Nov 4, 2011 - Rio Douro and Pinhao

The drive from Aveiro to Pinhao was a magnificent long winding journey along the Rio Douro. It´s truly spectacular and the photos simply don´t do it any justice. Unfortunately the day was overcast and rainy however this did not dampen our experience of the beautiful region. It is pure wine country with vines planted on every hillside. All the hills have been painstakingly terraced which produce the most amazing visual effect. We arrived at the Vintage House Hotel in Pinhao, a 5 star establishment. The Hotel was amazing, the decor was a step...

May 20, 2010 - Viseu, Portugal

Thursday 20th fine Left Belmonte travelling to Viseu, driving across the Serra Da Estrela range reaching a height of 1679 meters. Great views. Stopped for lunch at Gouveia lunch. Shared a sandwich and had ice tea. Then onto Viseu. After checking in went for a walk. Later went for tea in a small bar. Carmel had pork sntichal, rice and chips and Paul had an omelette. (9E) Had a good chat to bar owner who spoke English.

Apr 26, 2010 - Geres

After 5 days in Porto, it was time to get back to a bit of nature, so we headed to the spa town of Geres, within Peneda Geres National Park. Now we thought Luso had an abundance of water, but 5 minutes in Geres told you that Luso, relative to Geres, had small amounts of free flowing water. Needless to say, it was flowing everywhere in Geres and not always in places that townsfolk wanted it to flow. Following hiking route #6, we encounter no one during a steep climb, then as we crest the ridge, we hear hollering, whistling and a lot of bells...