the Serra do Pilar monastery, with
the city's soaring churches, noble
palaces, flitting boats and bustling
riverfronts laid out in front of me
like an animated painting.
Most guests were still asleep
when Viking Helgrim glided out of
the city in the morning, no doubt
due to the super-comfy beds in the
staterooms. I awoke to the surprise
of a sandy river beach outside my
private veranda, a few locals already
in place with their towels to catch
the morning sun.
My first engagement with the
Douro's wine history came on an
included tour to Mateus Palace.
Its 18th-century Baroque façade
adorns the teardrop-shaped bottles
of Mateus rosé, but the estate never
produced this supermarket favourite.
Another wine producer long ago
bought the rights to the image,
apparently to the chagrin of the
palace's current owners who deal
only in fine vintages.
ese mini-stories continued on
our excursions. A Portuguese tour
escort joins each Viking coach, and
in my case it was Diogo, whose
endearingly British accent was
adopted from watching the BBC.
At the medieval hilltop village of
Castelo Rodrigo, he told how the
priest adopted a young stork which
had hurt itself falling from its nest
atop the bell tower. After treatment,
the bird became a village mascot
until it was savaged by a dog. e
stork was stuffed and now has pride
of place in the fire station, whose
officers helped with its rescue.
After returning from Salamanca,
I wished to sail again through the
striking gorge that makes up the
narrowest part of the navigable
Douro, so I chose to miss the next
excursion and spend the morning
on e Sun Deck, my feet dangling
in the plunge pool to keep cool.
It was a compelling episode. e
giant boulders clinging to the side
of the canyon yielded to yet more
vineyards, their giant signboards
echoing those of the rabelo sails I
had seen in Porto.
However, when a new friend
on board raved about the visit to
a traditional bakery followed by a
fabulous meal at a distinguished
quinta, I wondered if I had made
the right decision.
Never mind. I'd already indulged
in a Portuguese feast devised by our
ship's chefs, loading my plate with
courses of sardines, shrimp pasties,
roast duck and crispy custard tarts.
One of my highlights of this
Douro itinerary was the final
excursion to Lamego, an old town
just a short drive above the river.
e coaches took us up to the
sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos
Remédios. If the twin-towered
Rococo shrine is a marvel, its
position at the top of a tremendous
cascade of 686 zig-zagging steps
is even more so. I could not resist
walking back down. Emblazoned
with beautiful azulejo tile murals,
fountains and statues of kings,
this must be the most impressive
staircase in Europe.
If the minutiae of facts, legends
and historical tales enriched
this journey for me, it was
complemented by Viking's own
superb attention to small but
valuable matters. I did not expect the
company to have a dedicated team,
with its own desk at the hotel, in
Lisbon. And a flash of your Viking
Longship's card at Salamanca's New
Cathedral and the Museum of Lamego,
gets you free entry because Viking
generously sponsors their upkeep.
I witnessed a demonstration of the
opening of a bottle of port using hot
tongs in the ship's lounge but, needing
a pre-dinner shower, missed the sharing
of its decanted contents. Not to worry
– bartender Gergana had saved me a
glass.
On our final full day of the journey,
I reluctantly missed dessert to watch
Viking Helgrim sail back into Porto,
this time the iron bridge framing the
delightful city.
Once we had docked, I listened to
a local folk band performing live in
the lounge, gazing out of the picture
windows to watch the sun setting over
the city, its golden light picking out the
delicate details.
Clockwise,
from far left:
A colourful
street in
Coimbra;
Mateus Palace;
relax in the pool
while enjoying
scenic views;
traditional
rabelo boats
rest along the
banks of the
Douro in Porto
GETTING THERE: The 10-day Portugal's River
of Gold voyage from Lisbon to Porto starts
from $8,795pp in Standard Stateroom.
Return Economy Flights included.
Atlantic
Ocean
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
Porto
Braga
Régua
Lamego
Pinhão
Barca d'Alva
Vega de Terrón
Salamanca
Coimbra
Lisbon
Madrid
DOURO RIVER
Santiago de Compostela
–
C r ui s e
•• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
M o to r C o ach
••
O ve r night in Po r t
BOOK
NOW
viking.com
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