I am lucky Shari researches Italy to learn about places worth visiting. We have seen most of the main sights in Italy in the last 19 years. But there are still some gems to visit. Some are NOT overwhelmed by tourists - something that can't be said of Venice, Rome, and Florence to name a few.

The first picture is of Teatro del Silenzio, the home of many of Andrea Bocelli's summer concerts. It was one of several stops on our wine tour.

The tour started where we stayed for two nights - Vicopisano which is shown in pictures 2-4. It is a hill town only 40 minutes by cab from Lucca, and close to Pisa.

Andrea was born in the village of Lajatico, very close to Vicopisano. Andrea has financed art throughout Lajatico as shown in the remaining pictures. Most was pretty, interesting, or clever like the building with the tree as well as it's root. These are but a sample of all the art.

 Porto and The Sorcerer’s Stone

Click on any photo you wish to enlarge

The city of Porto is not a walker-friendly city.  Most everywhere is up or down and the slopes are very steep for a city.  Much of it is picturesque, parts are medieval or renaissance, and the Douro River, it’s many bridges, and the river boats blend into an almost magical scene.  

We choose getting an overview of Porto via a Tuk Tuk.  We were surprised how rough the ride would be.  Tuk Tuks have almost no suspension, and most Porto streets are cobblestone.  

Sadly, pictures from a three wheeled vehicle are not easy.  Here are a few the camera caught.

This one is called Chapel of Souls 

The roofline caught my eye

After a week of fish everyday, I yearned for something not so healthy.  Other than it had a fried egg on it, it was just what my stomach desired.

While Shari read all the Harry Potter books, and I was one shy of a perfect record, neither of us knew that J.K. Rowling got much of her inspiration for Harry Potter in Porto, Portugal.  J.K. spent many a day in this bookstore.  People line up around the block everyday to be within the walls of this bookstore.  

Harry Potter Scholar

The designer definitely had a mind with much imagination.

We have seen many things during our travels, and photographing parts of our journeys has been very enjoyable.  Writing is time consuming and not easy for me.  It is time to retire from the blog.  Thank you to those who enjoyed it.  Hearing so encouraged me.  

 Douro Valley Port Wine Tour

Our last sampling of Portugal is in the north of the country.  Our home base was the city of Porto.  One of our first adventures was a wine tour to the Douro valley where port wine has been produced for several centuries.  It is one of the oldest types of wine made, and as most of you know it is much sweeter than most wines.  It is typically enjoyed after dinner, not before or during.

Many of the wine estates that make port are on the east side of mountain range between the City of Porto and the border with Spain.  There are several dams on the Douro River, so we traveled by small bus to the wineries.  Little land has seemed level in Portugal, and the north seems steeper and more mountainous.

This picture also is showing new plantings.  Often the grape vines live beyond 100 years but not forever.

We had tours at two wineries.  The first was at the small winery where they still stomp the grapes by foot (if you are a fan of I Love Lucy, you will recall Lucy and Ethel).  We arrived a day late and they were emptying the grape skins. 

Looks like a pretty messy business.  Below is our guide at the small winery.  We are in agreement that the Portuguese are easy on our eyes with their olive colored skin and their ability to add to their conversation with their hands as Italians do.

This young man explained how this huge grape growing area is a UNESCO site.   That means no pesticides or industrial fertilizers can be used and how adding irrigation water can only be done under severe drought with river water (not treated water).  Olive trees are typically part of the plants at a winery as they often make olive oil as well.  The trees also serve to hold the soil on the steep hillsides.  The rock of the area also has a purpose.  The schist rock adds minerals, holds heat, and the grape stakes here are of schist (black stakes).  We loved the rock work on the steep slopes where they grow their grapes.

At the very large winery tour, things like the vats where the initial processing occurs are very large - 100,000 gallons worth of port.

Their winery is mechanized so the space between rows of grapes are wider.  As with the small wineries, the land is terraced.

Part of our tour had us take a one hour boat tour along the Douro River.  I had hoped to take the river back to Porto, but the darn dams along the river limit boat passage.  

On our way back to Porto on the bus, we stopped at a viewpoint.  

I noticed in a shop window what might sum up the day:

While our guest house had little to do with the wineries, our special place in Porto, InPatio Guest House, reminds us of the small winery and the attention to the best of whatever is the subject (growing, environment, and safe  and healthy food).  The foods they presented to us were the best examples of Portuguese cuisine and all grown or raised in their country.  We have appreciated and enjoyed all of our accommodations, but this place was the best.

Not shown in the picture is the freshly squeezed orange juice moments before our arrival in the breakfast room, the freshly baked breads and croissants, and coffee as we like it.

 

 Nazare

Nah-Zah-RAY

We are making our way north to Porto, Portugal, and stopped for a day and half in Nazare, a coastal town famous for surfing.  After our great trip to Hawaii and 50% of our family considered surfers, we had to check it out.

At times of the year, the waves are 60-70 feet high and considered the largest in the surfing world.  The following picture was taken more than 70 feet above the sea level, so I guess the waves can jump as well.

Portuguese cuisine features a lot of seafood and there are lots of seafood restaurants in this town.  We ate at one of its best.  

To make a point of letting you know which fish you are about to eat, they bring the fish out on a platter and have you choose.  The fish is fresh caught and the staff are quite happy to display the fish.  I try not imagine our fish is looking at us and saying 'Not me'.  

After a great meal and good conversation with the wait staff, they generously offered an after dinner drink.  

The drink is a new one on us and is called Abafado and is excellent (tasting).  They gave us a couple extra rounds after kidding them about their generosity.  The size of the drinks reminds me to speak in favor of another small favorite of Portugal, the custard pastry called pastel de nata.  For us, it is the perfect size.

On our second day here, we woke to the peaceful sound of waves hitting the shoreline.  This is the view from our room.

This is a popular small town, so we are off heading to the upper portion of Nazare accessed by funicular.

Shortly after arriving at the top, we have our Labor Day picture taken.  

We were told at our hotel to use a Tuk Tuk (pronounced Tuke Tuke) to get around due the steepness of the terrain.  Unfortunately, the best we could do is stand close to one.  All were booked for the day.

We did see one of the world’s smallest churches.

And we had good views of the lower part of town where our hotel is.  Here are a couple

If you want to see the BIG waves, you need to come in the winter.  I can imagine the sound of the waves hitting the rocky part of the shore and the lighthouse.  I asked how fishermen dealt with the waves years ago.  Unlike the surfers, the fisherman were not thrilled and many lost their lives.

I’d like to think this sandcastle is a tribute to those taken by the sea.  

 Pena Palace

Remember that if you wish to see larger versions of the pictures, double click on the photo

In our lass post we explored a castle near the city center of Lisbon.  This latest installment is primarily about our tour of the Pena Palace in the nearby small and quaint town of Sintra.  

I’m sure you all know the difference between a castle and a palace.  Just in case you need a refresher, the main difference between a castle and a palace is the purpose of the building. While castles were built for defensive purposes, palaces were built to show off wealth. Castles have moats, peep-holes and cannons, while palaces have several rooms, priceless artwork and beautiful gardens. 

The Pena Palace is on a hilltop surrounded by forest land.  Access to it is a winding single lane road best accessed by bus as there is no parking at the palace.  We didn’t view the palace until we were within 100 yards of it.

We seemed to be climbing almost constantly, and no two views were alike which made you look forward to something new as we climbed.

We were lucky and had Ricardo as our guide.  He told us his regular job is actor and singer.  His acting talents showed in guiding us, and he treated us to his excellent singing voice on our bus.

The palace was originally a monastery.  After the earthquake of 1755, the royals rebuilt it as a summer palace.  Based on the appearance of the kitchen, they likely ate well.

One of the more amazing things Ricardo brought to our attention was the size of the beds in the 18th century.  They were not very long because the people of the day slept sitting up.  

Back in that time, most people were taught to believe ‘bad air’ was heavier than fresh air, thus the reason to elevate your head.  Some physicians recommended sleeping in an upright position to safely keep food in the pit of one’s stomach, the best location for digestion.

The several dozen rooms in the palace were often connected to each other, and certain rooms connected to ‘hallways’ that faced the inner courtyard.  The views from the hallways were to the inner courtyard and were eye catching.

There were multiple floors and multiple views.

After the tour of the palace, those over the age of 70 were given the chance to ride back down to our big greyhound-type bus.  We happily took advantage and enjoyed the short but quick ride with fellow travelers.  We were all smiles.

There was another notable event on the tour.  I would guess many of you think Wales or Ireland would be the westernmost point of the continent of Europe.  Actually, it is Cabo da Roca (Cape Rock).  It is located at the same latitude as New York City.  This is our closest point to home while we are across the pond.