After a fall sabbatical for baby Kate's birth, I am back on the road again. This time to Portugal on an Escapade Vacations Fam. For those of you unfamiliar to my other trips, a Fam is offered to travel agents to familiarize them with a destination. Having only been to Lisbon previously, I was excited to see the Douro region of Portugal with it's wonderful port wine country as well as other historical sites in central and southern Portugal
The flight to Porto was an easy 6-hr nonstop from Newark. After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, the Infante de Sagres, a lovely boutique property filled with beautiful antiques, I was refreshed and ready to explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. As you can tell from my photos, it was a gorgeous sunny morning – perfect for photos and exploring. Passing quaint buildings covered with unique tiles for which Portugal is famous, I walked down cobblestone streets to the Douro River. Beautiful old houses cling to the hills sloping down to the river and sidewalk cafes dot the quay. I could have spent several hours here sipping a cafe com leite (Portuguese for Starbucks latte), but it was time to grab a quick lunch and head back to the hotel.
No rest for the weary – the afternoon included a tour of the famous sites of the city. First stop was a visit to the Casa da Musica, Portugal's most famous concert hall designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. There were many similarities for me to the Sydney Opera House and just as interesting.From there we continued on to the 19th-centry Stock Exchange Palace. Again, fascinating due to the beautiful antiques and architecture. The tour concluded with a brief visit to the Lello bookshop, an exquisite landmark in the neo-Gothic style dating back to the early 1900's.
Our first day ended with a Welcome Dinner at the Pousada do Freixo at 8pm (2am Austin time.)! I had not been in bed since 3:45am Monday morning so I was definitely ready for the comfortable bed awaiting me in my room. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow!
We leave at 9am tomorrow morning for a full day in the port wine region. First tasting is at 10am!
Linda
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