8th of November 2026 - Farewell to the Douro Valley

This is the last entry for my Douro cruise as today I flew back to England.  My memory of the Portuguese people will be how friendly they have been.

7th of November 2026 - Oporto

Our visit to Oporto started with a coach tour of the city finishing outside Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto) which is one of Oporto’s oldest and most important monuments.  The cathedral stands on a hilltop with a terrace overlooking the historic city centre and offering views over Oporto.

Built in the 12th century, the cathedral combines Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles reflecting centuries of additions and renovations.  The Gothic cloister is adorned with traditional blue and white azulejo tiles.

 

The cathedral has long been a landmark for pilgrims travelling the Camino de Santiago which is a network of historic pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  Pilgrims follow the famous yellow arrows and scallop shell symbols that mark the route through towns, countryside and forests.  The Camino de Santiago remains one of Europe's most popular long-distance pilgrimages which has been walked for centuries by travellers seeking spiritual, cultural or personal fulfilment,

 

São Bento Railway Station in Oporto is renowned for its magnificent entrance hall which is decorated with more than 20,000 blue-and-white azulejo tiles.  The panels depict important moments in Portuguese history which include battles, royal events and traditional rural life.

 

In the afternoon we walked past traditional flat-bottomed wooden boats moored along the Douro River called rabelos.  These boats were once used to transport barrels of port wine from the vineyards of the Douro Valley downstream to the wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia where the wine was aged and stored.

 

We took a tour of the cellars of the Calem port wine producers followed by, but of course, a tasting of both white and tawny ports.

6th of November 2026 - Lamego

The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is Lamego's most famous landmark and one of Portugal's most important pilgrimage sites.  It stands on the hill of Monte de Santo Estêvão, overlooking the town.

 

Afterwards we had free time in Lamego during which I took a picture of the Baroque staircase of 686 steps that connects the town centre to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.  This staircase is decorated with statues, fountains, obelisks and traditional Portuguese tiles.  Some of our party took on the challenge of walking down these steps however I went for the easy option of coming down Monte de Santo Estêvão by coach.

 

Lamego is the home of Portugal's sparkling wine espumante so we ended our morning visiting a local venue to sample this wine and also some local delicacies such as cured meats and corn bread.

5th of November 2026 - Mateus Palace

Mateus Palace, just outside Vila Real, is one of Portugal’s finest examples of Baroque architecture.  The palace is surrounded by manicured gardens, reflective ponds and wooded parkland.  Mateus Palace was built in the 18th century and remains partly owned by the descendants of the original family.  Although Mateus Palace is widely associated with Mateus Rosé wine, the wine and the palace are linked primarily through the use of the palace image on the bottle's label.

 

In the evening we were taken to the Quinta de Pacheca for dinner accompanied by their estate produced wine and port.

4th of November 2026 - Salamanca

Salamanca is dubbed as Spain’s golden city due to its glimmering sandstone.  The city has been Spain’s academic core for the prodigious Salamanca University founded by Alfonso IX of León in 1218 and is a UNESCO World Heritage city.  It was also bestowed the title of a European capital of culture in 2002.  Salamanca is situated in the Castilla y León region.

 

In Salamanca there are two connected cathedrals.  The old cathedral was built between 1140 and 1150 in Romanesque style.  Then in 1513 construction began on the much larger new cathedral in gothic style construction and it was finished in the 18th century.  The place where both cathedrals come together is known as Patio Chico and it is one of the loveliest sites in Salamanca.

 

We had lunch at the Salamanca Casino which was founded in 1858.  The Salamanca Casino is not a gambling casino in the modern sense and is better described as an historic social and cultural club.  During lunch we were treated to a flamenco show.