Headed for Portugal

Enjoying a visit to Taylors (famous Portuguese Port House)

Palacio do Freixo (our hotel)

IP4 Highway to Portugal

Aboard the double-decker bus.

Day 4: (June 8, 2010)

Unfortunately our alarm wasn't set properly and we failed to get up at 7:00 a.m.; instead it was 10:45 a.m. This gave us a late start as we left Vitoria, Spain and headed for our drive to Portugal. On our way we stopped at Braganca and visited an old castle.

As we crossed the border into Portugual the rains began.

After our 7 hour drive, we arrive at our hotel (Palacio de Freixo) - an old palace from the 18th century that has been converted into a hotel. This establishment is right on the Douro River. The hotel is amazing! We do feel like we arrived at a Palace with attendants arriving at our car with umbrellas to help us with our luggage. Our room is a suite (living room, bedroom and bathroom). We are in luxury! It's a gorgeous hotel and we are enjoying the ammenities (heated indoor pool, outdoor pool, sauna, spa, lounge, live music). Our first dinner consisted of: smoked swordfish appetizer, traditional Portuguese fish soup, a salad consisting of cod on a bed of garbanzo beans with red onions, and my main entree was pasta with shrimp in a olive oil coating with a few leaves of basil. It was quite tasty! Dessert was a buffet consisting of Portuguese traditional pasteries, mousse, fresh fruit, cheeses, and a good Port.

We ended our day at 12:45 a.m.

Day 5: (June 9, 2010)


Today we were successful with our alarm and awoke at 7:30 a.m. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in our Palace consisting of fresh croissants, breads, coldcuts, cheeses, cereals, fresh fruit, yogart, and expresso.

We began our day at the Mall to purchase a jacket for Greg - it was quite cold and we were expecting more rain.

After getting situated, we headed to the historical part of town where we visit the San Francisco Cathedral. After our one-hour tour, we purchased tickets for the double-decker bus giving us a tour of the city and most of its historical landmarks. This 2-hr. tour found its way to the Port district. We enjoyed visiting Croft and Taylors (two famous port houses in Portugal). Greg truly enjoyed the samples and cellar tours. It was interesting hearing the history behind the port. The port houses are located in the Gaia district where the caves are truly caves into the hillside.

After Greg's many samplings, we headed by foot on a lengthy walk to board the Douro-acim which guided us through a 45-minute river ride showing us the 6 bridges on the Douro River. It was a relaxing journey.

We once again hit the streets in search of a good restaurant. We ended up at Calhambeque. I started with a vegetable soup and my main meal was chicken fillets covered in cheese, rice, fresh french fries, and a small salad. It was delicious considering we hadn't eaten since 8:00 a.m.

We continued our trek by foot back to the parking stall where our car awaited us. We made one more pit stop to the grocery store for some sweets.

We were very pleased to arrive at our Palace after a long day of exploration.

Tomorrow is a new day.
V