Hello everyone :)
It's time for a new trip
Back to the Douro, this time to see up close the famous landscapes of the Douro Vinheteiro, the oldest wine region in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The last visit felt so good, that this time we took a two-day getaway to be able to explore this region more and visit several places that i will talk about here, but later on.
Upon arrival, we immediately had to stop to enjoy the landscape, i still say it's incredible and i could spend hours contemplating these little steps of vines.
We opted to leave the highway and take the national road, this is the only way to find viewpoints and villages and it is the best way to get to know any place.
Turn off the GPS and let the road guide you.
We found, just ahead, some local residents sulphating the vines, something i haven't seen for a long time.
When i was a kid, my grandparents had a piece of land where they had vines (but nothing of this size) and the treatment was done with a kind of barrel with a hose and that product was spread to protect the grapes from pests.
In September the whole family got together for the harvest, we picked the grapes which then went to the press, then the men went inside to step on them, but the kids all went too.
I remember that after the steps were taken, they placed a lid so that the wine could ferment until it was ready, but before that, some of the wine was removed and bottled and tasted before fermentation, the so-called sweet wine.
And this is what is sought after in this region in the months of September and October, the experience is unique and the treading of the grapes is the highlight of the entire harvest, and after treading it is possible to taste a little of the "must", which is the first wine show.
We continue walking side by side with the river, and on the other side we see the train that connects Régua to Tua, loaded with tourists, all with their machines outside the window taking pictures of everything in sight.
But this trip is not an ordinary trip, we are talking about a 1925 steam locomotive with 5 carriages and that whistle that takes us back in time. Inside the train there is entertainment with music groups and songs from the region and of course, as it should be, a Port wine tasting.
The motorcycle trip must be even more incredible, that must be why we passed by so many motorcyclists who made hand signals to each other.
We went up and down the slopes and in each one of them it was possible to find farms, small towns with half a dozen houses and in one of them we saw a scroll on top of a plot of land resting on the roof of a small storage room facing the river.
Brutal! It shouldn't take much more to spend a good time there and with a privileged view.
At this time of year the visit is still beautiful but there are two times when the Douro is in all its splendor, September and October when the vines are loaded and when the harvest takes place, and in March when the almond trees burst into bloom .
It is beautiful to walk through the streets and see the trees full of flowers.
I was there as a kid too, and now that i think about it, i've really had the opportunity to visit many amazing places in this country.
To do this road trip, you really need to have a means of transport (car, motorbike or even motorhome).
We took the opportunity to stay overnight in a small village (Aldeia de Santo Xisto) in one of the oldest parishes in Régua, the parish of Vilarinho de Freires.
I believe that the policy here is to toast visitors with wine, as it was something that was offered to us upon check-in, and that tasted good :)
At dinner time, we take the opportunity to return to the pedestrian bridge of Peso da Régua, the view from the bridge at night is equally beautiful but without the bustle of boats and people that we witness during the day. At the end of the bridge, you can find "O Torrão" Restaurant.
The art of good service extends to all of our Portugal, but in fact to eat well you must visit the North and Interior North.
The next day we continued our journey and went to a nearby town, but not before saying goodbye to the national 222. We visited Pinhão where we could observe the departure of the train and the arrival of cruise ships, but that visit will be left for a next article.
That's all for today, i hope you enjoyed this post :)
Photo by
Camera - Canon EOS 600D
Lens - EFS 18-55mm / 70-300mm
Location - Portugal
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Always remember:
Value your time, because every fraction counts, and the price of anything is the amount of life you trade for it.
May the memories of the travels be eternalized in the photographs, and may the photographs transport us back to the travels ;)