Portugal, Douro River Cruise, and a bit of Spain

November 2017

We flew to Lisbon a few days before the start of our river cruise on the Douro River, the “River of Gold”.  In Lisbon we hired a private guide who drove us to the Medieval walled town, Obidos, then to Nazaré, famed among surfers for its 100-foot waves, then to Batalha to see the Monastery dating to 1386, and finally to the Shrine at Fátima.

Our eight-day cruise on the Viking Torgil on the Douro River  embarked in Porto.  For more than a week we were treated to spectacular Autumn colors along the Douro, Medieval towns and villages, terraced vineyards that descended to the River, and wine and port tastings. Where the Douro River became too narrow and shallow for our ship to proceed, we were bussed to Salamanca, Spain, to tour the 800-year old university, taste local food and wine in the indoor market, and explore yet another beautiful city.