Today was a Zero Day. George and I wanted to check out Porto. This included booking an Air B&B Experience. When we were in Coimbra, we met a couple from the States and Sue recommended excursions through AirB&B. I never even knew there was such a thing. So far, we haven’t been disappointed.

George and I walked the mile down to the meeting location in the Old Historical District of Porto. We almost made it there before it started raining. The last few minutes we were walking in a downpour, without an umbrella. Poor planning on my part.

We walked into the building and met the others who were going on the tour. It was billed as a small intimate excursion to Family Owned Wineries. And in fact, that is what we experienced.

Miguel was our driver/guide. A local, born and raised in Porto. He speaks three languages, Portuguese, English and French. Gosh do I feel ignorant! I think we got the best guide of the bunch. He was funny, quite talkative and definitely has a passion for this country.

Eight of us crawled into a van and we headed to Duoro Valley. It’s a bit over an hour drive through incredible countryside, even in the rain. I was in the back of the Van with Mattie from Norway, and Yon from Brazil. They were the youngest on the tour, probably 20’s and we had a hoot together. George sat in the second row, in front of me with the Canadians. All English speakers and wine drinkers!

Our first stop was Pinot, which is in Douro Valley. This region goes as far north as Barca de Alva, and is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. First, the river carved the deep valleys out of this land. Man transformed the schist mountains into soil and walls, planted the vines which are green in summer, and flame-coloured in autumn. With knowledge handed down from generation to generation, terraces were built which exposes the vines to rays of sunshine. This gives the grapes the warmth that the wine craves. It really is a masterpiece to see this region. Napa has nothing over Duoro Valley. Well except, really good wine.

We met the Winemaker, who was Russian, studied winemaking in Australia and fell in love with a fourth generation wine producer in Portugal. It’s quite the story. Their winery is small, producing only 10,000 liters of wine per year. He shared his three wines, a white, rose and blended red. Then he pulled out a Port that they only produce 100 bottles a year and do not sell. What a shame because it was outstanding.

We jumped back in the Van and headed for lunch on the Duoro River. The food was authentic, with more wine flowing and port cake for dessert. It hit the spot and absorbed much of the alcohol. We walked to the river and took a one-hour boat ride down the Douro River. This is where you can truly appreciate the beauty of this region.

Our next stop was another small family winery with three dogs. They were the highlight of the afternoon. And of course, the wine. We tried a few more wines, red and white and also three jams, two olive tamponades, olive oil and my favorite, just plain ol’ olives. The only thing that wasn’t produced at the winery was the bread. I headed outside to see the beauty of this place, and finished up the afternoon with a persimmon.

Port Wine was not as prolific as I had thought in our wine tasting excursion today. And that was a shame. I learned that Port Wine is a Fortified Wine and made by processing wine with a grape spirit, typically brandy. The addition of a grape spirit adds a natural sweetness to the wine, which is why port is a favorite post-dinner digest. Funny thing is, Port Wine is not a favorite of the Portuguese. It’s made to export, as most locals drink it only on very special occasions. The rest of the world are the consumers.

It was a fun day, relaxing and brainless. We had someone dictating the day for George and I. Besides getting us to the beginning of the tour today, we were just along for the ride.

Tomorrow, we get serious. Rain, snow, sleet or shine, we will be walking. I’m thinking it’ll be wet. George is a bit concerned with the weather but as the saying goes. “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing.” Unless it’s torrential downpours with sideways rain. We’ll see how that all pans out. We all know, rain doesn’t stop me, but there’s always an option for a taxi. Hopefully, it’ll be short lived. The rain, that is!

A friend of mine sent this quote to me and a few others. It’s really apropos for our Camino. I hope you enjoy it.

Hiking - "I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, 'A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them." John Muir