Up and down the Douro

Breakfast was spent with same dance around the our table in the common room with our extra 4 compatriates, luckily for us they are heading east today so that's the last we'll see of them. They can torpedo Toledo to their hearts content.

We drove down to the waterfront, parked the car in shade and strolled up to the train station and asked our way onto the train to Pocinho. The line starts all the way back in Porto and winds it way up the banks of the Douro to where we were headed. Apparently the most spectacular part of the long journey is the one we traveled. And indeed we all concurred that it is indeed a visual delight. Definitely the best this blogger has ever seen.

Hardly any others on board we could move from side to side at will. Then non-blogger realised the windows could open up and so while we're not meant to stick your head out we did anyway. Hopefully the slow TV capture worked. Safety is sort of a concern but not so much with the doors partially opened we could've easily fell out if not careful.

The river has extraordinary character with the vine covered hills slowly getting lower and drier as we wound our way up through the valley. One huge lock changed the fast flowing narrowing stream into the next long lake with a consistent stream of huge passenger ships going in each direction. To be able to squeeze through the locks is an incredible feat of engineering. And so with the sound of the trains bellowing horn reverberating throughout the serene landscape the chugging diesel towed us up to Pocinho in the alloted hour.

We had the choice of catching the same back down in 20mins or hang around the town for 2 hours. A quick glance confirmed previous investigations that there is nothing of note to look at and only one establishment to recharge the personal fuel tanks. So we came straight back, down being careful not use the same seats we had soaked on the way up.
A too much food lunch was consumed in a Cafe at the far end of the Pinhao shopping strip ending up us discovering a restaurant with fab views which we booked for dinner and then strode along the water front back to the cool car whilst the sun beat down on us from above. The sun screen back in rooms would've been useful. So instead this blogger shade hopped whilst the others stuck it out.
Back to the common room to picture share and get ready to leave next morning. Bought own our own music and yet the staff member wanted to play her own over the top of it. Wierd, until we realized she was waiting for new guests to arrive and was under instructions to create an ambiance.
Pre's back down at the water front was strange as there were 3 large cruise ships docked, staff on the land, no sight of the patrons. The cafés perfectly positioned to serve them were eerily quiet. Proof in point as to why locals don't actually see large cruise ships as being good for the local economy. The myriad of large coaches running around the town was the obvious answer, all the wallets and purses were being shunted straight to the wineries.
The last supper (bit of a dramatic title but Nick insisted) was had deciple style as we sat lined up facing the amazing view across the river to the terraced hills beyond as the sun graciously cast it's last efforts up the waterway. All framed by a blaze of colourfull flowers lining the balcony edges.

Great restaurant with the only vino of offer being homemade. No labels, just caraffs containing a heavenly ambrose. We broke bread, sipped wine and thanked the food gods for delivering such fine fare to our table. The cacophony of birds provided the angelic accoutics whilst the occasional dog barking reminding us that we should not go down THAT way.

Another slow stroll back home with two surprises. 1 The quaint run down village has a very modern looking carpark at night and 2. we met a Rocky on the road who seemed a bit dazed, so with a bit of encouragement we manged to herd him safely back up the hill and like us off for a kip before another early start to get the next leg underway.