Categories
Spain/Portugal

Porto and the Wine Lodges

VISIT PORTUGAL’S SECOND CITY

The town of Porto stretches for nine kilometres along the north shore of the Douro, at the point where the river merges with the Atlantic Ocean. Seen from the opposite river bank, from Vila da Gaia, Porto’s time-worn houses seem to puncture the granite bluffs like red-roofed swallow’s nests.  Portugal’s second city is densely populated,  and its manufacturing complexes and suburbs stretch into the hills, but the old town, the designated heritage site, is tidily compact and easily explored. The atmosphere of the late middle ages survives in the network of narrow streets and alleys tumbling down to the riverfront.  The first royal customs house, the 16th century building on the Rua da Alfandega, is said to be where Prince Henry the Navigator was born in 1594.

 The shadowy streets and tiny shops of the old town centre, along with the colourful waterfront of Porto’s Ribeira district, make for very satisfactory sightseeing in themselves, but there’s much more to see. Visit the 12th century fortress- cathedral and the 18th century former prison, which is now Portugal’s Photography Centre.  Climb the 240 steep steps to the top of 18th century Tower of Clerigos – the ‘symbol’ of Porto- for one of Porto’s best views.  Afterwards, cross the street to Lello’s bookshop for a glass of Port or a coffee. It has been described as  ‘the prettiest bookshop in the world’.  Step into the entrance hall of the Sao Bento Railway Station to view the panorama in tile that covers the walls from floor to ceiling.   Take a taxi to Boavista to visit the severely beautiful contemporary art museum set in the gardens of Serralves.  And while you’re in Boavista, make up your own mind about the controversial Casa da Musica. To me it looked like a cement fist bursting up through the pavement.

Back in the centre of the historic old town, not even the most uncommitted tourist should miss the Igreja de Sao Francisco. Gothic on the outside, baroque on the inside, it took hundreds of kilos of gold to make the interior of this plain-faced church look as if it were carved out of a solid gold nugget.   Literally around the corner is the entrance to the extraordinary mid-19th century stock exchange, the Palacio da Bolsa. You must join a guided tour to see the highlights but they include the stupendous Arab Room inspired by the Alhambra in Granada. This opulent ballroom is where Porto’s debutantes were once introduced to society and is now where visiting dignitaries are entertained.

Also inside the Palacio, you can watch a craftsman in a tiny atelier painstakingly producing Porto’s time-honoured gold filigree jewellery. When I was there, examples of his work included an enormous gold pendant priced at 345 euro and a small golden bowknot at 54 euro.

The art of the goldsmith has a long tradition in Porto. In  1521 the king, Dom Manuel I, ordered that a new street be built – Rua das Flores – with shops beneath and apartments above for the many goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewellers and shopkeepers of the wealthy, cosmopolitan city. Rua das Flores still retains its 16th century atmosphere with azulejo-clad facades, iron balconies and ornamental shop names.

This street, like all the streets in the Ribeira area, eventually slides back down to the river.  Here are the waterfront cafes and restaurants, the cheerful souvenir shops, the moorings for riverboats that offer an hour’s tour under the six bridges. A turn to the left brings you along the Cais de Ribeira to the two-level Dom Luis I bridge linking Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia where the port wine is stored. The views from the upper pedestrian walkway of the bridge are superb and those from the walkway on the lower level are almost as good.

But if the view from the top of the bridge is worth the vertigo, and the view from the tower of Clergos is worth the climb, the view of Porto from Vila Nova da Gaia is worth the journey!    Enjoy it from the grassy promenade that leads along the waterfront and from the restaurants and cafes that line the Rua Dr. Antonio Grenjo.  In the foreground are the picturesque old flat boats that once transported the casks of wine from the vineyards further up the Rio Douro. Now they bounce at their moorings, their dangerous work taken over by tanker trucks. Once a year those that are still seaworthy compete in a good-natured race, crewed by company officials.

Across the road from the promenade are some of the 37 port wine lodges of Vila Nova da Gaia. Other lodges range behind them on the hill.  In these cool dark buildings the wine from the designated Douro region ages in mammoth oaken casks until the addition of brandy stops the fermentation. Carefully judged periods of maturation – from three years to more than 20 years- produce the range of ports:  ruby, tawny, late bottled vintage and the sublime ‘vintage’. The wine lodge tour guide will walk you through the process and reward your attention with sips of the final products.

The export trade in port wine began in 1678 and became firmly established following a treaty between Portugal and England in 1703. Many of the port lodges belong to English families still. The house of Sandeman, for example was established by the Scotsman, George Sandeman in 1790 and is currently directed by his namesake, the seventh generation to manage the firm. The Sandeman lodge on Rua Dr. Antonio Grenjo includes a unique Port Museum tracing the history of port wine. It’s open 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2.00 pm to 5.00pm every day of the week April to October but closed weekends November through March.

About half of Vila Nova da Gaia’s storehouses are open to visitors for a tour and a tasting.  Opening days and hours vary. A booklet with all the details, published by the Port Wine Association, is available free from their headquarters at Rua Dr. Antonio Granjo 207.    

Staying there: The four-star Casa Branca ‘Beach and Golf Hotel’ in Vila Nova da Gaia overlooks the Praia de Lavadores, the erstwhile ‘beach of the washer women’. The washerwomen are long gone and their beach transformed by a modest promenade, which runs between the hotel and the rocky shore.   The Casa Branca is tranquil, secluded and only a short taxi ride away from the Old Town, the port wine lodges and several golf courses www.casabranca.com.

Getting there: Porto has an international airport. Vila Nova da Gaia is a comfortable 3-hour train journey from Lisbon.

Categories
Spain/Portugal

Tee off in the Azores

GREAT VIEWS, PRISTINE COURSES

The Azores are a group of nine islands off the coast of Portugal . Way off. In fact, they are one third of the way to the United States. Volcanic islands, they surged from the sea millennia ago. The crest of Pico, rising 2,351 metres high out of the Atlantic, is the highest spot in Portugal.  Until recently they’ve been known principally as a sort of stepping stone in the Atlantic, a convenient port of call for everyone from Christopher Columbus to today’s long-distance yachtsmen.

Warmed by the Gulf Stream and favoured by an almost constant ridge of high pressure, the climate is temperate ranging from about 11 to 25C.If you knew the Algarve, back before the building boom transformed it, you’ll know what to expect:  a laid-back holiday with golf the primary attraction and seafood the daily dish.

There are two magnificent courses on Sao Miguel, the main island:  the 27 hole Batalha Golf Course designed by Cameron and Powell and the 18 hole Furnas Golf Course designed by MacKenzie Ross (9 holes) and Cameron Powell (9 holes).  Admittedly you’d want to bring your wets to play them, but that’s the price you pay for courses of dazzling lush green, with vistas so remarkable they could take your mind off your game. They are still so under utilised that they may be the most pristine you’ll ever set foot on.

The Batalha and Furnas, along with their clubhouses, are managed  by Verde Golf, part of Oceanico Developments, which is already a familiar name in the Algarve.

The proximity of the Batalha course to the San Miguel airport at Ponta Delgada is a big plus.  From hotel in to course is a mere 15-minute drive and you’ll tee off virtually without delay.

Take a break from golf and enjoy a bit of whale and dolphin watching. Ferry to the nearby island of Faial and join one of the  whale-watching boat trips leaving from the harbour at Horta. In June, July and August they make two trips a day, 8:30 and 16:30. While you’re on Horta be sure to stop at Peter’s Café for one of his famous gin and tonics. Horta is a stop on the international sailing circuit.  A long section of the marina is patterned with colourful paintings done by ship’s crews… a superstition holds it’s bad luck to depart Horta without ‘leaving your mark.’

Try out the other islands too, Hire a car, the roads are good and traffic light to non-existant.   Soak in a thermal pool. Walk or bike for miles in landscapes alive with wild hydrangea, camellia and azalea. Buy local cheeses. Try some of the wine produced on tiny pockets of earth parceled off in a network of lava –stonewalls. Enjoy a meal steamed in a geyser. Eat seafood everywhere. The flavour and texture of the fish from this unpolluted sea is unforgettable,

Staying There:

The nearest hotel to the Ponta Delgada airport and to the Batalha course is a modern 211-room 4 star hotel at the upper edge of town, the VIP Executive, Rotunda de Sao Goncalo Papa Terra, 9500 Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel; email: crs@viphotels.com. Website: www.viphotels.com

The Camoes Hotel is a 35-room, four star hotel in a restored 19th century building.  In the centre of the old town it’s further from airport and golf course by 20 minutes or so but close to shops and a variety of restaurants. Camoes Hotel, Largo do Camoes 38, 9500-304 Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel; email: info@hotelcomoes.net; website: www.hotelcamoes.net

Categories
Spain/Portugal Welcome

More to See in Barcelona

If you’re already familiar with Barcelona’s five top tourist sights, what next?

1) If you’ve seen the Sagrada Familia, then visit a secular masterpiece of Modernista architecture the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Another of Barcelona’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites this one was designed by Lluis Domènech i Montaner in 1903 to express his belief in architecture as therapy. It is still a fully functioning hospital (though it appeared as language school in Woody Allen’s film, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’) Guided tours in English at 10:15 and 12:15 daily.  www.santpau.es

2)If you’ve visted the Cathedral of Barcelona with its ornately carved organ stalls, discover Santa Maria del Mar, the church beloved by Barcelona’s residents.  Despite being torched by anarchists in 1936 this medieval basilica with its beautiful 15th century rose window, still exudes an impressive serenity. The building of the church during the Spanish Inquisition is the background to a prize-winning novel  ‘The Cathedral of the Sea’ (lldefonso Falcones 2006).

3)If you know the Boqueria Market. wander through the Mercat Santa Caterina, just down the street from the Cathedral. From a distance you will spot the huge undulating canopy – a mosaic of 325,000 multicoloured Spanish tiles- that stylishly covers what was a rundown neo-classic market.   Enric Miralles who also worked on the Scottish Parliament Building was one of the building’s designers.

4)If you’ve been to the Picasso Museum, take the funicular up to Monjuic to the splendid Fundació Joan Miró. Housed in one of the word’s outstanding museum buildings (designed by Sert) Miró’s vibrant abstracts have a worthy home. Calder’s ‘Mercury Fountain’, a tribute to the mercury miners of Almaden, is here too.

5) If you’ve walked the length of the Ramblas.  you surely will find yourself walking it again.  Built over a dried-up riverbed it is itself like a river – its population of strolling pedestrians, bizarre living statues, flowers, birds and small animals for sale is constantly changing.  And look for the inlaid mosaics by Joan Miró. .. a large white circle bordered in grey with blue and yellow circles within  it. The artist’s signature is on a tile on the perimeter.

Categories
Spain/Portugal

More to see in Barcelona

If you’re already familiar with Barcelona’s five top tourist sights, what next?

1) If you’ve seen the Sagrada Familia, then visit a secular masterpiece of Modernista architecture the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Another of Barcelona’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites this one was designed by Lluis Domènech i Montaner in 1903 to express his belief in architecture as therapy. It is still a fully functioning hospital (though it appeared as language school in Woody Allen’s film, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’) Guided tours in English at 10:15 and 12:15 daily.  www.santpau.es

2)If you’ve visted the Cathedral of Barcelona with its ornately carved organ stalls, discover Santa Maria del Mar, the church beloved by Barcelona’s residents.  Despite being torched by anarchists in 1936 this medieval basilica with its beautiful 15th century rose window, still exudes an impressive serenity. The building of the church during the Spanish Inquisition is the background to a prize-winning novel  ‘The Cathedral of the Sea’ (lldefonso Falcones 2006).

3)If you know the Boqueria Market. wander through the Mercat Santa Caterina, just down the street from the Cathedral. From a distance you will spot the huge undulating canopy – a mosaic of 325,000 multicoloured Spanish tiles- that stylishly covers what was a rundown neo-classic market.   Enric Miralles who also worked on the Scottish Parliament Building was one of the building’s designers.

4)If you’ve been to the Picasso Museum, take the funicular up to Monjuic to the splendid Fundació Joan Miró. Housed in one of the word’s outstanding museum buildings (designed by Sert) Miró’s vibrant abstracts have a worthy home. Calder’s ‘Mercury Fountain’, a tribute to the mercury miners of Almaden, is here too.

5) If you’ve walked the length of the Ramblas.  you surely will find yourself walking it again.  Built over a dried-up riverbed it is itself like a river – its population of strolling pedestrians, bizarre living statues, flowers, birds and small animals for sale is constantly changing.  And look for the inlaid mosaics by Joan Miró. .. a large white circle bordered in grey with blue and yellow circles within  it. The artist’s signature is on a tile on the perimeter.

AND FOR SOMETHING REALLY DIFFERENT 

If you have a PADI scuba diving certificate and four hours free on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday morning you can swim with the sharks in Barcelona’s famous aquarium, one of the largest in Europe.  

The session begins with a safety briefing and a class on sharks, their habits and how to recognise the different species.  You will be sharing 4 million litres of water with 15 of them as well as with over 80 different species of fish on a 30-minute dive.

The fee of €300 includes free access to the aquarium for up to two people to accompany you and take photographs of your swim with the sharks.

Book online at www.aquariumbcn.com

or telephone 93 221 74 74 (Bookings Dept.); by email at acuarios.ow@aquariumbcn.com

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Categories
Spain/Portugal

Algarve Dreamworld

It’s hard to believe that a haven of beauty can still exist just minutes from the tourist-trampled Algarve coast. By the time you reach Albufeira on the 125 Motorway to Portomao you are in the land of the ‘Full English Breakfast’ and ‘Karaoke tonight!’ Will a short detour really lead you not only to a small hotel in a quiet location, but to the only kitchen in Portugal to merit two Michelin stars? It does. Drive on for ten minutes more, up past a sheep farm, around the elbow of a small vineyard and then through the gates of the Vila Joya.

The rules of engagement are set out immediately. You are being invited to enter a kind of dream world where everything is designed for your pleasure. The serene vila itself, in its lush garden setting, is like a miniature Moorish palace, the man in the flowing white robes who greets you on the steps is the ‘Maitre de Plaisir’. He will remember your name and, soon, your preferred aperitif. Joya means ‘jewel box’ and that expresses the ambience well. Against the white plaster walls of the light filled entrance hall, there’s a darkly upholstered antique Portuguese couch, under the sweep of the staircase, rows of books in every language.  And from the hall you get your first impressive view of the broad, blue Atlantic.

Originally a private home, the family established the Vila Joya as a

 five star hotel some 20 years ago. Joy Jung, the founder’s daughter, manages it now, carefully preserving the elegant and artistic atmosphere her parents created. There are 12 bedrooms and five suites in the vila and guests who have been returning every season, some for two decades, will have their favourites.What they have in common is that each has a private terrace overlooking the vila’s subtropical garden and an unobstructed view of the ever-changing ocean.

The Vila’s spa is an oasis of relaxation, staffed by skilled Asian therapists.

In this privileged world there are really only two pressing questions: how will you spend your day, and what will the chef propose for dinner? The vila is surrounded by golf courses, 12 of them in fact, in four of which Vila Joya’s guests pay substantially reduced green fees. But there’s also tennis, riding at a nearby stable (where you can try the paces of a Lusitanian horse), yachting, walking the long ochre beaches fringing the vila’s property, or driving into the hills to see some of the prettiest villages in Portugal. But surprisingly often, as Joy told me, visitors ultimately decide to do nothing more than stretch out on a chaise lounge, dabble in the vila’s curvaceous, heated swimming pool – and wait for dinner.

There is no denying that diner is a focus here, a ‘grande finale’ to the Vila Joya day. Whether served indoors in the elegant terra cotta and cream dining room, or outdoors with the garden and the sea before you it is orchestrated to perfection. Austrian Chef Dieter Kochina has been defending his two Michelin stars here for many years. Everything is perfection beginning with the evening’s handwritten menu beside your place at your candlelit table.  There will be at least six courses,  and each will be served on exquisite dinnerware. The wine recommendations are described and discussed with engaging clarity by the  sommelier. Soft classical music merges with the sound of the Atlantic surf. After dinner you may linger for a final drink before the fire in the sitting room, or in the bar with its overtones of Casablanca.

In the morning, you tell yourself, you’ll make a start on those activities. Or on the other hand, maybe not.

To book, visit the website: vilajoya.com