Coimbra and the Algarve

As we drove out of the Douro Valley the scenery changed dramatically as all of a sudden the vineyards were replaced by large trees on rolling hills and the small clusters of homes were far fewer.  We stopped at a couple of smaller towns on our way to Coimbra to enjoy their sights. In Viseu we saw the Camino signs showing the way for the Porugese Camino which brought a smile to both of us.  Our first major stop was  Coimbra which was the capital of Portugal from the 12th to 13th century.  The old town of the city is charming with a maze of narrow winding streets leading you past little shops and restaurants. Once you reach the top of the hill where the university is situated the views over the city and river are stunning.  After exploring the historical sights of this beautiful city it was time to head off to the Algarve for some relaxation.  

We hopped on a train and headed south to Lagos for some beach time.  Lagos was at one time the location of the African slave market in Europe and the first great Poruguese maritime expedition embarked from here but now it is just an enjoyable little bit of the Algarve.  Pedestrian streets, funky craft shops, bars and restaurants intertwined with sculptures and sea creature designs laid in the cobble stones make for interesting strolling.  The highlight of this town however is the beaches and limestone cliffs dotted with tunnels and grottoes.  The colours and shapes of the stones are magnificent and the tunnels and caves were fun to pass through when the tide would allow.  As summer has come to an end the beaches were quiet which was wonderful even though it was 28 degrees.

 

Leaving the Douro Valley we first stopped at Lamego to visit two of their magnificent cathedrals.  This one sits very high on the hill and has a very impressive staircase leading up to it which has beautiful statues and landings all the way up. So impressive and the view from the top was equally amazing.

Looking up at the cathedral from the second landing on a clear blue day was outstanding.

The cloisters in Viseu were deserted during our visit which was quite delightful 

The clock sat above the cloisters and seemed to be frozen in time.

The streets were narrow and like so many other places we have visited pedestrian only and lined with delightful buildings with shops on the street level and apartments up above.

Eric enjoying a meal at a small family sidewalk cafe where the owner came and engaged in conversation and brought out drinks after our lunch to top off a superb meal.

Inside the church of Santa Clara in Coimbra

The cloisters of Santa Clara. As these are on the opposite side of the river to the old town not many venture here and in fact we were here on our own.  They are no longer used today but were wonderful to visit.

The old town of Coimbra had twisty steep cobbled streets and this one people had artistically decorated with all sorts of whimsical crocheted objects. Fun to walk along.

Coimbra 's university was founded in 1290 and is Europes second oldest university.  Once a royal palace it is situated overlooking the city and the river and is still today regarded as Porugals most respected university.  The library was spectacular to visit.  It is one of Europes best surviving Baroque libraries and displays 55000 books in 18th century splendor.  Only 65 people are allowed in at a time and the doors are kept tightly closed to control moisture.  There are two levels of books dating back to the 1700s with ornate wood throughput.  At night they release some bats to control any insects that may do harm to the volumes.  Of course no photos were allowed.

The inside of the university chapel was quite ornate with a beautifully painted ceiling and dates from 1517.

The cloisters of the church of Santa Cruz were very well preseved as this church is actively used today.

The white buildings with red tile roofs in Lagos have a very Mediterranean feel.

Parts of the old wall remain which once protected the city from the Spaniards and the pirates.

Not a level street to be found but fun to wander the pedestrian ways in search of our next meal.

The biggest appeal of Lagos to us was its rugged shoreline of limestone cliffs with a multitude of caves and grottos.

Small beaches were divided by outcropping of stone. Depending on the tides you could get through the caves to the next beach.

Exploring the coast by boat was a must

The colours inside the grottoes varied depending on how the sun hit the interior 

I found the colours inside this grotto particularly interesting. Nature is so creative.

A deserted piece of untouched sand accessible only by boat. How perfect for a picnic until the tide comes in.

The array of colours was amazing

Here the sun was able to shine under the stone illuminating the water and the cave.

Enjoying some of the beaches and tunnels at low tide.

Passing through from beach to beach.  The tides are quick and one could easily get stranded on a beach if not careful

I am coming out of a tunnel onto this pristine beach. What a perfect day.

Lagos has a lovely promenade along the river which is about a mile long and quite fun to stroll along watching the activity on the water as well as the observing the locals selling their wares along the way.

Every day except Sunday the local fishermen bring in their catch and sell it at the local fish market. You could buy just about any type of seafood you might want and judging by the amount being purchased it must have been quite reasonable.

Douro Valley

With Eric's healthy interest in wine and my enjoyment of his interest a trip to Portugal would not be complete without a visit to the Douro Valley.  This is the birthplace of port wine and it's ever changing terrain has been sculpted by centuries of very hardy farmers.  The 50 mile stretch of river on either side of Pinhao is home to 4000 vintners and scores of Quintas or vineyards that produce port, table wines,and olive oils.  The scenery was totally different than anything we had seen before with whole hillsides literally terraced into vineyards separated by rows of olive and sometimes almond trees.  White houses with red slate roofs were situated here and there along the hillside to complete the picture. Scenic drives, a lazy boat trip and a couple of wine tours and tastings with some excellent meals made this a very worthwhile stop.

The vineyards are literally carved into the sides of the hillsides. They are not irrigated and rely on rainfall. The roots of the vines go as deep as thirty feet down into the dry rocky soil which also helps maintain the integrity of the hillside.

Some of the vineyards were very manicured while others looked very haphazard though I am sure they had a plan in their layout.

Most of the work on the side of the hills is done by hand as working with machinery is very dangerous as one can see by the precarious angle of this tractor. 

We took a cruise down the Douro River in this little boat to view the vineyards from below.  It was a lovely couple of hours and especially nice when the captain opened a bottle of wine to enjoy as we took in the scenery.

Some of the terracing was very steep and the vines were often interspersed with olive trees to increase the productivity.

No piece of land is wasted and the land is often passed down in families for many generations.

We stopped at DOC restaurant on the Douro to enjoy an amazing lunch before setting off for a wine tour and tasting.

Our visit coincided with the middle of harvest time so many vines were still heavy with grapes.  All of the grapes are hand picked so it is quite labour intensive.

At Quinta do Vallado which is a family owned winery owned by the same family for three hundred years all the grapes are sorted by hand to assure that the lesser quality are not used.

Part of the grape production line

Though this winery still stomped some grapes that was reserved for ports and the rest were done in these large vats.

The bar across the top of the vat has been developed to duplicate the action of human stompers.  Stomping is used for ports as the human foot is softer and gentler on the grape skins.

Large port vat down in their cellar

Looking at the vineyards from a higher viewpoint.

The Douro River and the view from our room as was the above picture.  These vines in the foreground belong to the hotel as it seems everyone grows grapes and olives.

The windmills in the distance are for generating power and as we left the Douro Valley we saw large farms of them. Clean power but I am sure many birds would disagree.

Pickers working in the hot sun to harvest the grapes.

Grapes are transported in small trucks as they are carried off the hills by the pickers. Hard work for apparently not much pay.

The second winery we visited was Quinta da Pacheca and also does so much by hand

These grapes were going into a crusher and were then carried by a large hose to a stomping tank.

These stomping tanks are made of granite and I was more than a little surprised to find out that this method is still used quite extensively in Portugal.

Though this was a photo pose the stomping is very tedious and regulated by the wine maker.  On the first night after the vat has been filled stompers will join together as above right across the tank and walk back and forth slowly in unison for up to four hours.  This night is quite somber and little is said.  On the second night of stomping it is much more random and there is often music and dancing involved.  For some ports up to four nights of stomping is required.

We enjoyed a delightful lunch in the restaurant of the winery sharing a traditional Portugese dish of duck rice.  Absolutely delicious.

Unusual to see vines on a flat piece of land in the Douro Valley.

Very creative and appropriate use of an old tree at a vineyard