{"id":19137,"date":"2015-10-06T10:17:24","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T16:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?p=19137"},"modified":"2022-05-24T08:54:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T12:54:34","slug":"portugals-river-of-gold-aboard-viking-torgil-day-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/2015\/10\/portugals-river-of-gold-aboard-viking-torgil-day-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal’s River of Gold Aboard Viking Torgil – Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Saturday, October 3, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If anyone tries to tell you that river cruising is relaxing business, they\u2019re wrong. River cruises are some of the most active voyages you can take outside of an expedition cruise, and Viking River Cruises<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 10-day Portugal\u2019s River of Gold<\/em><\/strong> itinerary from Lisbon to Porto is no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than being a negative, the level of activity here onboard the 106-guest Viking Torgil<\/em><\/strong> is a huge positive. Personally, if I travel somewhere, I want to see and do as much as is physically possible. Viking makes that a reality. But the line is also cognisant of the fact that even the most adventurous travellers need a break sometimes, which is why guests onboard Viking Torgil <\/em>were treated to a restful morning of cruising along the Douro River, though the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Douro River Valley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A look at what is happening onboard the Viking Torgil <\/em>today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can tell by the Viking Daily<\/em><\/strong> program, boredom is not an option. You can also tell that there is more than one choice for how to spend this stunning Saturday in October in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The obvious choice is to relax in the morning and participate in the five-hour long included shore excursion tour in the afternoon. But, should you want, you can elect to skip the tour altogether and remain aboard Viking Torgil<\/em> as she sails from Regua to Pinhao. The choice is yours; no one will \u201cforce\u201d you to do anything you don\u2019t want to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, why you\u2019d want to pass up an afternoon as fascinating as this is admittedly beyond me. For this fall day in October, Viking has assembled a tour-de-force shore excursion schedule that includes a stop at the 18th<\/sup> century Mateus Palace<\/strong> and Quinta de Sexio \u2013 <\/strong>home of the famous Sandeman <\/strong>brand of port wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Located in the village of Vila Real, <\/strong>the Mateus Palace was begun in 1739 and completed four years later in 1743. It\u2019s a sprawling, almost Versailles-like mansion that would not look out of place with the chateaux\u2019s of Bordeaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were treated to a tour of the Mateus Palace\u2019s elaborate interiors. The mansion still serves as a private residence to this day, so only a portion of the palace actually remains open to the public. Photography is forbidden inside the palace, so you\u2019ll just have to take my word that it is quite an elaborate sight, with raised wooden ceilings, authentic fixtures and furnishings, and books and documentation dating back hundreds of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I couldn\u2019t photograph the interiors, I was able to document the elaborate grounds and gardens that surround the palace:<\/p>\n\n\n\n After about 90 minutes at the Palace, we reboarded the “Amazing Coach” \u2013 as Coach Group A is now officially known \u2013 for the hour-long, white-knuckle, switchback drive up to the House of Sandeman. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a good time to mention the Viking team aboard the Amazing Coach, which is comprised of our always-smiling guide, Maria, and our bus driver. I don\u2019t even know the guy\u2019s real name, because the running joke has been that his name is actually Jessica. So Maria will introduce him as \u201cThe Amazing Jessica!\u201d, and he\u2019ll flick the coach\u2019s overhead bin lights on and off several times to say hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of my coach drivers and guide teams have been good (I\u2019d be hard-pressed to come up with one that wasn\u2019t), but Maria and \u201cJessica\u201d seem to have this down to a science. Jessica will encourage us to play small pranks on Maria (\u201cWhen she comes back, if she says the word \u201cAlmonds\u201d, you all shout, \u201cReally!?\u201d), while Maria will gently involve him like a good comedy act. \u201cLook to your left \u2013 not you, Jessica. You watch the road!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, the guests love this, and it seems like Maria and \u201cJessica\u201d love it, too. It\u2019s amazing how far a bit of light, friendly banter can go to creating a personable atmosphere when you travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the House of Sandeman, we were invited to sample two of the many port wines that Sandeman makes: the Sandeman White Porto<\/strong>; and the Sandeman Founder\u2019s Reserve Red Porto. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I wasn\u2019t entranced with the white port \u2013 it\u2019s an acquired taste \u2013 I did love and appreciate the Founder\u2019s Reserve Port. Which, conveniently, they sell in the gift shop located adjacent to the tasting room \u2013 which itself opens up onto a patio lined with the most magnificent view of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Douro River Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did I buy port? Yes. Sure, I can get Sandeman Port back in Canada, but not the varieties I purchased. Plus, I am a sucker for their branding, with the silhouette of the mysterious, Zorro-like figure on the front of the box. Port wines here start at \u20ac9.50 and go up well past \u20ac100. But even with the exchange rate, a bottle of port that costs under ten Euros here would retail for nearly $40 back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I were a better writer, I could have a fighting chance at being able to describe the wondrous feeling that comes with watching the sun set over the Douro River Valley, glass of ruby port in hand, as the last embers of Saturday, October 3, 2015 disappeared beyond the horizon. Taken as a whole, it\u2019s such a simple thing: I drank port wine in Portugal at sunset. That\u2019s it. But taken individually, each part of that sentence has meaning. I drank port wine in Portugal<\/em>. It\u2019s a very authentic, location-specific experience; as much as having Guinness in Ireland or eating souvlaki in Greece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So here\u2019s to the simplest things in life; the often-overlooked ones that get lost in the shuffle to find better wi-fi or post Facebook updates or take eighteen million selfie shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, it\u2019s good to just be present in that moment, and create the memory in your mind that will remain with you forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Viking Torgil - Portugal's River of Gold<\/h2>\n\n