Day 6 – Wednesday 3 July 2024
Today most people took the full day excursion to Salamanca, leaving at 09:00. We’d been there on our previous Douro cruise with Viking and didn’t fancy the long coach ride.
Instead we were one of a small group to visit the sleep old village of Freixa de Espada à Cinta. The name means sword on the belt of an ash and according to the legend we were told a king tied his sword belt around an ash tree under which he slept and had a dream about his coming success in war. When he woke he declared the village be known as Freixa de Espada à Cinta. There’s a 550+ year old ash tree with a huge metal belt and sword next to a church and the ruins of a castle.
We entered a small museum in an old house equipped to show how people lived in old times, then we went to a modern small museum of silk. This was the place where they made silk in the pre-industrial way.
They had everything, including some silk worms eating leaves.
Then a 10-minute drive to Quinta do Sagueiro. This is a vineyard and farm. The energetic owners have rooms they rent via various sites. We sat at large round tables on their patio under umbrellas with jugs of cold freshly made lemonade, pastries, sandwiches, olives and slices of ripe juicy oranges.
The owner, Margarida, had baked an apple cake for us and cut wedges which she put on our plates. Her husband then poured wine for us. They grow grapes of the region which go to the local co-operative. The red wine was delicious and I had a second glass. And I regret not trying his Port.
Margarida came around with almonds from their trees which she’d caramelised, and then she sang fado. It was an idyllic spot, a feast of food and welcoming generous hosts. I wanted to buy a bottle of the red wine (a blend of Tourigas Nacional & Franca and Tinto Roriz), but neither of us had Euros on us and they didn’t take plastic. But they insisted I take the bottle, and later give €10 to the Scenic guide who’d pass it on next time Scenic returned to them.
Food and drink kept being pressed on us but we had to return to the boat for lunch.
At 14:20 we moved to let Viking Hemming moor and we rafted on the outside.
After the Salamanca contingent returned we set off at 18:30 back down river to Pocinho which we arrived around 20:00 and rafted to another boat, our cabin facing theirs.
Overnight Location: Pocinho
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