Leaving Baiona at dawn, once again (I don’t
think I have seen as many sunrises in my whole life as I have on this trip so
far!) we motor-sailed our way south. In
spite of all the weather forecasts for west to northwesterly winds, we had south
to southwesterlies all the way! However
as they were no strong, we were able to motor and use some sail along the
way. The weather was overcast and cool
but the sun did try and pop through once or twice.
We reached the mouth of the Douro by late
afternoon and were somewhat concerned about the tide, as the pilot book had
indicated that it could run 6-7 knots at peak ebb or flood. Fortunately, we had arrived when the river
was in its last couple of hours of ebb so although our engines had to work harder
at the mouth of the river, once we got around the breakwater we were fine.
The river has been dredged in recent times
and a brand new marina on the Gaia side of Porto awaited us. Some of our Aussie friends had already
checked it out and raved about it so we felt it was worth a stop. In addition, I have some long-lost
‘relatives’ (I put that in inverted commas as they are distant relatives by
marriage only, but perfectly wonderful people) who live in Porto, and in fact
have been in the port-wine business for 150 years so it was worth checking out.
The rain started to spatter our windscreen
as we approached the visitors’ dock but the marina attendant couldn’t do enough
for us. We had Bisou tied off and
berthed alongside the pontoon within minutes of arriving and I was on the
marina dinghy going to the office to register our arrival into Portugal, a
short time later.
Another Aussie friend had suggested that we
make photocopies of all the important documents (passports, boat registration
papers and insurance documents) ahead of time to give to all the marinas and
this has paid off! Not only are the
marinas thrilled with not having to do it themselves, it saves time if all you
have to do is fill in their arrival form.
No one seemed too interested in seeing our actual passports (same in
Spain) so we didn’t pursue it. As long
as everyone is as disinterested in these people in our arrival date in Schengen
Europe, we’ll be fine!
We had arrived into Porto on one of the
biggest festival days in Portugal – the feast of Sao Joao (St John the
Baptist). Loud music (including heavy
base) was coming across the river and from our side as well. When we ventured outside the marina in search
of some dinner awhile later, a real carnival atmosphere greeted our eyes. Stands had been set up all along the road –
mostly food – including ‘farturas’ (very similar to churros but fatter and
softer and very yummy!), clothes, toys and games (dodgem cars, roller coasters,
etc.). My relatives had told us there
would be fireworks and this was confirmed by the marina staff however we didn’t
know what time they would be on.
Food was foremost on our minds at that
stage and although the area is surrounded by fish restaurants, we decided to
eat like the locals in one of the pop-up restaurants created for the
festival. Fresh sardines were being
grilled outside the marquee which served as the restaurant and already at
8:30pm a queue was beginning to form. We
also saw chicken and pork being cooked so we knew that we could have something
other than fish if we wanted.
Eventually our turn arrived to be seated in
the chaos indoors and we luckily had a waiter who spoke a smattering of English
(mixed with German and French – both of which I understand so could comprehend
what he was saying). We ordered some
pork ribs and pork ‘schnitzel’ (unbreaded) as well as a salad and a couple of
beers. After seeing others ordering
sangria and wine we realized that would have been a better option. I would have liked sardines, but they were
large and the half portion was already 5 sardines which would have been too
much for me.
When our food arrived, we were astonished
at the amount – Tad had ordered the ribs (a full portion) which would have been
plenty for both of us. My pork steaks
were only a half portion but they came with chips and again, would have been
plenty for both of us! The salad and
bread on top of it all, plus the beers meant that we literally waddled away
from the table. What was even more pleasing was the price – really great value
compared with what we would have paid for the same meal at home.
We wandered up river towards the bridge
where the fireworks were to be held and waited until almost 11pm by which time
we were practically falling asleep sitting down. At the time we didn’t know it, but the
fireworks were to be at midnight and as it turned out we were in bed fast
asleep by then. So we headed back to the
marina via a fartura stand (where we indulged in a very large portion of these
sweet doughy delights – only because we didn’t know we could get a smaller
amount had we asked for it) and then to bed!
There was very loud music being played all around us and we wondered
whether we would ever get to sleep but both of us had no problem sleeping until
8:30am the next morning when our alarm woke us.
One of the nice treats that Marina Douro in
Porto offers its guests is fresh bread rolls, delivered to the boat, each
morning. Of course we had our delicious
Isalean shakes to get us started, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying a bread roll as well! I made contact with Alistair and Gillyanne
Robertson, my relatives and we arranged that they would come to the marina to
collect us and take us back to their place for lunch. In the meantime, we checked on our emails,
got ourselves somewhat respectably attired and awaited their arrival. Alistair took over the family port-wine
business that he inherited from his uncle and godfather who had no children of
his own – although Alistair was born in Portugal (to a Portuguese mother and
British father) and spent many summers here during his youth, he was educated
in England and joined the British army.
He and Gillyanne were living in Scotland in the ‘60s when his uncle
asked him to come and try his hand at operating the port-wine business. He stayed and with Gillyanne had three
daughters, one of whom became an expert ‘taster’ and who, with her husband, is
still involved in the business. Alistair
and Gillyanne have stayed on in Porto, renovated a derelict monastery into a
stunning home and farm, and grow kiwi fruit as a hobby/business in their
retirement.
When they arrived to collect us, we of
course had to introduce them to Bisou and show off our home on the water. As it
happened, the start of the famous Sao Joao day boat race up the river was about
to start right outside the marina, so we sat and waited and watched. When it was time to depart, however, it made
for chaotic driving as we attempted to get out of the marina area.
Arriving at “Quinta des Frades” (I think
that is what it was called) was breathtaking – although the day was somewhat
overcast and drizzling, the stunning landscape of fresh greenery, trees, a
little stream, a small lake and then the house as we wound up the long driveway
left us both speechless. I am sure that
Alistair and Gillyanne are quite used to this reaction of their visitors, and
probably enjoy it – they both worked very hard to create the lovely estate on
which they now live.
We had a quick tour of the house (which was
the monastery) and the adjoining church (no longer in use but which has been
cleverly landscaped into an attractive and peaceful garden feature) before
lunch was ready. Words really cannot
begin to describe the flow and detail of the Robertsons’ home and gardens –
replete with antiques, both inherited and purchased, the colours and textures
of the walls and coverings are rich and yet not overstated. We ate at a small table and were treated to a
history of port-wine and how it is made.
Of course we were also treated to several tastings! We began with a local Douro red wine which
was reminiscent of an aged Cabernet but softer and less dry – we then followed
this with a Taylors 20 year old port wine with dessert. Very smooth and it went well with our apple
strudel – finally we tasted a younger (and very deep ruby) port wine, only 4-6
years old, but which went well partnered with some dark chocolate. Neither Tad nor I have been a fan of
port-wine prior to this occasion and I must say you can really taste the difference
between something good and the mass-produced stuff normally consumed. I am not sure whether I would become a
regular consumer, but now that I know what to buy, I would certainly consider
keeping some on hand for a treat now and then.
All too soon it was time to head out, and
we hitched a ride with Natasha (the eldest daughter whose husband is now
running the family business) to the family-owned Yeatman Hotel, one of the only
5* hotels in Portugal to also have a Michelin-starred restaurant. Tash graciously gave us the grand tour,
indicating the input both her mother and husband had had in designing as well
as decorating the facility. The view
over the Old Town is stunning and the hotel is located in the port lodge area
so that walking to the various tasting sites takes only minutes on foot (the
only disadvantage is that you have to walk uphill to get back!). Definitely a hotel to consider for upmarket
clients looking to have a uniquely luxurious experience in Porto.
We walked slowly back the marina, with the
crowds building once again for a festive evening. Having eaten and drunk way too much over the
previous 24hrs we decided to have a quiet evening with just a shake for dinner
and get to bed for an early start the next day.
We planned to make the 30 hour passage to Cascais in one hop which would
necessitate an overnight, so we needed a good night’s sleep.
The Ponte da Arrabida over the Douro River
View of Porto's Old Town from the river walkway
It's amazing you were able to meet up with your relatives the Robertsons! Sounds like quite an amazing visit you had - between their home and trying their wine, and visiting the hotel - what a great experience. It's great to see photos of the sights you're describing!
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