Th 5/8 Not Where We Planned to Be

This morning we woke up, opened our curtains, and looked out on yet another spectacular landscape of the terraced hills of Portugal reflected in the still water of the river.

Problem was, we were not supposed to be here.  We were to have been sailing since early this morning, but instead we were docked just across the river from where we were when we went to bed last night.  Apparently the authorities in Spain and Portugal had decided to do a major water release as water levels in places were getting too high.  Problem is, when they release the water it increases the speed of the river which makes it more difficult to navigator through some of the narrowest passages.  Being one of the largest ships allowed on the Douro River, this is especially an issue navigating into and out of the locks.  So, our departure from Pinhao was delayed from 6:30 am until 1:00 pm which also resulted in cancellation of the tours we had planned for this afternoon.

Viking, however, is always prepared.  We quickly had a new tour created and we were off on a walking tour of Pinhao.  

We walked along the waterfront and then climbed up the hill to the town.  The primary focal point of our visit was the train station where on the walls they have tiles that tell the story of historic wine making in the Douro Valley.

The picture below illustrates the use of boats to transport all the wine from the vineyards and wineries where it is made to Porto where it is aged and stored.  It is too hot and temperatures change too much to cellar the wine near the vineyards.  Instead it is taken to specially designed warehouses that maintain a more constant temperature for aging the wines.

All the harvesting on the terraces is still done by hand (if they used machines it might disturb the limestone structures that make up the hillsides too much and cause them eventually to fall in landslides).

Harvesters used to carry 100 pound wicker baskets of grapes on their shoulders to the top of the hill where it would be made into wine.  Now they only carry about 50 pounds that are in plastic trays the better protect the grapes from being crushed while moving.

After our tour we sat out on the patio of a 5-star hotel to enjoy the view of the river while sipping a white and a rose port and nibbling on goat cheese and chorizo (which had a deep, smoky flavor). 

We had to stop for the classic souvenir picture with the town sign.

We then went back onboard to the shade on the Sun Deck where we waited to here the fateful announcement that the rest of our shore activities for the day had been cancelled.  The arrival at our next port of call, Barca d'Alva, had been moved from 2:15 until 9:00 pm.

We headed down to the dining room for lunch to our window table where we watched the ship pull out (finally).

The best part of river cruising, for us, is the time spent traveling down the river.  Today's news was actually good news to us.  We would much rather be cruising the river than doing non-stop tours.  Here is a railroad bridge that is obviously very old along our journey up the river.  

This is one of the narrowest channels in the river.  They had to cut it out of rock over many years in the 19th century to complete the waterway.  One reason we were so delayed is because we had to wait several times for up to 45 minutes for another boat to pass us going the opposite direction through these one-way channels.

Here was yet another lock we transited where it was just inches from the top of the wheelhouse to the bottom of the roadway going over the bridge.  The captain had to review the clearance several times before proceeding.

This was one of the locks as we entered it.  It is kind of like having your boat put in a jail cell.  I think the only crime people on this boat may have been guilty of would be falling asleep too early.

This is one of the other riverboats we had to wait for to pass us.

Tonight our dinner was a buffet titled "Tastes of Portugal".  It was a giant spread local specialties.  I enjoyed the duck, the chorizo, the Portuguese beef stew, and the caramel custard for dessert. 

Tomorrow we are on the bus at 8:30 for our trip to Salamanca, Spain.

Bon Nuit.

Walking Steps Count:  5,190 steps with our tour of Pinhao and walking around the boat. 

We 5/7 Sailing from Porto to Pinhao

This morning right on schedule at 7:00 we felt the engines start as we began our journey on the Douro River.  We opened the curtains just in time to see us sail under the bridge.  The shore is lined with woods, interrupted by small villages built on the steep banks.  It is picturesque and serene.

Next big event of the morning was going through one of the five locks we will transit on our journey.  The ships are designed to be as big as possible while still clearing the locks and bridges.  In the locks there was less than a foot clearance on each of the sides of the ship.

Once we were in the lock and the doors behind us were closed, the water level began to rise.  After the water level in the lock was the same as the river level above, the gate was lowered and we proceeded.

They had to drop the canopy and mast on the top deck in order for us to clear the overpass that is part of the dam and locks.  The bridge in front of the pool was partially lowered into the deck.  We had about 4 feet of overhead clearance when the ship had reached its highest level.

We found the quintessential seats on the ship, two rocking chairs at the very front of the bow.  From here we watched the gorgeous scenery go by.  

As we sail through the valley we can hear the birds chirping on land.  It doesn't get much better than this.

And then it came time for the next lock to go through.  Entering the lock was like entering a castle where the door raised up to let you enter.  It was hard to believe that our ship would fit into this opening, but it did (just barely).

Once inside the lock and fully forward we looked up to see the gate where we would depart ... 108 feet (33 meters) higher!  This is the deepest lock I ever remember being in.  It took over 18 minutes for the lock to fill.

Here we are sitting in our rocking chairs being reflected by the glass that protected us from the strong, oncoming winds at the front of the ship.

As we passed under the bridge that is part of the lock, people stopped and got out of their cars to watch us "squeeze" through.  They had to lower the bridge on the ship to fit under the overpass.  It barely had 8 inches of clearance on the top.  All the people above, I think, were waiting to see the ship scrape the bottom of the roadway.

Once through the lock we went into the lounge for a briefing with Tamara, our Program Director about our activities for today and tomorrow.  Then it was time to go down for lunch to have lobster bisque soup, veal scaloppini,  and caramel sundaes.  The Food and Beverage director stopped at our table to make sure Alice knew of all the beers available to us and to determine what would best meet our tastes.  We put the German dunkel and the Leffe amber at the top of our list.

This afternoon we were off the ship and on to our next adventure, a visit to the Palace of Mateus.  We toured this palace built in 1750 with its reflection pond in the front (and very loud frogs jumping and croaking in the water).

We toured the rooms and saw many fascinating artifacts.  Unlike our tour of Versailles, here we could actually see the things in each room as they controlled the number of people allowed in each room at one time.  

If you are looking for a gift for Alice, she has always been drawn to cherubs.  There were four of these paintings in one room that she kind of liked.

After touring inside we went out into the garden.  It was a massive area with maze like bushes filling the area. 

Our last stop at the palace was to the chapel in the palace.  Like the alter at the chapel at Coimbra yesterday, this one two had the series of steps that represent the stages in life that are suppose to lead to heaven.

We then drove back toward the river and our final stop of the day.  For as far as the eye can see there are steep, terraced hillsides filled with grapes.  It is almost mystical the way these hills look with all the deep green colors.

We then visited Sandeman port winery.  The winery sits atop a tall hill that required we drive a very narrow, switchback road up to it (the road following the terraces up the side of the hill.)   We took a tour of the facility which included their bottle cellar with thousands bottles of port that is decades old.

The tour ended at their tasting room which overlooks the Douro valley and the vineyards.  We tried both a 3 year old white port and a 9 year old tawny port.  

As we were driving back to the river we saw our ship, the Helgrim, sailing to meet us in the town of Pinhao.  

Tomorrow's schedule will be much like today, sailing through the morning and going on tours in the afternoon (the way we like it!).

Dinner Menu:  Tomato basil soup, Picanha com Esmagado de Batata e Espinafres (a seared rump steak that was slow cooked for eight hours with broth and herbs), and a cheese plate for dessert.

Daily Step Count:  4,535 steps touring the palace and the winery

Tu 5/6 From Lisbon to Porto

 We were up at 6:45 am to put our suitcases in the hall.  We then went down for breakfast, similar to what we had yesterday.  At 8:00 am we were making our way to the coaches for the trip to Porto to board our ship, the Helgrim.

The first leg of the trip was 1.5 hours to a rest stop (what they call a technical break).  Refreshed we reboarded the bus and drove another hour until reaching the town of Coimbra.  Our first stop there was the old town where we walked up the pedestrian street and looked into the shops.  I had to sit down with a group of local musicians and join in with my operatic voice.

There are very steep streets that take off from the main street and head up the side of a hill lined with shops the whole way.  (I can't imagine walking on these streets with their steep inclines and cobblestones when it has been raining, it would be impossible to keep your footing.)

The tile work in the sidewalks is amazing.  Apparently, it stands up to the test of time as I could not find places where it had been repaired.

We then took the buses up to the top of the hill to visit the library at Coimbra University.  Founded in 1290 it is the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in the world. We went there to visit the Julianna Library, a place that looks like it was taken right out of Harry Potter.  While we were not allowed to take pictures inside, I found a couple photos online that showed what we were able to see in person.

The library has three rooms and contains more than 40,000 books from the 17th and 16th centuries.  All the trim is carved oak covered in gold leaf.  There are bats living in the library and have for more than 200 years.  Every night they cover the antique tables with leather covers, and in the morning they arrive to find them covered with bat droppings.  Good news is that the bats eat the insects that pose a threat to the facility and the books.  

We then went next door to a chapel which has a huge pipe organ mounted on the wall (that is far too big for the room it is in).  The king who built all this wanted everything done to excess as a source of pride and power.

Our next stop was lunch at a local restaurant.  We had a traditional meal that included tomato and cheese starter, either chicken with potatoes and cabbage, or a cod casserole dish.  The cabbage was really good.  While I ordered the chicken (which was good), they brought around the cod dish for us to try as dried cod is a favorite in Portuguese cuisine.  I gave it a try and it was alright, a lot like tuna-noodle casserole.

Between courses we were entertained by a trio of Portuguese musicians with a singer, a classical guitarist, and a person playing the 12-string Portuguese guitar.  They were extremely talented and a joy to listen to.

Following dinner and our concert we made the final 90-minute trip to our boat parked in Gaia, a town on the opposite side of the river from Porto.  It was amazing to watch our bus driver make his way down the steep narrow, winding roads to arrive at our vessel.

Our boat was rafted to another Viking boat so as we looked out our window we looked directly into the window of a cabin in the boat next door (their curtains were closed).  

We attended the captain's welcome aboard reception in the main lounge, then went downstairs for dinner.  After dinner, which lasted from 7:30 until after 9:00, we went up on the sun deck to view the lights of Porto and the bridge the town is most recognized for.

It is now 10:30 and it has been a very full day.  We sail tomorrow morning at 7 (we may or may not be awake for it), and then transit locks at 8:40 and 11:30 before arriving at our next port.

Boa noite!

Dinner Menu:  Shrimp cake, veal sirloin, cheese cake with berry sauce

Daily Step Count:  6,234 walking around Coimbra and the University