Portugal – Scribbles and Snapshots

Douro Valley – No wine left behind

September 4, 2024Posted in Europe 2024Tagged Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Equinox, Equinox, Port, Porto, Portugal, Wine TastingLeave a comment

Sunday, September 1, 2024

We docked in Porto, Portugal on Sunday. Jon had found a tour company that was accessible – and private – to take us into the Douro Valley for some wine tasting.

Márcio was both our driver and our guide – he had been in communication with Jon before we left the USA – so we knew we were in good hands.

Marcio explained that in Portugal it was more common that the wine be paired with food. He was super mindful about all of my food preferences (no red meat or pork – also, hoping that there weren’t any faces attached to the fish, etc…) Our first stop was in a quaint little town, Amarante.

Amarante is a charming town in northern Portugal, nestled along the Tâmega River. It is a stop on the famous Camino de Santiago hiking trail, offering a picturesque stop for hikers. However, we were not hiking – we were there to eat and drink! They had some famous pastries, I’ll let you take a look at the picture and determine what you think they were supposed to be shaped like.

Márcio stopped at a local tavern that had plenty of smoked meats, and some local wines for us to try. It was a great way to kick off the start of our day.

From there, we started our drive to the first winery. The Douro Valley is stunning – it was absolutely beautiful. We’ve been to quite a few different wine regions in the world, and this was definitely one of the most beautiful as it followed along the river.

We saw quite a few river boats making their way through to the Spanish border

The Douro Valley in Portugal is an absolute dream for wine lovers and nature enthusiasts. With the rolling hills covered in terraced vineyards, the scenery is straight out of a postcard. This region is famous for producing Port wine, and visiting the local wineries for a tasting is a must. (This trip made me a convert! I think I’ve just been drinking the wrong Port wine!)

Our first winery was called Quinta Do Val Moreira, which had a stunning view overlooking the river and the valley. We enjoyed our tasting there – and the pastries that Márcio had picked out for us.

The next stop was lunch, it was a beautiful outdoor setting. I’m not sure about the others, but I was already starting to feel full. The staff walked us through the traditional kitchen, and oh my goodness – the smells were heavenly! I suppose you can always find room for more when you’re on vacation.

We were seated outside under a beautiful tree, where we had another tasting and a lovely meal. They had prepared fish for me – and the others had their choice of lamb or pork dishes.

We moved onto the last winery, Quinta Seara Dordens. Where we were greeted by some lazy dogs, Typhoon, Ruby, and Tawny. Our host there was very friendly, and we enjoyed our time there. We bought a bottle of Tawny Port before heading back to Porto to hop back on the ship.

Márcio was Fantastic and would highly recommend him to anyone!

At the beginning of the day, I had asked if we could swing by a bookstore in Porto. It’s supposed to be Harry Potter related, but we realized we were short on time and wouldn’t be able to go. So instead he brought us around on a very quick city tour, which was pretty cool to see.

We will definitely have to come back at some point, because we didn’t even scratch the surface of Porto!

After dinner, we went to another show on board the ship. It was poorly marketed, but actually ended up being a great experience with plenty of songs and acrobatics.

Up Next:
– At sea

Lisbon

September 3, 2024Posted in Europe 2024Tagged Belem, Belem Tower, Celebrity Cruises, Ginjinha, Lisbon, Monument to the Discoveries, PortugalLeave a comment

August 31, 2024

Since the cruise had offered an overnight in Lisbon, we were able to do a walking tour on Saturday of Lisbon with Jon and Yvonne.

A longggg time ago when I still worked for AAA, our computers had rotating screensavers and I had seen this cool looking “castle” that I knew I would need to see at some point in my life.

Belém Tower is a must-see, sitting right on the edge of the Tagus River. This 16th-century fortress has some seriously cool stonework that shows off Portugal’s history during the Age of Discovery. It was just a quick cab ride over to Belem from the cruise port, with a few other attractions nearby.

We didn’t go inside, as I think most of the beauty is on the outside. From Belém Tower, it was a short walk to the Monument of the Discoveries. The Monument of the Discoveries is a massive, eye-catching tribute to Portugal’s Age of Exploration. Shaped like the front of a ship, it features statues of famous explorers, with Prince Henry the Navigator leading the way. You can head to the top for some awesome panoramic views of the city and the river, but we opted to stay on the ground for this one.

We got a cab over to the Rossio neighborhood next. Our first stop was to get a ginjinha. Ginjinha is a popular Portuguese liqueur made from sour cherries, known as “ginja,” that are soaked in alcohol and sweetened with sugar. It’s served in small shots, often with a cherry at the bottom of the glass.

We opted to walk around from there, looking at the different shops. We picked up a few souvenirs before heading to a local festival, where there were other crafts and also some sangria. We opted to take a quick break and enjoy that before continuing our stroll.

Our last stop was the Praça do Comércio – Praça do Comércio is one of Lisbon’s most iconic squares settled right by the Tagus River. Surrounded by beautiful, yellow-painted buildings and an impressive archway. It was a fun spot to soak in Lisbon.

We made our way back to the ship and watched as we sailed underneath the “other” Golden Gate Bridge – and waved by to their Christ the Redeemer.

That evening we went to a show in the ship’s theater – Oli Nez. He was a very talented saxophone player, who also happened to be quite the comedian. It was a great time.

Up Next:
– Porto
– Douro Valley Wine Tasting

Sintra: the magical misty town

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024Posted in Europe 2024Tagged Celebrity Cruises, Equinox, Lisbon, Portugal, SintraLeave a comment

Friday, August 30, 2024

Our next stop was Lisbon for two days – we were excited that we had an overnight here, because it meant we could go to nearby Sintra and not have to rush back to the ship.

One of my girlfriends had gone to Spain and Portugal a few years back and raved about the beauty of Sintra. We knew that we needed to see it for ourselves. The ship has many of their own excursions, but none of them quite fit the bill for what we wanted to see. I was able to secure a private tour that was set up in a choose your own adventure format, our priority was Pena Palace, but there were other activities that we could choose from.

We had seen pictures of an ancient looking well – we didn’t know entirely what it was, but thought that could make a good stop. We also opted to do a famous bakery/factory in Belem.

As pulled into Lisbon, we went under a copy-cat of the Golden Gate Bridge – and Christ the Redeemer welcomed us to port with open arms.

We got off the ship pretty early, and met our guide outside of the cruise terminal. He said we were doing good on time, so he wanted to bring us up a tall hill in Lisbon to give us a great view of the city. The views were incredible – we could already tell that Lisbon was going to remind us a lot of California.

From there, we made our way to Pastéis de Belém, which is known for its iconic custard tarts, known as pastéis de nata. These have been made using a secret recipe since 1837.

These heavenly pastries feature a buttery crust filled with a creamy, sweet custard. You can choose to dust them with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar. The bakery is located in the Belém district of Lisbon and is the birthplace of this beloved Portuguese treat. I had seen pictures, and knew that I needed to have one. Growing up, my grandmother made custard pies and they were always my favorite!

After the bakery, we made our way to Quinta da Regaleira. The place with the really cool well. Quinta da Regaleira is like stepping into a real-life fairy tale, filled with mysterious gardens, hidden tunnels, and unique architecture. It was built in the early 20th century with lots of nods to secret societies like the Freemasons and the Knights Templar. The highlight for many is the Initiation Well—a spiral staircase that winds deep into the ground, offering a symbolic journey of discovery. Wandering through the palace, chapel, and gardens, you’ll find grottoes, fountains, and secret paths, making it a place where every turn reveals something new and magical.

We walked to downtown Sintra from there, and stopped for lunch at a cute Italian place with great pizza and lemon cello spritz. We continued to stroll through downtown, before getting picked up to head to Pena Palace with our guide.

Pena Palace sits atop a hill in Sintra and it is a striking blend of architectural styles, and is highlighted in bright colors. Originally a medieval monastery, it was transformed by King Ferdinand II into a whimsical royal residence, that was used as more of a summer house for royalty. The palace has beautiful fairy-tale towers and ornate details throughout. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, Pena Palace is a masterpiece of artistic imagination and natural beauty.

Unfortunately for us, it was incredibly foggy that day and we weren’t able to see the views from its high perch. Just gray clouds, but it was still an amazing visit!

Our guide took us to the most western point in all of Europe next. We drove through sunshine to get there, but within a few miles we were already covered in fog again. It was incredibly windy, but we took a quick picture before hopping back in the car.

He drove us to Cascais next, what used to be a small fishing village but has become incredibly popular for locals and tourists alike. Each corner we came around we saw a new sandy beach. He offered to stop for us to get out and walk around, but we were already exhausted from all of the walking. So we made our way back to Lisbon.

We had a quick dinner before calling it a day.

Up Next:
– Lisbon walking tour with Jon & Yvonne