John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Day 6
Today we will spend the day driving through the beautiful Douro Valley.[i] We will visit a winery, this time for a tasting of wine rather than port. We will have time for lunch in the town of Peso da Regua.[ii] We will view the beautiful scenery and grape-growing terraces, returning to the hotel in the late afternoon.

[i] By no stretch of the imagination did we “spend the day driving through the beautiful Douro Valley.” Out of a journey of 171 miles in total, we drove through the Douro Valley for some 15 miles!
[ii] We had lunch across the Douro River from the winery, in Pinhão, and only passed by Peso da Regua when we crossed the Douro River to return to the motorway.

Today’s route as plotted on Google Maps

Janet wrote: “We both slept. I had maybe seven hours — ‘OK!’[iii] [It felt] less claustrophobic as the air conditioning was off and the window open. I was up ca.7am. We washed[iv] and dressed and went for breakfast. At 8.30am we were off on the coach to the Douro Valley. It was already quite hot and sunny. We stopped around an hour later for a ‘comfort break’. [John] had a coffee, but I decided not to drink anything as it was going to be at least two hours before we’d be able to use a loo again. Then after ½-hour, we resumed our journey.” Most of the ca.80-mile journey was westwards along the A4 motorway, with some spectacular viaducts, especially the 2½-mile-long Corgo Viaduct, and a 3½-mile-long tunnel, Portugal’s longest and the Iberian Peninsula’s third longest. The thing that amused me about this, the Marão Tunnel, was passing an “end of tunnel” advisory sign as we left it — as if one couldn’t tell, just by keeping one’s eyes open, that we’d done so!

[iii] “OK!” means: “Seven hours’ sleep was more or less adequate; eight would have been better.”
[iv] It’s my practice to shower in the morning, and this morning was no exception.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 09:56:00
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway


Friday 21 September 2018 — 09:59:12
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway


Friday 21 September 2018 — 09:59:52
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway: the other gallery of the Marão Tunnel


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:03:20
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway: in the Marão Tunnel


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:09:44
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:12:28
Views from the coach, on the A4 motorway: on the Corgo Viaduct

After that we continued westwards, before winding southwards down to the Douro Valley.


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:36:18
Views from the coach, winding southwards down to the Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:40:46
Views from the coach, winding southwards down to the Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:41:48
Views from the coach, winding southwards down to the Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 10:47:38
Views from the coach, winding southwards down to the Douro Valley: descending to Pinhão at the confluence of the Pinhão and Douro Rivers

Crossing the Douro River at Pinhão we partly ascended the mountain on the opposite side, and stopped to take in the view, and to sample some of the port wine grapes growing there: black with a blue bloom, very sweet. Janet recalls: “It was seriously hot, with wall-to-wall sunshine. We travelled along spectacular winding roads with stunning views of the river (Douro) and vine-clad terraces. Quite stunning! At Pinhão we collected our ‘wine guide’ and drove forever upwards to some vine-clad terraces. I didn’t use my Whisper [radio] (no point!)[v] so I just walked around and sampled some grapes off the vine. Very sweet.”

[v] No point — perhaps because Janet no longer drinks alcohol, so has no interest in viticulture.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:28:44
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view north-east


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:29:36
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view of Pinhão to the north-west


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:30:02
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view west


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:30:50
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view of Pinhão to the north-west


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:31:10
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view north


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:34:00
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: companion planting to reduce pests


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:35:04
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: view south


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:35:32
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: black grapes with bluish bloom


Friday 21 September 2018 — 11:36:04
Vineyard to the south of the Douro River: black grapes with bluish bloom

We re-boarded the coach and descended again to the Douro Valley. When we reached the bridge across the Douro River we didn’t turn left to cross it, we carried on forwards a few yards into the estate of the Quinta[vi] das Carvalhas (“Estate of the Oaks”) winery. There we were each given a glass of red wine and one of white. This time, I did have Janet’s as well as mine.

[vi] The expression “the estate of the quinta" is a tautology, because “quinta" means “estate, farmstead”, etc.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:10:04
View from the coach: passing the bridge over the Douro River to Pinhão


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:13:20
Quinta das Carvalhas


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:21:04
Quinta das Carvalhas


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:22:04
Quinta das Carvalhas: sampling white wine


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:23:56
Quinta das Carvalhas: sampling red wine


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:38:50
Quinta das Carvalhas

The toilets were beyond the building, up some steps. I’ve already mentioned “one of the two wheelchair users on this trip [who] was at Hull University when I was, doing electrical engineering” (20 September 2018). The other was more severely handicapped — perhaps with Parkinson’s. Anyway, he had a fall after hobbling up those stairs to use the loo. A couple of the men from our party, including “C. D. Bales”,[vii] sprang to his aid, but I hung around in case any further assistance would be required. Eventually, his wife appeared. Then we crossed back over the bridge and visited Pinhão, with free time for lunch. “Wow, it was hot! Good!” Janet wrote.

[vii] Cf. 17 September 2018, footnote.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:45:20
View from the coach: about to cross the bridge over the Douro River into Pinhão

From the coach, Paul led the way for a while, past the railway station and onwards; but, as Janet wrote, “Again, Paul scooted off way ahead instead of waiting [for those who were still getting off the coach]. I was not impressed. We were directed to the river where we could find places to eat. We selected one that served local food. After an indifferent response to our arrival, we selected what we’d like to eat. I just wanted salad and bread, but the two mains [on the menu] that [John] suggested were not available, so we left. We walked back up to the town centre [i.e. to the main street running parallel to the railway line and to the river]…”


Friday 21 September 2018 — 12:52:40
Passing Pinhão Railway Station


Friday 21 September 2018 — 13:10:42
Returning from the riverside along Rua da Praia

Janet’s account continued, “…and went in a café — only to be totally ignored! So we carried on and saw a café that served traditional food and went in.” It was, in fact, the restaurant of the Hotel Douro. “It was very busy. We were welcomed and advised we’d have to wait a little bit. We didn’t mind.” The place was crowded with people seated at long tables, but eventually a lull in serving them permitted the staff to show us to a corner table for two. “Eventually we were seen, and [we] ordered,” Janet continued. “I said salad and bread, then we were told what [John] would be having.[viii] Finally, [John] was given rice, olives (I had my salad and bread — plenty of both) and a dish of sausage[ix] and pork cooked in red wine and served topped with boiled cabbage. He was almost done when another plate of food arrived: lamb ribs with boiled potatoes in a sauce. He looked horrified as he’d already eaten enough, really. Then, when he felt he’d finished after a bit of a struggle, a big dish of beans and chicken (?) was plonked on the table. [John] couldn’t even look at that! I was told we could take it with us! We were a little concerned about how much it would cost as there had also been two [glasses of] port[x] and two bottles of water, so were gobsmacked to be told it was only thirty euros. For all that! So much food! We paid 34 euros. Phenomenally cheap!”

[viii] They were serving a multi-course lunch to everyone.
[ix] I’m pleased I had the opportunity to sample again the Portuguese typical sausage, for this was so much meatier and tastier than what I had yesterday at Garota Da Baixa in Porto.
[x] The port had been given unasked-for, as seemed to be a custom in many establishments in Portugal.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 13:28:32
Hotel Douro, Rua António Manuel Saraiva 39, Pinhão


Friday 21 September 2018 — 13:28:58
Hotel Douro, Rua António Manuel Saraiva 39, Pinhão


Friday 21 September 2018 — 13:59:02
Hotel Douro, Rua António Manuel Saraiva 39, Pinhão: way too much to eat!

Then we went to a bar about four buildings away, called Café Imperio, opposite the railway station, where I had a beer and Janet two Coca Cola (only €4.50 for the three). The toilet was in the cellar, accessed by a steep and narrow, metal spiral staircase. A few of our party, including “C. D. Bales and Roxanne”,[xi] were also there. They had a bit of a “tale of woe” to tell about their lunch-time experience; we didn’t brag too much about ours!

[xi] Cf. 17 September 2018, footnote. He looked like “C. D. Bales”; she didn’t resemble “Roxanne”, though.

Friday 21 September 2018 — 14:35:28
Café Império, Largo da Estação 31, Pinhão


Friday 21 September 2018 — 14:39:32
Café Império, Largo da Estação 31, Pinhão


Friday 21 September 2018 — 14:53:14
Café Império, Largo da Estação 31, Pinhão: cellar


Friday 21 September 2018 — 14:55:06
Café Império, Largo da Estação 31, Pinhão: “C. D. Bales” (below the mirror)


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:00:26
Rua António Manuel Saraiva, Pinhão, including the Hotel Douro

At 3pm we re-boarded the coach and set off back to Porto. Our route initially took us along the southern shore of the Douro River.


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:07:24
Views from the coach: Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:13:24
Views from the coach: Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:15:56
Views from the coach: Douro Valley


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:19:14
Views from the coach: Douro Valley, MS Douro Spirit


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:23:44
Views from the coach: Douro Valley, railway tunnel


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:25:18
Views from the coach: the Régua hydro-electric dam


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:26:22
Views from the coach: the Régua hydro-electric dam


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:30:36
Views from the coach: viaduct of the A24 motorway at Peso da Régua

Then we crossed the river, and headed more or less northwards along the A24 motorway till we rejoined the A4. We proceeded again over the Corgo Viaduct and through the Marão Tunnel.


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:32:36
Views from the coach: crossing the Douro River on the Régua “Railway” Bridge at Peso da Régua


Friday 21 September 2018 — 15:53:44
Views from the coach: Corgo Viaduct


Friday 21 September 2018 — 16:00:58
Views from the coach: entering the Marão Tunnel


Friday 21 September 2018 — 16:04:28
Views from the coach: leaving the Marão Tunnel

Janet wrote: “We arrived at our hotel at 5pm. I was desperate for a pee so I used the loo near the dining room then we went to the supermarket for some cash from the ATM inside, a bottle of Coke and some tomato juice. We returned to our room, and [John] was still so stuffed he lay on the bed. I sorted out our hotel bill then went to pay that, and [back in the room] updated this [journal]. [John] decided to miss dinner so I went down on my own at 7pm and had a good meal. I returned to our room at 7.30pm and had my final ‘nightmare shower’.” When I connected the camera to the computer, there was unaccountably no response. Usually, MyFinePix Studio starts up, enabling me to transfer the photos off it with file-names with the dates and times the photos were taken. (Often, MyFinePix Studio is a pain in the arse, because it starts up whenever I attach any data-storage device to the computer; but I keep it installed because it has this one useful feature of, as I say, giving the photos file-names with the dates and times the photos were taken.) I kept switching the camera off and on again — no response! — till eventually I took the SD card out of it and slotted that into the port in the computer. MyFinePix Studio did respond to that, and I transferred the 48 photos from today. Because I’d not set up MyFinePix Studio to deal with the SD card, it imported the photos to “My Pictures” with the original file-names that they had on the camera; so I changed the settings and re-imported them, this time with date-and-time file-names, to the WD Elements HDD (19:29–19:31). Viewed them with Windows Photo Viewer, but none needed to be rotated. Did [something], with an interruption because Janet still had a problem with the “nightmare shower” (as she put it). “Then I updated this [journal],” she wrote. “We were both in bed at ca.9pm. We need to be up at 6.30am tomorrow morning. Another good (and fun) day.”

[Saturday 22 September 2018]