We made a couple of stops on our way to our final lodging. Amarante was a quaint little town that is often called “the city of love”. I would agree the old town section was romantic with the majestic Serra do Marão mountain range rising above the town and the river Tâmega flowing through the heart of Amarante,…plus the colorful tiny houses lining the banks of the river. Feels just like you’re looking at a painting. But my favorite feature was the sturdy bridge built over the river back in the 13th century by a Benedictine monk who today remain’s the town’s patron saint. We walked around in the rain, descending down to the river to get pics of the interesting bridge…and we visited a small souvenir stand when we got bank to the Main Street. I was embarrassed and shocked by the numerous magnets, statues, cookies, etc in the shape of the male sex organ. I’m not joking…. They were everywhere …I guess as a reminder you visited the “city of love”.
Warning….When you order Hot Chocolate here, be prepared for a cup of melted dark chocolate…no milk or water added!

Next Stop was Vila Real (the Royal Village). Here we visited Casa de Mateus …again in the rain☔️….a palace built in 1744. Surely you remember…or maybe not…Mateus wine…a basic for parties in the 60s. The home has a “storybook” affect when you first see it. It was passed down through the generations. The original families would have made profit from the land by taking a percentage cut of the agriculture (whatever was farmed there). The gardens are very impressive.

And then for our grand finale…we arrive at Quinta da Pacheca in the heart of the Douro Valley…wine country. This estate is one of the best in the Douro region and one of the first properties to bottle wine under its own label….Since 1738. Our individual room was a giant wine barrel overlooking the vineyards. How cool is that? The back of the barrel (the round bed faces) is all glass. Don’t worry there’s a curtain for privacy should you choose to shut out the beauty. AND, to top off the experience, you get a visit most days from the estate peacocks. There’s a spa and thermal swimming pool with a couple of pressure waterfalls and a unique whirlpool..as well as a sauna & Turkish bath. If you can’t get relaxed here, you’re in trouble. The onsite restaurant has an excellent chef with unique presentations. And, of course, there’s an abundance of their famous wines. This winery estate is by all definitions….a relaxing, luxury experience.

Our journey back to Lisbon included a stop the Ruins at Conimbriga. This was a town inhabited long before the Romans. The oldest remains are fragments of pottery dated back to the Late Bronze Age (around 1000 BC). It was hard to believe they have preserved the mosaic floors of the homes from the 2nd Century so well. They are still digging up more homes. Very impressive.

We also visited the small town of Alcobacha…famous for its Monastery. The huge abbey was built be the first king of Portugal in 1153. It became UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989 as a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.

Home tomorrow…been a great adventure, but ready for my Mexican food fix😜