Pleasant walk at How Wood down the sunken path to the Ver, along the river bank and back past the lakes.
21 July 2024
08 July 2024
Unforgettable Douro - Scenic Azure - Day 11
Day 11 – Monday 8 July 2024
Last day. We had to vacate our cabin by 08:30. Our flight to Madrid departed at 12:20. We were told that, by Scenic’s rules, we should be at the airport three hours before our flight, but as check-in/bag-drop at Porto didn’t open until two hours before flights, the coach departed at 09:15, and we had a wait before the check-in opened. Scenic had checked us in online the afternoon before and printed our boarding cards.
Scenic Azure is on lower left of picture by line of trees on river bank
Scenic Azure is on left of picture by line of trees on far side of river
The flight left on time and we had a great view over Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, and we could see Scenic Azure at its moorings.
Several couples were taking an extension in Madrid, but we were connecting to a London flight which left from the same terminal. There was no security and no queue at immigration to get the all-imported Schengen exit stamp. We had a hot meal in Iberia’s lounge.
Note for others making an onward connection. Spain is an hour ahead of Portuguese time. When I said it was time to go to the gate, Mrs P replied there was another hour to go. She hadn’t adjusted her watch and would have missed the flight if she’d been on her own.
We didn’t have the spacious long haul plane we’d come out, just a standard short haul jet.
Back home we had a Chicken Piri-Piri from Nandos, delivered by Deliveroo – a South African take on a Portuguese dish - cooked in England. Let no one say I’m not a man of the world!
And next day I found Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port in Tesco’s for £12, which is €14.24, only 62p more than the €13.50 Cockburn’s were charging
07 July 2024
Unforgettable Douro - Scenic Azure - Day 10
Day 10 – Sunday 7 July 2024
Our last full day on board. Emerald Radiance had gone by the time we went to breakfast,
There was a choice of 3 excursions this morning.
The 09:00 coach wound up Port's narrow streets to join the highway that bridged the Douro. It took four golfers to their course and then us to Cockburn’s Port Lodge. As we turned into the Lodge entrance I could see Scenic Azure across the Douro and I thought that if we’d been moored on this side of the river it would have been a short walk. Google maps showed it taking less than ten minutes to walk from the river to Cockburn’s Port Lodge.
The tour of the Lodge with a Cockburn guide too us through extensive barrel cellar – and he made certain that everyone was aware that the 'ck' is not pronounced in the brand’s name – It is Coe-burn.
The highlight of the tour was supposed to be seeing Cockburn’s coopers at work mending and remaking barrels. But it was Sunday, and the cooper’s day of rest. Cockburn’s are the only Lodge to have their own coopers, and the team is shrinking as they are finding it difficult to recruit people willing to learn the craft.
I wondered if their working conditions were a factor.
Then we sat in their tasting area with a glass of Special Reserve Ruby and a 10 year Tawny Port. Then we exited through the adjoining shop.
At 18:00 there was a 6-Bridges Cruise, where the boat cruised up-river ten down to the mouth of the Douro and back to our mooring, passing under all six bridges that link Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia.
The chef seeked me out. When we’d had Lamb Shank earlier in the cruise I had jokingly said that all that was missing was mint sauce. He told me that for tonight’s Rack of Lamb he’d been chopping mint and to make sure I asked for mint sauce. I did.
By now I’d got into Port and after dinner had two glasses. The house Port was Ferreira Tawny, which the Cruise Director said was the favourite brand in Portugal. I could see why.
Overnight Location: Porto
06 July 2024
Unforgettable Douro - Scenic Azure - Day 9
Day 9 – Saturday 6 July 2024
Scenic Azure left its mooring at around 06:10 heading for Porto arriving at about 17:00, and we tied on the outside of Emerald Radiance at 15:10. Our room was next to an unoccupied cabin on Emerald and it was interesting to see how they differed.
At about 18:30 the two boat swapped places and we again had a view of the river bank.
After dinner, which tonight was a Portuguese buffet, there was classical music concert in St Francis church a short walk away. But we didn’t go as the Cruise Director warned us that the steps up to the church were difficult.
The bustling other side of the river - Vila Nova de Gaia - with lower river bank side and lined with Port Lodges.
Overnight Location: Porto
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