We woke refreshed after a good night’s sleep on board the Riviera Rose and started off the day with a relaxing breakfast in the ship’s restaurant. It was just like staying in a luxurious, boutique hotel – barista made cappuccinos, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries, followed by our favourite Eggs Benedict.
After breakfast we boarded coaches to take us into Porto as we were to enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city before departing on our Douro River cruise. With the ship being moored slightly further up the river than usual, this worked to our advantage as we had almost four hours to explore Portugal’s beautiful second city.
Seated in a comfortable air-conditioned coach, our Portuguese tour guide Sylvia pointed out landmarks of the historic mercantile city of Porto which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its port wine, medieval walls and steep sided waterfront on the banks of the Douro river.
The coach dropped us off outside the cathedral and we then followed our guide to the absolutely beautiful Sao Bento railway station just around the corner. The station’s Belle Époque Parisian exterior leads through an arched entrance into the main concourse which is stunning as it’s decorated with 20,000 blue and white tiles covering the walls. Artist Jorge Colaco took eleven years to complete the work of intricately painted scenes of Portuguese history, daily life and transportation. Whether catching a train or not, a visit to Sao Bento station is a definite must see when visiting Porto.
Whilst some people preferred to relax out on the terrace of a cafe watching the world go by, we took the more energetic option of exploring as much of the historic centre as we could. It didn’t take us long to reach the Luis I bridge from where we had stunning views of the river below. The bridge first opened in 1886 and was designed by the same German engineer who co-founded the Eiffel Company in Paris. A notable feature of the bridge is its two levels, one at the top of the arch and the other suspended below it. Both decks were originally intended to carry road traffic but nowadays the upper tier carries the Porto metro train in addition to having the pedestrian walkway that we walked along.
Porto’s riverside district is a maze of cobbled streets with their pastel coloured houses and terracotta roof tiles seemingly clinging on to the hillside. It was a delight to view the riverside from the bridge as it helped to set the scene for our Douro river cruise.
Gladly, everyone returned to the coach on time and shortly after getting back on board MS Riviera Rose, we eased out of our berth to set sail on our week long river cruise. A barbecue lunch was available out on the sundeck which we enjoyed along with a glass or two of Rosé wine. Steaks were cooked to perfection and with sardines, sausages, burgers and salad we were spoilt for choice.
It was lovely sailing along the river enjoying the views. The ship was very smooth and the engines so quiet that aside from the ever changing scenery, we hardly noticed that we were moving. We spent a lazy afternoon out on the sundeck settling in with ease into the relaxed life of river cruising.
Guests are very well looked after on board as afternoon tea was served in the lounge from 4.00 p.m. We decided to go for this promptly because forty minutes later we would be passing through the Carrapatelo Lock which is the deepest in Europe with a lift of 35m (115ft). Like all river cruise ships on the Douro, the Riviera Rose has to be able to get under low height bridges and lock structures. It’s a tight squeeze and in order to achieve this, both the wheelhouse and the sundeck’s Rio Restaurant are hydraulically lowered to maximise clearance. Deckhands even dismantle the parasols, pool handrails and the ship’s bell. It’s fascinating to watch as passengers are allowed to stay out on the sundeck as long as they remain seated.
After the excitement of the lock, we returned to our cabin to freshen up and then enjoyed sipping the cocktail of the day in the lounge bar. At 19.15 we docked at Lamego Pier and shortly afterwards disembarked to board coaches for the short drive to Quinta da Pacheca for dinner and wine tasting.
This quinta is one of the Douro’s most renowned estates and is where award winning wines are produced, with Pacheca one of the Douro’s first vineyards to bottle wine under its own brand. We were offered a drink upon arrival amongst the port barrels before being warmly welcomed into the restaurant where we enjoyed a typical Portuguese dinner, each course being paired with the vineyard’s own selected wines and port. Afterwards we enjoyed dancing to live music and everyone agreed that it was an evening to remember.
Back on board, the night was still young so we enjoyed a nightcap whilst chatting to some of our newly made cruising friends. Even though it was only the second day of our holiday, we were already recognising familiar faces whom we’d sat with over meals and enjoying interacting with them.
To be continued …..
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