Celebrating the 70's - A chronicle of time and temperature

Monday 30^th September to Friday 4^th October 2024

A travel day today with a speedy taxi to Madrid Aeroporto and a faultless check in to both Emirates for Andrew and Iberian for Flashy. The Madrid to Oporto trip is 45 minutes and it’s a small jet. And there’s always someone isn’t there? Clearly, all the big cabin bags go in the hold. They take them off you before you board, even at the steps to the plane. Well, here’s this dickhead and his stupid wife refusing to give up their huge “cabin bags” at the foot of the stairs in the hot Spanish sun. Luckily, the hosties were having none of it and they eventually went grumbling up the stairs with their other “cabin bags”. They barely fitted in the overheads. Idiots.

The Exe Almada hotel in Porto is very well located in the old city and once arrived, a simple dinner in the restaurant across the road was the go. There were probably 80 pax on the first floor and down stairs with me, were another three single diners. A few backpacks and Camino shells around.

Tuesday

Christopher and Woody arrived mid morning from Singapore and once settled in, we went for a walk and a few beers. It has started raining here and the streets are slippery and plenty of hilly streets. A boat across the river took us to Taylors Port cave and a tasting of five Ports. Flashy enjoyed all of them. The lads not so much.

Wednesday

Raining again. Apparently, October is wet in Porto and by the sound of things it’s wet all up the Galician coast, giving the pilgrims a decent dousing of cold Atlantic rain. In the afternoon, we did a three hour Gourmet Food Walking Tour which started in light rain. Flashy the only one of the team with an umbrella, long trousers and warm jacket.

The tour was led by Christina, who walked faster than Lady P. Hard to believe that’s possible. Nonetheless, the tour was a lot of fun and a lot of food. At the end, the two drowned rats took to the room to shower and change and we went in search of beer and ‘real wine.’

We did find both at a Portuguese chicken joint that cooked over hot coals. It was fantastic and we also had two bottles their Reserve Douro red and still walked away at less than 90 Euro. Happy campers.

Thursday

A big day, with a full tour of three wineries and lunch in the Douro Valley booked. Our guide was 15 minutes late and we gave him buggary all day for it. His name was Eauo, pronounced like John. His last name meant ‘Rock’ in English, so naturally we called him Johnny Rock. He was the funniest guide in history, with commentary and over the top acting. We loved him and didn’t stop laughing. There were 18 on our bus. Mostly Americans. Four Canadians and two young ladies from Melbourne.

An 8.45 am departure, followed by 1.5 hours on the bus, initially in very heavy traffic took us up towards the Douro. John was promising karaoke on the bus for the return!

The countryside is very rugged and we also went through the longest tunnel in the country (3.8 kms). Our wineries were chosen because they were small, family run businesses, and the owners were amazing people. Very friendly and generous.

This time we sampled more than Port, with the whites, rose and reds very good quality wines. Lads finally happy.

Lunch started at the last winery at 3.00 pm, (traditional Portuguese and Spanish eating time and very much hated by us) in the beautiful gardens and was a simple soup and salad (Americans happy) followed by either salted cod pasta or a mushroom risotto and pork medallions. Both were very tasty meals and the wine flowed freely.

After lunch, we were treated to another Port tasting in their cellars. Christopher refused their offer and almost offended them. Luckily, he admitted the 30 year old Tawny was ‘smooth’. On the bus at 4.30 pm and there was some concern as to a comfort stop on the return journey. We’d been drinking all day after all. “No, it’s a freeway,” was the response.

By 6.30 pm we were in a traffic jam, 15 kms from home. Johnny Rock had entertained us with his falsetto singing of girl pop songs. Hilarious!

Some in our party were beyond bursting point at this stage, so we jumped ship at the first stop, followed a couple to their hotel and made the toilet in time. Now refreshed, we had a cold beer and walked back towards our hotel.

We had heard about this small restaurant, seats only 18, takes only cash and serves suckling pig. That’s us, we thought. A walk in the mist up slippery cobbled streets and we found it. We ordered their red wine – only one choice (wine red in English) and pretty average and a platter of suckling pig. This of course, was delicious.

Home to our little bar in the hotel. They had run out of red wine, ice, whiskey and God only knows what else. Christopher helpfully suggested that maybe someone should run out and buy some. We managed to drain the last of the red and had the last drop of their whisky, then to bed.