Day 3 – Wednesday 19 November 2025 – Cruise Day 1
Today we would board the boat, but there was the matter of 200 miles separating the hotel and boat. Viking’s team had wrung a concession from the hotel so we could board the coaches at the main entrance and save the time wasted getting to that road from the hotel’s rear. Bags had to be outside the room at 06:45 and we the coaches set off at 08:15 and immediately became stopped in heavy traffic. Finally we reached the motorway and built up some speed. There was a comfort break at a service station that had spotless toilets and a café where we had time for a coffee. Our lunch stop was the university town of Coimbra (pronounced Coe- im-bra) but first we had the dreaded free time in Coimbra town itself with 50 minutes in a chilly pedestrianised cobbled shopping street. Thankfully it wasn’t raining.
I was captivated watching an elderly man with one leg pulling a shopping cart come up the hill and go up a steeper side street helped by only a walking stick. He moved faster than I could with two legs.
Then we coached to the university to see the historic Biblioteca Joanina library (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Joanina) and next door Royal chapel.
Then to Republica da Saudade restaurant for lunch. The choices were vegetable soup or salad (four tomato slices separated by cheese),and cod in béchamel sauce or grilled chicken with potatoes, cabbage and carrots followed by fruit salad and pink ice cream. It wasn’t the very worst meal of the holiday and there were water and wine carafes. (Strangely beers and soft drinks had to be paid for.)
Two musicians (one was an owner of the restaurant) and a singer entertained us with fado during the meal.
We arrived at the Viking Osfrid where we were warmly welcomed with a refreshing long drink of white Port topped up with tonic water and garnished with mint. The boat is shorter than the standard Longships found on European rivers other than the Douro, Seine and Elbe. It is 263 feet long and has a max of 106 passengers rather than 443 feet with 190 guests. We had a Veranda cabin which was the same design as on the standard Longships, but smaller.
There was no Aquavit lounge; all dining was in the restaurant which had mostly tables for four, with a few larger tables and several tables for two. Unusually the lift served all three decks. Also unusual is the pool on the sun deck. It is large but shallow. Although heated and we had sunny days the outside temperature was very cold and I didn’t see the pool used the very few times I went up to the sundeck.
At 18:30 the drinks started flowing in the third floor lounge with a welcome toast, introduction to the crew, followed by a safety briefing and Port talk – that’s what was happening the following day rather than the fortified wine the region is famous for. But fear not, that would come later.
They say one shouldn’t trust a skinny chef; happily Osfrid’s chef was visibly trustworthy. Executive Chef Mihai ‘Misha’ Mihailov has an engaging personality, a great sense of humour and he makes exceptional soups.
After Misha had recommended his choices for dinner we went down to the restaurant on the second floor for dinner.
Osfrid was moored at Cais de Gaia in Vila Nova de Gaia by the Ferreira Port Lodge of few steps away, and a host of Port Lodges along the waterfront. The river here is tidal and changes of water level necessitate changes to the gangplank position.
Location: https://what3words.com/trunk.director.searched
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