Wendy and Wayne Travelogue: Guimarães, Vinho Verde Region and Cruising

Sunday, August 13, 2023

The ship finally left the marina today!!!! But we were not on it. No...don't worry....we didn't "miss the boat". It actually set sail (set motor?) while we were off touring. Then we re-boarded in the afternoon at the new dock in Peso da Régua.

Here are the details of today's adventure:

We took about an hour bus ride to Guimarães (and if you guessed it; it s a UNESCO World Heritage site, you win!!). The city was settled in the 9th century, at which time it was called Vimaranes (over time, the "v" turned to a "g", the "n" was lost, and the pronunciation changed). It is best known as being the birthplace of the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Enriques. Though recent research has shown that this is probably not true, the legend lives on. Here is the (apocryphal) castle of his birth:

And here is a statue of the king. Notice anything strange about it?

Give up? Short-sleeved chain mail was definitely never in fashion! The story (per our guide) is that the town commissioned the statue at an agreed upon price with the sculptor. At some point, the town elders told the sculptor they could only afford to pay half. So the sculptor deviously made the sleeves shorter, and no one noticed until the statue was already in place.

We learned about more churches, the 17th century city hall and other fun facts. This town is not a major spot for tourists. That, plus the fact that it was a Sunday and many were in church, meant that the streets were practically empty.

We found another pastry shop, and this one had a new kind of treat.

Can you guess what is in it? We’re waiting…….

Spaghetti squash! Yeah….it tasted pretty much like you’d expect. But at least you get your vegetables and sweets at the same time!

The most beautiful sight in this town is the Igreja da São Gualter Church, built in the 17th century, and the beautiful garden (which stretches over 3 blocks) leading to it.

Here are photos looking toward the church, and then back the other way.

Then it was back on the bus for another hour and to the Aveleda Vineyard in the Vinho Verde region. "Vinho verde" (green wine) refers to the age of the grapes (young) , not necessarily their color. This vineyard has been in the same family for 6 generations, though the house was built in 1671! The property consists of a 25 acre garden surrounded by 500 acres of vines.

The garden was first developed in the late 1800s, and populated with trees and plants from all over the world, such as redwoods from the US, eucalyptus from Australia, and camellias from China. Of course it also has many native plants, such as cork trees (which they harvest).

There are chickens and roosters, peacocks and peahens wandering around, a man-made lake, statues, and fantastic overlooks.

An altar, where many family members have been married

Then it was inside to one of the usual over-the-top local lunches. First, a plate with cheese and sausage.

This was pared with a light white sparkling wine. Along the way, the wines became darker and had much more alcohol.

Next was kale and potato soup....with (of course) a sausage slice (but we forgot to take a picture...use your imagination).

Then, the main.....pork slices, roasted potatoes, and a cabbage slaw.

Pretty tasty (for those who enjoy pork, that is).

Then, a pear poached in port wine. Actually delicious!

To top it off (as if that wasn't enough), pasteis!! These were quite good.

After lunch, we headed to the boat, which was now docked in Peso da Régua. Once we were all on board, we set off again and a few minutes later we neared the Carrapatelo lock and dam. A note here: they build these river ships specifically so that they are as big (wide, high, and draft) as can be and still fit through the locks. As the boat nears, computers took over the steering to guide us in. There was about a 2" clearance on the sides, but we never bumped the walls.

This is the deepest lock in Europe - 115 feet. Once we were in, the rear door closed and we started to rise. You could barely feel it, and there was no sound from the thousands of gallons of water pouring in. It took about 15 minutes to get to the top. These boats are also designed so that the top deck structures can be hydraulically lowered...because many of the locks have a bridge across at the top! Those of us on the sundeck had to sit to avoid injury. here's how it all went: