Back Roads & Wines of Portugal

October 1 - 14, 2008

ITINERARY

Day 1
From the Lisbon Airport we drive north to the lovely town of Tomar, where we check into our manor house, our home for two nights. Tomar stretches along the banks of the Nabão River at the foot of a wooded hill crowned by a fortified castle built in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar. After lunch we take a tour of the impressive Convento de Cristo. Dating from the 12th century, this outstanding group of buildings represents a museum of different Portuguese architectural styles. Back at our manor home we relax before a delicious home cooked dinner of Estremadura specialties, served in the family dining room.

Day 2
In the morning our guide, Carla, takes us to visit the famous monastery of Batalha, a masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic architecture. We enjoy lunch at the seaside resort of Nazaré and in the afternoon visit the site of the miracles of Fatima. Upon returning to our villa, our hosts treat us to an entertaining cooking class where we learn to create delicious regional specialties.

Day 3
Drive to Alcácer do Sal, an ancient town founded in the 6th century B.C. We visit the imposing castle and then have a history lesson at a café along the riverside promenade. Crossing the Alentejo plain, we stop in Viana do Alentejo, an interesting historic town with a Moorish influence. We arrive in Portel, where we check into a lovely country inn, our home for the next two nights. Elegant but rustic, this manor house is also a cooking school. Mmmm. Drive to Beja, visit the town and the ruins of a 4th century Roman villa in Sao Cucufate. Visit Herdade do Esporao and taste the best Alentejo wines before a gourmet dinner at our villa in Portel.

Day 4
Today we visit the Vila Nova de Foz Côa archeological site, the largest Paleolithic open air site in the world, where we see 20,000-year-old prehistoric rock drawings. In the afternoon, we take a cruise along the Douro River in a "Rabelo"-the traditional tasting. Back at our hotel we enjoy a "class" to learn which port wines go best with the world's finest chocolates.

Day 5
A visit to the flamboyant Solar de Mateus shows us an excellent example of Portuguese Baroque architecture. The palace is surrounded by gardens, tree covered walks, and allegorical statues. In the afternoon we have free time to relax at our hotel with a glass of port before dinner.

Day 6
After stopping in the picturesque town of Amarante, we drive to Guimarães, Portugal's first capital and home of the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques. After checking into our charming Pousada inn, we have a guided tour of the historic town and then free time for shopping before a wonderful dinner at the Pousada.

Day 7
Today we take an excursion to the colorful city of Porto, Portugal's second largest city, named for port wine. After a tour of the historic center of the city we have lunch overlooking the river, followed by a visit to the famous Offley Port winery. On the way back to Guimarães we visit the spectacular Baroque monument, the Santuario do Bom Jesus do Monte. The "Stairway of the Three Virtues" is an amazing sight-and to think the pilgrims used to climb it on their knees! We have dinner tonight in Guimarães and spend a second night at the Pousada.

Day 8
Today we drive south through the Beiras, Tras-os-Montes, and Estremadura regions into the Alentejo. Our fabulous Pousada for the night is in Marvão, a fortified medieval village perched high on top of a granite wall on a peak of the Serra de São Marmede mountain range. Marvão is exciting to explore, with its narrow streets and covered alleys climbing up to the 13th century castle. From the castle the view of the surrounding countryside is outstanding. We can easily see across the border into Spain.

Day 9
In the morning we visit the charming village of Castelo de Vide and then the famous royal stud horse farm of Alter do Chão. In Portel we check into a lovely villa, our home for the next two nights. Elegant but rustic, this manor house is also a cooking school. A tour of the Herdade do Esporao wine estate is followed by a tasting of excellent Alentejo wines. We enjoy a gourmet dinner at our villa in Portel.

Day 10
Today we have a cooking class at our villa and then take an excursion to visit the medieval walled town of Monsaraz, perched high on a hill above the River Guadiana. We return to Portel to enjoy a wonderful gourmet dinner of regional recipes we have prepared ourselves.

Day 11-12
In the morning we'll visit the Roman city of Evora with its perfectly preserved Roman temple, its unusual cathedral, and the macabre Chapel of Bones before driving to Sintra. We spend the next two days in beautiful Sintra, an enchanting hillside village of castles, quaint streets, and beautiful villas and palaces. On our last night we have a grand farewell dinner in an outstanding local gourmet restaurant.

Day 13
We drive to the Lisbon airport for the return flight home.