At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.
Okay folks, with Lisbon in the rear view mirror (thank god) we’re in the most relaxing, pristine and beautiful city of Portugal : Porto .
We had only 9 hours ashore, so we were moving fast. No time to waste on a bus with slow-moving-geezer-boat-people, no time to walk around aimlessly………the local bus 507 to the downtown port wine capital of the world Vila Nova de Gaia was in order……..with changes to bus #900 and 903…..no problem!
There we hopped on a Rabelo boat and cruised down the Douro River, where mile after mile of vineyards line the steep hills and quaint villages line the banks of the river, clinging to the almost vertical slopes. (The Rabelo boats were used for transporting the products from the farms of the Douro for centuries and became a trademark of the region). Picture us sipping fabulous Port under clear blue skies without a care in the world. I had to pinch myself to make sure it’s real. On this little voyage down the Douro, the River of Gold, I found that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
We briefly docked at a quaint, rustic town where wine has been produced for thousands of years and, according to our “guide”, is the oldest wine region in the world. “That’s right”, he said, “It’s not the Chianti in Italy, nor the Rhine/Mosel of Germany that can lay claim to this honor.”
Because of my international press pass, we were invited to numerous cellars, including the best and most glorious cellars of Taylor, perched high above the Douro River. There, we were introduced to the many different types: White, 10-year old, 20-year old and 40 year-old Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage, and Premium Ruby. All were paired with assorted hors d’oeuvres from tuna on toast, pineapple wrapped in smoked ham, prawn kebabs and rabbit pasty. I skipped the octopus, thank you very much!.....and yep, we bought 2 small bottles of 20 year old Vintage!
I was amazed to see that none of the latest wine making equipment is used here. Instead the wine industry is much the way it was hundreds of years ago. Yet, in spite of it, or because of it, vintage Port from the Douro Valley is the best port in the world.
Carrying our purchases, we took bus 903 and 507 back to the harbor and wobbled to the ship in time for more drinking and happiness. I ran into some friends on the back deck and they too were in a festive mood singing:
Well it's all for me grog, me jolly jolly grog
It's all for me beer and tobacco
for I spent all me tin with the lassies drinking gin
Far across the western ocean I must wander.
It's all for me beer and tobacco
for I spent all me tin with the lassies drinking gin
Far across the western ocean I must wander.
Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.