in which we reach the wine region

We spent three days in the Douro valley in a beautiful old cottage perched at the top of a little village, which afforded some pretty stunning views across the valley, especially from the pool. Although the view from our balcony where we enjoyed freshly baked cakes and fruit every morning wasn't too bad either. The Portuguese tradition of cake for breakfast was most certainly something I could become accustomed to. We also made great friends with a cuddly little fellow Barry, who thoroughly enjoyed lounging poolside and reading too!

It turned out we were incredibly lucky to be there in the spring, enjoying spectacular fields of flowers and pretty incredible weather. We enjoyed a few walks around the area and the views around each and every corner were majestic.

Apart from being famous for grape growing, the Douro also has some immense history. The small village was surrounded by Roman ruins and small hilltop castles. Nearby there is also a rich collection of prehistoric rock art - engravings of various creatures in granite. They have also built a pretty striking museum in the nearby town filled with historic information about the region. We found it hard to go past the view from the cafe, where they also happened to make a pretty mean espresso and portuguese tart!