On The Douro

The Douro is a great river, extending from the Atlantic all the way back well into Spain. It is also Portugal's answer to Germany's Rhine (and Moselle, etc.) providing grapes, vineyards, castles, and river cruises to those so inclined. Instead of Riesling, you get Port, great port. From Trancoso, we drove to Lamego and its fine riverside aire de camping-cars (under three bridges; 3 euros, including electricity). Next day, we drove up one of the tributaries to Vila Real to see the Casa Mateus (next post), then back to Lamego and, on the Douro a bit, all the way to Porto and a campground there on the ocean (another post). All this was May 31st/June 1st, for those of you keeping score at home.

Note sleek 21st century bridge surmounting Romanesque bridge

Railroad bridge (no traffic)

From the aire

Portugal's answer to the Veterano bull...

The ruby is great (for those of us with
extreme sweet teeth)

Camping by the Douro

Every hill and mountain is terraced and planted from river to
summit

OK, so we have driven hundreds (thousands) of miles
(kilometers) on the Iberian peninsula, seeing nothing but
buildings that are white with tiled roofs; everywhere; nothing
but; and then here, on a tributary of the Douro, this little
neighborhood of color pops up, then fades away; Vicki suggests
they probably had to drive to France to buy the paint

Fade to white

Interesting non-Incan terracing

The Douro, downstream from Lamego; great river

It was, alas, a day of extraordinary haze

And the demands of the ridiculous road kept me from getting
pix of any of the river cruise ships

Incredibly steep all around; we can hardly believe there is a
mechanized harvest here