one dog and several goats. The dog was glad to see us. The goats were less interested.

Now imagine, if you can, living in Paleolithic times. You have found a comfortable spot to locate your home. It's sheltered, has easy access, and great views. But the wife is not happy. "We need to give it a personal touch", she says. "How about doing one of your etchings on that side wall?".

You spend hours pecking and scratching with a piece of flint, trying to create something she will like. Your neighbors notice and try to match or exceed your efforts.

The wind and weather take their toll, but 25,000 years later archeologists discover your masterpiece. A guide explains to strange looking people the meaning of your creation.

Admitedly, the etchings may not look like much to the untrained eye. But with a lot of help from Dina we started to see the outlines of the animals that have been carved, and appreciate the effort that went into their creation. We learned about different theories of the origin of the engravings.

After a picnic lunch, we moved on to the museum built to promote Foz Côa and other Paleolithic sites. The entrance to the museum gives the impression of walking into a cave. Exhibits made the content of the etchings much clearer, and it was easier to see the skill with which movement of the animals had been represented.

Leaving the museum reinforces the impression of having spent time in the underground.

One other reason for a visit is the magnificent view of the Douro that is available.

Our day's outing ended at a small village where we would meet the Miguel Torga. We had to wait over an hour, so we relaxed with beers or Vinho Verdes at a dock-side cafe.

One observant member of the group noticed something out of place. As can be seen, Super Bock is a popular brand of beer in the area. But look at one of the bottles on the table. Super Bla-Bla?

Perhaps this was a good way to end the day. We boarded our boat, the sun went down on the river, and next day we were back in Porto. Our cruise had come to an end.

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