There are two things travelers must bring along on every trip—a sense of humor and resilience, because sometimes, maybe even often, things do not go to plan. That’s where a sense of humor comes in handy. This was the case one Sunday in Portugal on what was to be our longest driving day– from Evora in the Alentejo, to the mountains above the Douro River in the north of Portugal, with a stop at the Shrine of Fatima. I had wanted to visit Fatima for a long time and since it was right off the freeway, we thought this was a perfect plan.
It was time to leave the beautiful Alentejo in Portugal’s southwest and head north to the Douro Valley.
We did not get an early start, which is no surprise to anyone who knows us, but instead enjoyed a delicious, and leisurely, last breakfast at Convento do Espinheiro before setting off for the Douro Valley.
Each year the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima welcomes more than 4 million pilgrims.
Imagine our surprise when two and half hours hours later we turned off the freeway heading for Fatima and were greeted by plenty of police and even more motorcyclists– thousands of them. Many of the roads leading to the Shrine were closed and everywhere we looked there were motorcyclists—young, old, families, even dogs—all on two wheels.
Apparently everyone in Portugal, with the notable exception of these two visiting Americans, knew there was a special mass for motorcyclists that day at the Shrine of Fatima. After spending about an hour in the traffic jam, we realized there was no possible way we could visit that day. We very sensibly decided to come back on a weekday on our return to Lisbon. I wish I had taken photos of all those motorcyclists but didn’t want to risk offending anyone and there was no possibility of a speedy getaway. On our return visit, things were decidedly quieter.
On Oct. 13 each year nearly hundreds of thousands crowd this immense plaza to celebrate the anniversary of the apparition. On the day we visited, a week after our first attempt, there were very few visitors.
Turns out the plaza at Fatima between the basilica and the chapel can accommodate 1 million people– as it did when Pope John Paul II visited in 1987—and we imagined that nearly as many motorcyclists had made the pilgrimage that Sunday morning, too.
The open air Chapel of the Apparition was built on the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to the children.
Each year the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima welcomes more than 4 million people. When we returned on a Tuesday afternoon a week later, there were no motorcyclists in sight and relatively few visitors. It could have been the 114 degree heat that kept people away.
Many visitors light candles at the shrine and pray for intentions and interventions.
We visited the beautiful basilica and the Chapel of the Apparition where nuns recited the rosary in numerous languages. We also took the time to light a few candles, which were available for sale at the shop and ranged in size from standard to enormous. Some were bigger than my arm!
There is a full schedule of masses, reciting the rosary and confessions offered every day.
It was so terribly hot, and since there was no shade on the plaza, we chose not to cross it to see the enormous rosaries and crucifix on the other side. That will have to wait for another visit. But now, back to our journey to the beautiful Douro Valley—
We enjoyed the drive from the Alentejo in the south to the Douro Valley in the north of Portugal. Be sure your rental car comes equipped with the Portuguese version of the Fast Pass.
Back to the freeway and on to our pousada we went, over winding mountain roads and bridges, through tunnels, and burned out forested areas. The main roads in Portugal are well- paved and well-marked. Smaller side roads are a little bit trickier, but we never had trouble finding our way even out in the countryside. We ate our picnic lunch in the car to save time and arrived in Alijo about three and a half hours later. It had been a long day.
Scenic mountain roads took us north to the vineyards of the Douro Valley.
When we finally arrived at the Palacete Alijo, the first thing we noticed was the laundry hanging out to dry on the balconies. Inside, the pousada didn’t come close to living up to the photos we’d seen online. Perhaps someone had carefully cropped out the propane tanks next door and the rust marks surrounding the pool.
Sadly, this pousada in Alijo didn’t live up to expectations and we left without staying.
The website’s images didn’t deliver an accurate portrayal of the property. This was the view from the room we were meant to have.
The website indicated the place was part of the well-respected Pestana Group. The friendly front desk clerk told us that it hadn’t been for nearly five years and offered us a “welcome” drink. He also mentioned that the air conditioner was broken, brought up a few other housekeeping issues and again offered a welcome drink. We had planned to stay for four nights but after seeing the accommodations, we turned down the drink and summoned up Trip Advisor on our phones.
This was the splendid view across the river to Pesa de Regua from our room at the Vila Gale Douro.
Vila Gale (a hotel group popular in Portugal and Spain) had a river view room available for two nights in the town of Peso de Regua, right on the Douro River. Back to the car we went, grateful we hadn’t brought our bags inside—we never do until after we’ve seen the room. After another hour of driving, this time in the dark through the winding mountain roads, and did I mention it was raining?—we arrived at the Vila Gale Douro.
The Vila Gale Douro, part of a popular group of hotels in Portugal and Spain, is well- located across the river from Peso de Regua.
While my husband parked the rental car in the garage, I went to the hotel’s restaurant to secure a table before they closed. It was 10:30 p.m. at this point and we were really hungry. I thought I was imagining things when I my heard my name called out and turned to find two dear friends from home finishing their dinners. Had we not changed our hotel, we would never have had the chance to spend time with them. We agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning.
Our Vila Gale room was large, comfortable and contemporary and had terrific views from the private balcony.
It was lovely to wake up to this beautiful view from our balcony.
Portuguese wine aficionados know that the steep terraced hillsides of the Douro Valley are home to numerous well-regarded producers of table wines and of course, port. Our friends were free in the morning but had to return to Porto in the afternoon. We agreed that a visit to a nearby winery would be the perfect outing.
We spent a fun and informative morning with our friends at Quinta do Vallado.
Grapes grow seemingly everywhere on the Douro Valley’s steep hillsides.
Like the wineries in the Alentejo, you must make reservations to tour and taste in the Douro Valley. My husband had his heart set on a visit to Quinta do Vallado but when he telephoned, was told that the morning’s English- speaking tour was already full. With the help of our front desk clerk, we secured four spots.
Quinta do Vallado is a highly regarded producer of Douro wines and port. They also have a small hotel on property.
The winery is located high up on the terraced hillside across the river from where we were staying, just about a 10- minute drive away. One of the oldest in the Douro Valley, the winery celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2016. Once owned by Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira (of the Ferreira Port family), production was geared towards port for the company’s first 200 plus years. In 1993, they decided to restructure and expand into producing Quinta do Vallado label table wines and in 2009 construction on the new winery was completed.
Our tour began in the vineyards where some grapes had already been harvested.
We followed our guide from the vineyards, through the production facilities, and into the cellars, as she explained each stage of wine making to the group in English. Tours are also given in Portuguese several times daily. We always ask if English tours are available, though rather than miss out, we’ve taken some in Italian, French and Portuguese at numerous places.
Our knowledgeable tour guide explained the wine making process in detail– and in English.
We saw everything from the grapes growing, to high tech, temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, to the traditional granite legares in which grapes are crushed by foot, to the cellars where the barrels are stored and wines are aged before they’re bottled.
We saw state of the art temperature controlled stainless steel tanks…
…and traditional granite legares where grapes for port are crushed by foot.
Antique barriques are still in use.
New French oak barrels are also used, depending on the kind of wine they’re aging.
After the very informative tour, we all gathered around a communal table and tasted Quinta do Vallado’s wonderful wines, working our way from crisp whites to delicious ports. Many of us made purchases in the quinta’s well-stocked shop.
After our tour we gathered around for a wonderful wine tasting.
During the tasting, we sampled crisp whites, full-bodied reds and finally, ports.
The well-stocked shop beckoned many of the visitors, including our friends and ourselves.
Though we were not able to tour it, Quinta do Vallado has a small hotel on property with 13 rooms—five in the manor house built in 1733, and eight in the modern wing constructed in 2012.
The roads in the Douro are narrow and winding but exceptionally scenic.
There were two things we planned to do in the Douro—wine taste and take a boat ride. After saying goodbye to our friends at the winery, we headed to Pinhao to check out the river cruise options.
The Douro has been used to transport people, port and other products down river to Porto for centuries.
The Douro River meanders from Spain through the heart of northern Portugal down to Porto where it empties into the sea. For centuries, port wine has been transported by boat down river to the city that shares its name with the wine. Day trippers from Porto, cruise boats from lines like AmaWaterways and Viking, private pleasure craft, and charter boats large and small ply the waters of the Douro River. Getting out on the river sounded like a perfect plan on that hot day.
Tourism is big business in the small town of Pinhao.
Pinhao is a small town seemingly fully committed to the tourist trade. There are souvenir shops everywhere and numerous choices for boat rides on the river. A one-hour ride was 10 euro from any of the vendors. We chose our boat based on schedule. They all come and go from the same place and follow a similar route.
River boats all leave from the same place and follow similar routes. Schedules differ but pricing does not. 10 Euro is typical for a one-hour boat ride.
Once aboard, you’ll learn all about the port trade and see many well-known names as you pass by the quintas. We had a delightful time and enjoyed chatting with newlyweds from the Netherlands and a Spanish couple. It was a relaxing and informative hour that passed in a heartbeat. We wished we’d opted for a longer ride.
Our convivial group included newlyweds from the Netherlands and a couple from Spain.
Bridges large and small cross the Douro.
Hillsides, which reminded us of California, are dotted with wineries.
You’ll see quintas with familiar names like Croft along with others that have been producing wine for centuries here.
Our journey was so peaceful and enjoyable we wished we’d booked a longer trip. Next time!
After our boat ride, we walked over to the historic Pinhao train station, which has been in service since 1880. The station is notable for its lovely azulejos—the blue and white tiles for which Portugal is famous.
Trains have been transporting travelers to and from the Pinhao station since 1880.
The station is known for its azulejos– the stunning blue and white tiles famous throughout Portugal.
These particular azulejos tell the story of the port trade in 25 large panels that were installed in 1937. There is also a café and shop in the station perfect for a coffee, glass of wine or edible souvenirs.
Pinhao’s 25 panels tell the story of the port trade.
The azulejos were installed in 1937.
The shop inside the station is a pleasant place for a coffee, glass of wine or a snack.
After a leisurely stroll through town and a stop for ice cream and souvenir shopping, we headed back to Pesa de Regua and dinner.
This former industrial building has a new life as home to shops and restaurants.
Just across the bridge from our hotel is a renovated industrial building on R. Jose de Vasques that now houses several restaurants and shops.
Picnic provisions and edible souvenirs are available here.
The contemporary dining room at Castas e Pratos was full on the Monday night we ate here.
We browsed a bit and then headed to Castas e Pratos for our meal. Part wine bar, wine shop, and restaurant, the place was buzzing when we arrived. We were glad we had a reservation upstairs in the airy and modern dining room.
Our starter was a plate of succulent scallops in a rich pea puree.
The tender veal medallions in roquefort sauce was served with a delicious wild mushroom risotto.
Larger parties were sharing dishes like this “Duck Rice”– a local specialty. It looked and smelled divine.
The menu has something for most tastes and includes fish, meat and vegetarian options.
Wines from all over Portugal were featured on the extensive wine list.
We started with a refreshing sparkling rose and ended with a nice tawny port.
Castas e Pratos has an extensive wine list featuring wines from the Douro and as well as all of the other wine producing areas of Portugal. Service was attentive and friendly and we enjoyed every bite of our meal from the scallop starter through desert. Happy and full, we returned to the Vila Gale to plan our next day’s adventure.