After Lisbon we drove to Amarante, an area in the port wine region of Portugal known for its river valleys and vineyards. We made a stop in Porto which is Portugal's second largest city and port wine capital at the mouth of the Douro River, and is one of Europe's oldest cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in order to do some proper port wine tasting. As luck would have it Jazz once again stalled in the middle of heavy traffic (on a hill), so Lee took over driving while Jazz navigated, which saved us since all hell broke loose with traffic, road construction, and street closures. We eventually made it to the port wine neighborhood of Vila Nova de Gaia. A few hours later we had enjoyed a few tastings at Quinta Do Noval's shop and toured the Taylor cellars while getting a few sips of some of their best known ports.
So how does port wine differ from scotch, sherry, brandy or traditional wine? Firstly, the casks used to make port wine are huge in comparison, and generally the wines are bottled after only two years (rather than 12+), so that they retain their full flavor. Secondly, the fermentation process is stopped by adding brandy or a strong spirit made from grape juice, hence the higher alcohol content of port. Frankly there's a bit more to it than that, but as we had our fair share of tastings on an empty stomachs no less, we don't seem to recall the details :) If you're curious and want more details, read up on Wikipedia.
So how does port wine differ from scotch, sherry, brandy or traditional wine? Firstly, the casks used to make port wine are huge in comparison, and generally the wines are bottled after only two years (rather than 12+), so that they retain their full flavor. Secondly, the fermentation process is stopped by adding brandy or a strong spirit made from grape juice, hence the higher alcohol content of port. Frankly there's a bit more to it than that, but as we had our fair share of tastings on an empty stomachs no less, we don't seem to recall the details :) If you're curious and want more details, read up on Wikipedia.
From Porto we headed to the Amarante area for two nights of peace and quite in a cottage set along the river valley. Navigating small streets (Lee is definitely the pro driver now even though he did ding the car a bit while parallel parking on a hill) we made it and were welcomed by our hosts, a Scottish and Portuguese couple with a young daughter. We settled for a relaxing evening and enjoyed our host Harry's tasty home-produced white wine, direct from the grapes growing around and above the property.
On Wednesday we took it easy and set out on foot through Harry's fields and followed the river. Ultimately we got a bit wet (and seriously cold - Lee had to be persuaded to join in the adventure for 15 minutes before agreeing to our water excursion) as we made our way to a great little waterfall which (of course) could only be reached by wading and swimming upstream.
That afternoon we joined our hosts on their patio. Lots of discussion, a haircut, and a few hours later, we found ourselves grilling dinner with our hosts, including home grown veggies (courgettes a.k.a. zuchinni, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, onions), fresh eggs (regular hens and guinea fowl - yup the funny spotted ones), sardines (a very traditional Portuguese fish) and couscous. To top off a great meal we had several bottles of their red and white wines (apparently it's common for families in the area to produce their own wine, enough to easily last an entire season) before calling it a day in the wee hours of the morning. What more could you want from a vacation?
While we wish we could have stayed an entire week, the next day we were off for a 6.5 hour drive back to Madrid to catch our flight the following day to Prague, Czech Republic. We returned our car at the Hertz airport location without a problem (no mention of Lee's ding!). Overall we drove exactly 3,000 km and supported the Spanish and Portuguese economies by fueling up with $550 worth of gas (approx. $8 per gallon), plus another $130 in parking and toll road fees! Not sure if that was the best use of our money, but it gave us the flexibility we wanted and also got us to learn a manual, which is a huge relief now for future traveling.
Overall Portugal beat our Spain experience for pure relaxation and variety. The country is beautiful, people are friendly, and you have three (actually five) distinct regions all within a few hours drive. Want to spend three weeks in one country and enjoy the beach, city and countryside? Portugal may be your place! Next up: Tredlnik, Tourists and Beer in Prague.
Overall Portugal beat our Spain experience for pure relaxation and variety. The country is beautiful, people are friendly, and you have three (actually five) distinct regions all within a few hours drive. Want to spend three weeks in one country and enjoy the beach, city and countryside? Portugal may be your place! Next up: Tredlnik, Tourists and Beer in Prague.
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