Things have been so busy here at the Malone Casa. Ok busy in my terms which means we have 1-2 social engagements a week lol. I am so thankful that Mike and I are not go-go kinds, we truly jive together with our go-go goals :-) However, retired life is for exploring and adventures so we are always pushing each other to do a little more than our comfort zone.

Last week we had the pleasure of spending time with two lovely friends from the US, Julie and Scott. Scott and Mike worked together for over 20 years. It was delightful to host them in our home a few days as well as meet up with them in Northern Portugal. We took the train to Porto, spent a night in Porto then spent a night in the Douro Valley. I will briefly share our experience with all these adventures.

The train is the way to travel in Europe. This is a new experience for us as we did not use any form of public transportation in California. I will never forget our first train ride to Lisbon. We thought we were all that, and we purchased first-class tickets for the journey. As I mentioned earlier, I am not used to train travel so I had no idea what to expect. The joke was on us!!! There is little to no difference when you pick first-class seats on the CP train here in Portugal. You do get to pick your seat vs random seat assignments so that is a bonus, but the train is never full, so not sure that matters. It was only a few dollars more so I should not have been surprised. We still try and book first-class each time we take the train just so we can sit together but I no longer expect drink service and a warm towel to wash my hands lol The pros of traveling by train are you get to see the wonderful countryside. Mike enjoys the views because he is usually the driver so he misses so much. Another benefit is you do not have to deal with parking. Parking in Portugal is not always easy so it is a worry we can leave at home. Lastly, traveling by train is affordable. In Portugal, we have a lot of toll roads, and they can be costly depending on where you are going. The biggest con of traveling by train is that the schedules change frequently. If you are on a tight schedule you more than likely will run into bumps. Thankfully that is not something that happens to us too often as we rarely have a set schedule. Another con at least for me personally is that when using public transportation you have to deal with the public lol. I guess I am showing my age here but it bothers me on a large level to sit on the train and listen to someone talk on their phone non stop or listen to a podcast without earphones. Yep I am that person that glares at them.

Once we arrived in Porto we took an Uber to our hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto). Ubers are hit and miss here but we lucked out and grabbed one right away. We love Vila Nova but this time we were a tad annoyed with the crowds. This time of year ( September ) is still a busy season and the streets showed it. If you can get past the crowds the area has a lot of cute things to see. We normally like to stay in Vila Nova vs Porto because it is less crowded. The two areas are within walking distance, with the Douro River separating them. Vila Nova is a little more touristy with knick-knack stalls all along the river and port tasting booths everywhere. It is a cute area but we have been there a few times and I think we are burnt out on it. Our guests enjoyed it and that is what is important. There is a bridge there that connects the two areas and it is fun to walk over it and watch the young boys have fun jumping into the river from the bridge. We laugh because there is no way that would happen in the US because of liability. Here in Portugal if you take a risk it is on you. :-)

Both Vila Nova and Porto have a lot to see and it is worth a visit if you are in Portugal. Be aware that in the winter months it does rain a lot and it does get chilly. My suggestion would be do some research and skip the tourists spots. Be prepared to walk uphill as it is a very hilly area. Some of the best streets are the ones you accidentally wander through so leave the maps at home.

We enjoyed a lovely meal in Porto but it was not without frustration. For some reason the further north I seem to travel in Portugal the harder it is to find gluten-free food. I think a lot of this is on me as the language barrier seems to be a little harder in this area. If you have dietary restrictions, do your homework then be prepared for hiccups.

The last leg of the mini adventure was an overnight to the beautiful Douro Valley Wine Region. We have been there before but it will never be a place we tire of. Thankfully we were recommended a fabulous tour guide in the region who truly made the trip memorable. Daniele has lived in Douro his whole life and he knew all the beautiful spots to take us to. We enjoyed a fantastic wine tasting at the family winery, Quinta Senhora da Graça. We enjoyed lovely views, fantastic wines, great conversations with mom and son and occasional cuddles from the family dog Scuba. Next we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Aneto Bistro. The food was top notch and once again the wine was out of this world and the round table conversation left smiles on all of our faces. After our bellies were full we slowed it down a little and enjoyed an hour boat tour on the Douro River. The views along this river will forever stay packed away in our memories. Time to drink again :-) Our last winery of the day was up on top of a hill with fantastic views and miles of vines. This also was a family winery caled Gueda Winery. This family has been making wine for many generations. Currently, a sister and brother run the operations and it was a delight to sit and listen to the history of this wine-making family. The wines were all wonderful and they served GF snacks along with the tasting, score! After our tasting, we strolled the vineyard and tasted grapes right off the vines as Daniel gave us valuable information on the area.

At this point in the day, we are getting tired but not to tired to drive to one of the highest points in Douro Valley and watch a kick-ass sunset. Daniel knew just where to take us and it was a sunset I will probably never forget. Looking down on the river and the Douro Valley landscape is hard to describe. It is not to be missed if you are in Portugal, trust me. The last stop was dinner at a local mom-and-pop bistro, one of Daniels’s favorites. The owners were kind and attended to our every need while their daughters played throughout the cafe. I love all the mom-and-pop places you find in Portugal.

Time for bed. We were all exhausted but had such big smiles on our faces. It was truly a kick ass day and we are so thankful we were able to spend it with Julie, Scott and Daniel. The night ended in a cute little cottage that Daniel had recommended. It was just what we needed, it was clean, close and comfortable. It was right across from a cemetery which I thought would be weird but it was strangely beautiful. What a fantastic few days, we count our blessings everyday.

Mini adventures can be the best. Have you taken a mini adventure in your neck of the woods lately?

Enjoy the photo dump of the mini adventure.