Viking Cruises

viking.com 37 architects deliberately disrupted the symmetry to keep him at bay. e cities on this itineray may be glorious, but for me it was very much the diversity of landscapes along the river that was the biggest revelation. Twisting sharply through a deep valley, the Douro is never less than exuberantly scenic. At times, there were just a few feet of water to spare either side of the ship as Captain Manuel steered us through a narrow canyon. It is called the River of Gold because when the sun strikes the water at a certain angle, the Douro – like Salamanca – takes on the lustre of the precious metal. Far more prolific, though, is the colour green, from the emerald forests to the incredible swathes of terraced vineyards smothering hills that rise sharply from the deep blue river. Along the UNESCO World Heritage stretch, the vines have been planted on every patch of land from the waterline right up to the crests of the hills high above the river, however impractically steep and however clefted the contours. Many of the grapes are, of course, used to make port wine. At the start of the journey in Porto I admired the old rabelo boats which, until the Douro's dams and locks were built, transported the wine barrels from the vineyards downstream to the city. Today the rabelos are symbolic, with giant sails proudly displaying the names of the city's famous old port houses. Later, at the quinta of one of these producers, I learnt more of those little details that decorate this journey, this time from the estate's guide who was dressed in the black sombrero and cape of the enigmatic figure in Sandeman's logo. e terrain is ideal for growing grapes because the flaky shale rock holds water during the dry summer. Rows of olive trees help stabilise the soil on the vertiginous slopes. e pollen from carefully planted rows of rosemary and thyme falls on the grapes, fine-tuning their flavour. On a terrace high above the Douro, the guide taught us how to appreciate the port. "Stick your nose in the glass. Make friends with the wine. Ask it how it's feeling!" he said, to much amusement. I started my journey in Lisbon, almost 200 miles south of Porto, where we enjoyed a two-night pre-itinerary hotel stay. It was very easy to be dazzled by the view of Portugal's capital from the elegant rooftop bar of our five-star hotel on the main boulevard. Our introductory tour sensibly avoided the busiest attractions – it was high summer – and took in the waterside Belém district and its excellent Maritime Museum in a wing of the Jerónimos Monastery. e ancient city of Coimbra made a captivating stop on our drive to Porto and produced the first of the mini-stories I adore. In the grandiose library of Portugal's oldest university – an inspiration for Harry Potter's Hogwarts – lives a family of bats. When the last visitors have left for the day, the curtains are closed and the bats emerge to devour any insects that might otherwise feast on the priceless books. Viking Helgrim was waiting on the quay at Vila Nova de Gaia and, once on board, I immediately made for e Sun Deck to take in the views of Porto's tall, colourful buildings climbing the hill just across the Douro, with the elegant ironwork of the Dom Luis I Bridge spanning the river. Exploring the city the next day, there was a jolly summer buzz in the air, with tourists and locals alike sharing alfresco tables to enjoy the views over glasses of port. Potter author J.K. Rowling was also influenced by Porto and although the snaking queue to visit the revered Livraria Lello bookshop had me turning my tail, the city still cast its spell. With ample free time, I walked across the top level of the bridge to a breathtaking viewpoint beside Clockwise from far left: Hilltop village Castelo Rodrigo; vineyards growing along the Douro; stunning views of the river from the deck of Viking Helgrim; Igreja da Serra do Pilar, one of many churches in Porto

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