Destination: Douro

We are having a late morning at the Estalagem de Santa Bárbara, partly because it is so lovely and tranquil here. After a café at the Pastelaria Primavera (our favourite pastelaria in Oliveira do Hospital), we are heading north to Pinhão in the Douro valley. We are expecting some rather warm weather and our connectivity will probably be spotty during our four days there.

Our arrival in Pinhão was rather different. After an amazing drive along the Douro and our first glimpses of the vineyards, we arrived near the town only to be faced by a long line of cars stopped in front of us. It turns out that the bridge is under repair and the only way over the river is by ferry. We subsequently found out that the ferry only runs at certain times of the day and it had just started running again as we arrived. It took us 40 minutes or so before we finally arrived at the other side and 3 minutes later we were at Quinta de la Rosa.

Our room is actually a two room suite and feels like a little house. It seems to be very old, is remarkably cool inside (without the assistance of air conditioning) and has one bathroom wall which is mostly carved out of rock.

Dinner was in Pinhão at Pensão Ponto Grande where we shared a dish of roasted pork which had been marinated in vinho tinto for two days before cooking. It was accompanied by cabbage and some good tomato rice with chickpeas. The wine was a 2003 Vinho Comprida from Quinta da Poça which is just up the road from La Rosa. The very nice owner told us he would be making cabrito with tomatoes and peppers tomorrow, so we will return for dinner on Saturday.

The weather is heating up, so only 2.5 today on the Knowmark Weather Scale.


Our pastelaria of choice in Oliveira do Hospital


Getting ready to leave Estalagem de Santa Bárbara


Our view of the town of Valdigem and surrounding vineyards as we neared the Douro [1]


Our view of the town of Valdigem and surrounding vineyards as we neared the Douro [2]


Our view of the town of Valdigem and surrounding vineyards as we neared the Douro [3]


Our digs for the next four nights (photographed while waiting for the ferry to take us across the Douro because the bridge was out and we couldn't drive there directly!)