PORTUGAL AND NORTHERN SPAIN

May 4, 2026 5:47 pm Paula

Hello family and friends! Thanks are joining us again this year as we explore more of Portugal and Nothern Spain, ending with an 11 Day River Cruise down the Douro River. We are excited to see what the next 6 weeks will bring us.

The two flights over and a long stopover were exhausting but we allowed for two quiet days in Lisbon for jet lag recovery. Lisbon airport is one of only two Euopean airports to introduce the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) in the last few weeks and we heard many reports of delays getting in and out of LIS. After waiting in line for 1.5 hours for the photo and fingerprint kiosk, we were waved through to ease the massive lineup now forming behind us. This will be repeated when we depart in June!

Lisbon / Lisboa

Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, is considered the most colourful city in the world. The pastel-toned buildings, patterned tiles that cover historic neighbourhoods and the yellow trams run along its narrow streets are symbolic of Lisbon.

My suitcase protested Lisbon’s bumpy cobblestone and blew a tire; luckily very near our hotel. A second wheel snapped off in our room, necessitating a suitcase shopping trip. We walked into the city centre, now a very familiar venture.

We visited Lisbon twice last spring; once on our own and again at the end of that trip two months later, with Jordan and Amy and to babysat Cody during their conference. We dined in some favourite restaurants and enjoyed the weather which was similar to Vancouver; sunny but still chilly. The two nights in Lisbon went quickly but we got over the jet lag and were ready to take the train to Porto.

What a confusing train! I asked someone whereabouts to stand on the long platform for our car and as the train neared and slowed to a stop, we scrambled aboard. The car number on our tickets did not match the actual cars. In the first car, one of ‘our’ seats was occupied and that passenger had a ticket with the same seat number but we both had different car numbers! In the meantime Joe ran out of luck finding somewhere to stow our new big suitcase. Several people were in our situation; no seats or storage! It was chaos on the now fast moving train.

After hearing people discussing the adjacent car, I ventured in only to discover each car ( both first class) had the same number sequences on the seats – 1-40 – mind blowing! I located our actual vacant seats, tossed the backpack over a passenger into my seat and the shoe bag overhead; only losing my balance once. Then I went back for Joe and the 2 bags. Still limited large bag storage so it took both of us to hoist that heavy sucker up into the over head bin. Other passengers watched in horror to see this attempt but we made it on the first try. It took the conductor quite awhile to reposition many passengers between the two cars, to their correct seats. Definitely a first!

Porto

Delighted to exit that train, we jumped into a taxi and chatted with the young driver about our visit to Porto twelve years ago. Over the course of the 15 minute drive, he launched into a rant about how tourism has ruined Porto, made everything unaffordable and forced residents out of their homes. Even though he was assigning blame to the government and we reminded him that WE were tourists with needed tourist dollars, we left that taxi feeling unwelcome. Luckily we found the people of Porto to be super friendly and wrote the driver off as one bad apple.

Porto is a famously beautiful and historic coastal city built into a steep river gorge, filling the landscape with dramatic hills and cobbled streets. These steep inclines offer incredible panoramic viewpoints, including the Dom Luís I Bridge. This is the top place to experience the sunset, with a dramatic view of the Douro River. However, this rainy cloudy day, I missed the shot.

Tour of the Douro Valley and Wine Tasting.

We left Porto on a 10 hour trip starting in Amarante, famous for its convent sweets, views over the Tâmega and the iconic church of São Gonçalo.

We had a enjoyable lunch in the heart of the Douro Valley, with delicious regional specialities and wines, plus a Port tasting in the wine cellar. Who knew there is rose and white port? There were only 4 couples on the tour, which made it more initimate and friendly.

After lunch we embarked on a small river cruise in a Rabelo boat, on the calm waters of the Douro valley. The shores were flanked by terraces of vines of cheerful colours.

We continued our tour along the ‘EN 222’, considered one of the most beautiful roads in the Lisbon, and set off towards Quinta de São Luiz Kopke – the oldest Port wine house in the world. Here they have been producing their marvellous Ports since 1638!

Interesting fact we learned: Portugal is the world’s leading producer of cork (60%), with 750,000 hectares of cork oak forests. These cork trees are the national tree, legally protected for over 800 years. The bark can only be removed from trees once they are 25 years old. A special, skilled, 9-year rotation ensures the tree survives and regenerates its bark. Skilled workers strip the bark by hand without cutting down the tree, allowing it to live for over 200 years!

We are in Spain now and for the next four weeks. Will post again soon! Thanks for following along!

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