Reported by Serge Barret. Photos Alain Parinet.
The afternoon is drawing to a close, and the torpor that bathes the Upper Douro Valley in north-east Portugal is fading a little. So, without rushing too much, life resumes in the large village of Pinhao, slumbering on the right bank of the river. Including for this group of business tourists who, at the aperitif hour, take part in a wine tasting - not just of Porto, but also of the red and white wines of the region - under the pergola of the Vintage House Hotel overlooking the green waters of the great river.
This is the first, but there will be many more to comeand tastings. Pinhao is the starting point for countless excursions by land and river, and tomorrow they'll be boarding the Douro Serenity, a cruise boat that will sail up the river to the Spanish border. With plenty of uncorked bottles, entertainment, Portuguese gastronomy, fado evenings and cultural excursions... Exactly the same as on traditional sea cruises. The difference is that, in this case, you can almost touch the landscape from the boat.
But before that, the programme included a short visit to Pinhao to make first contact with the world of Portugal, more or less frozen in time. Cobbled pavements, low white houses, sash windows and small panes, and above all, the ubiquitous azulejos, the earthenware tiles painted mostly in shades of blue that are one of the country's signatures. In Pinhao, it's these tiles that draw the crowds. They are superb, covering the outside walls of the little station right down to the platform, and tell the story of the ancient tribulations of Port wine in 24 paintings. From the cultivation of the vines on the hillsides to the arrival of the barrels in the capital of northern Portugal, 200 km below.
Cute, charming, deliciously old-fashionedThese are the words that best describe the tiny building, which probably wouldn't have looked out of place in a comic strip. There are three decorative barrels, an old pendulum clock and a couple of weathered wooden benches in an immaculately white hall. It's a vintage jewel run by a perfectly relaxed stationmaster, who blows his whistle. This station and a few wine houses make up most of the town's heritage treasures.
For the rest, it's the light-hearted atmosphere of a Portuguese village the atmosphere and the landscape; all those hillsides climbed by vines on the other side of the river; the cruise boats and some very freely reinterpreted reproductions of barcos rabelos, flat-bottomed boats with square sails that used to transport wine to the Port wine cellars. Now used exclusively for cruising tourists for an hour or two, they can be hired out for private parties of up to fifty people.
Early in the morning, board the Douro Serenity, an 80-metre ice-brown vessel launched in 2017. Purpose of the cruise: up the river the time for a day's sailing to Barca de Alva, a village straddling the Portuguese-Spanish border. On board, picture windows replace the sides of the ship, while the sun deck covering the entire top deck houses - and there's plenty of room - a swimming pool and cafeteria, as well as an armada of deckchairs. The other three decks are reserved for the lounge and bar, the restaurant, a tiny fitness room and, above all, 63 very comfortable cabins open to the outside world. A five-star floating hotel that cruises up and down one of the most beautiful valleys in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
Royal calm
The engine zooms along gently, the ship glides along the green waters of the river without the slightest roll, and the fish eagles watch from their nests woven low in the water as the fish unconsciously frolic and circle. The calm is royal. The valley, with its tiered terraces carved into the schist, is simply sublime. It's as if, year after year, century after century, mankind has had fun carving out contours to emphasise the gradient. The vines are everywhere, punctuated only by white quintas, noble houses housing the wineries where the grapes will be pressed at the end of the summer. In the meantime, work continues apace. Never quite finished, never quite perfect, task after task as the seasons go by. So we tend, we pick, we prune, we tie up and we strip off the leaves until the harvest, the reward for so much effort, which we don't fail to celebrate in song. As it should be.
The vine and its cycles are the subject of lectures on board. There's never a dull moment on this river cruise. Firstly, as you contemplate an ever-changing landscapeSometimes it's skirting the crumbling rocks on the banks of the river, sometimes it's skirting wide fields of poppies and almond trees, and sometimes it's passing a sleepy village. Then there are the wine tastings... those organised in the cellars of the quintas scattered across the hills, but also those offered on board and remarkably conducted by an oenologist. Then there are the nostalgic fado evenings, as well as a number of cultural excursions organised to sites not too far away.
In this respect, you'll be well served, the region is rich in history and heritage. And that's what you'll discover if you choose to continue the journey to Porto by bus, along a schoolchildren's route of around 200 km. Deep inland, vineyard follows vineyard, hill follows hill, the road twists and turns through tiny villages before plunging decisively into Portugal's history. Marialva, for example. Home to just thirty or so inhabitants, Casa do Côro is an atypical luxury hotel built in a hippie-chic style - very chic, in fact - in a dozen old houses overlooking the grey roofs of the old village.
These are the remains of a fortified village, the first stones of which were laid in the 4th century AD.e and Ve centuries, then rebuilt at the time of the Christian reconquest of the Arab world in the 12th century.e and XIIIe centuries. A fascinating guided tour of the site tells the story of the lives lived there. From the great fairs of the Middle Ages to the sinister pillory of the XVIth century, the site is the setting for a fascinating guided tour.ethe cross of the XVe to the court and prison of the XIXefrom the ancient cistern to the school of the 20th centurye, it's all there, written in stoneIt's not exactly unspoilt, but that's precisely what makes it so charming. The backdrop is a 360° view of the shimmering plain, its vineyards, olive groves and almond fields, which can be explored in all-terrain vehicles provided by the hotel, or even by bicycle for the more courageous.
30,000 years back in time
For a more radical step back in time, you need to immerse yourself in the origins of mankind, in other words, go back 30,000 years, when Paleolithic man engraved his emotions on rock. Nova de Foz Côa is just a few kilometres away. In itself, the story of the site is not an ordinary one, since it was the source of an international scandal in 1990.
At the time, there was much talk of building a dam on the River Côa, a tributary of the Douro. Work on the project was well underway when archaeologists discovered a number of rock engravings in the open air, which had hitherto been unknown except to a few local shepherds and farmers, who were no doubt not very interested in prehistory. The scientists cried haro There was even talk of moving the engravings upstream. At one point, there was even talk of moving the engravings covering 17 km of the site upstream, otherwise destined to be engulfed.
Controversy raged until 1996, when the decision was taken to simply halt the construction project. Today, the site is a World Heritage Site and one of the must-sees in northern Portugal. You can visit it in a 4×4, always accompanied by a guide who usually works in the blazing heat, with temperatures well over 40°C in summer. This tour is complemented by a visit to a perfectly designed museum located at the top of a hill overlooking the Douro valley. You can even have lunch there, preferably with traditional Portuguese dishes - cod, for example - before crossing the river again. This evening, you can dine by candlelight at the Count's table in his village of Provescende.
And what a table! And what a house! A 17th century manor housee There are adjoining rooms, red, yellow and blue ceilings in the colours of the coat of arms, reception rooms and lounges furnished in period style with piano, sofa, portraits of ancestors and a host of knick-knacks. Then it's time for dinner. We tried some very light Portuguese cuisine and, above all, after the traditional port served as an aperitif, we tasted the white and red wines produced by the house, Morgadio da Calçada. Dinner is very cheerful, Monsieur le Comte has no manners and Madame, of Brazilian origin, sets the mood by recounting in great detail her terror of the ghosts who live there. Exclusive groups can even sleep in the eight ultra-pure, almost monastic rooms - white walls and waxed concrete bathrooms - that occupy one side of the house.
Film set
Early the next morning, Manuel Villas-Boas takes visitors on a tour of his historic village of Provesende. Not many people there yet, but a real film setIt's the perfect setting for a central square featuring all the must-sees of rural life in Portugal: a baroque church and fountain, a café with a hard-of-hearing ancestral landlady, a pillory, but above all, a bakery straight out of the 1950s with Formica, faded paint and a baker in action who doesn't mind visitors. In fact, some of the customers happily walk through the door into the bakery to order directly from the craftsman... at 10 o'clock on the dot, the place is packed with people, everyone lingering to exchange a few words of news, probably the same as yesterday, but it doesn't matter. Outside, seated on the public bench, three grandfathers with their caps crossed on their canes have taken up their strategic quarters for the day.
These scenes can be found just about everywhere as you drive back to Oporto via the Douro valley and its hills, taking a cultural break here - there's plenty to do - and a gastronomic break thereThere's plenty to do too. First stop: Lamego, on the left bank of the river. Lamego and its monumental staircase, begun in the XVIIIe and completed in... 1966. In fact, it's a Baroque structure with 618 steps and a double ramp, similar to the much more touristy Bom Jesus, near Braga, although a little more modest in its decorative overload. But it doesn't matter, you climb the whole thing in a simulacrum of an ascent to heaven, especially as at the top, the Santuario Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, a church with a baroque façade, awaits pilgrims. As well as rare tapestries, there are some fabulous examples of Baroque chapels brought here from the convent of Chagas de Lamego before it was demolished.
Then the road crosses the Douro, still corseted by its vineyards, and passes again on its right bank to reach Amarante, which can be summed up as a church, a river - the Tâmega, with its river beach and pedalos - a stone bridge where Portuguese and Napoleonic troops once clashed, a luxury historic hotel with a starred restaurant and a few narrow streets lined with 17th century houses.e The whole complex is extremely compact and can be visited in barely an hour. But how romantic are these walls! There's a lot of laughter too, especially in the taverns where the vinho verde, a young wine with very little alcohol, is drunk like a bowl of cider and generously shared with passing strangers. The same goes for the tea rooms, where, among other delights and with a great deal of humour, they serve pastries with all the attributes of the male sex. Why is this? Because the tomb of Saint Gonçalo is located inside the 16th-century church of the same name.e and that this saint is that of 'old maids' who haven't given up, who are looking for marriage and, above all, children. In case they haven't grasped the whys and wherefores, the message is mischievously educational.
Porto, the ultimate goal of this journey by boat and bus through the Douro valley, is barely an hour away. Not very far, certainly, but in stark contrast to the gentle way of life that is generally the norm in Portugal, the city has an industrious vibrancy. The grey granite of the streets of Porto has a cheeky quality about it. And colour too, particularly in the narrow streets of the historic Ribeira district - a UNESCO World Heritage site - which cascade down under the famous bridge built by one of Eiffel's associates, Théophile Seyrig, and now a symbol of the city. These narrow streets are not averse to hanging washing in the windows or potted flowers on the pavement. Once in danger of ruin, this district is gradually being rehabilitated. But it is not, as is often the case elsewhere, overrun by the bohemian bourgeoisie, at least not yet. So it retains its working-class authenticity, with residents who wouldn't dream of moving a few hundred metres.
Tawny or ruby
Industrious Porto was once extremely wealthy, as witnessed by its churches overflowing with gold brought back from BrazilThe city was also the financial capital of Portugal until 1996, when it was transferred to Lisbon. But it was also an artistic and literary capital. This is certainly true of its many cafés, such as the Majestic and the Guarany, as well as an incredible Art Nouveau bookshop, the Lello e Irmao bookshop, which is unfortunately overrun by too many tourists - you even have to pay an entrance fee to get through the door - and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the world.
To round off the visit in style, there's a visit to the wineries - Cruz, Sandeman and Taylor's - lined up along the quay on the left bank of the Douro. Of the 36 in all, Graham's is the one to choose. Because of its location, on the top of the hill, it enjoys an unrivalled view of the Douro. exceptional view of the river and the town below. What's more, the site is extended by a former wine storehouse that has been completely refurbished and transformed into a gourmet restaurant. As an aperitif, after an edifying visit - you learn, if you don't already know, what ruby or tawny, vintage or vintage, 10, 20 or 40 year old wines are... - comes, surprise-surprise, a tasting!
