The Adventures of A & D: Provesende-Salamanca

On Saturday, we had a lovely cruise up the river. The Duoro is only able to be navigated during the day as there some very tight areas and there are a number of locks that you have to pass. One of the locks had very tight clearance to leave. You can see how close Darren came to the top.

On Sunday morning, we boarded busses to go to a small town, Provesende. We had some great views getting to the top of the Duoro valley. Provesende is only home to 300 people, however, it use to be a big center for wine production and trade. In the 1800s grape phylloxera from North America infected the vines in Europe killing 70-90% of them. The solution was to graft the American roots onto European vines but that took time. As such, most of the town of Provesende had to move to find work and many did not come back when wine production resumed. So there were many abandoned homes and businesses from the 1800s.

We walked through the town and got to visit the local bakery. This baker makes all his bread without electricity as has been done in the past. Usually we would get to see him at in action but he does not work Sundays.

We then went to Morgadio Da Calcaa winery. This winery has been in the same family for many generations. We got to tour their manor house and then try a glass of their white port.

I have learned there is more than just red port. There is white and rose port too. In addition, white port can be sweet or dry. This one was dry. I think of the ports I’ve tried, I prefer the sweet white port.

We then had time to wander the town. We had some terrific views of the valley. The rest of the afternoon was spent sailing the final leg up the river.

Dinner on the ship has been amazing. Chef Joao and restaurant manager Artur have done an amazing job keeping us fed. We never go hungry here!

Monday was our day trip to Salamanca. This city is across the border in Spain. It is was 2 hours from our boat so we took a bus, making one stop along the way.

Salamanca is know as a university town. Founded in 1218, the University of Salamanca is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and one of the oldest in Western Europe. It transformed the city into a legendary hub of intellectualism.

We started with a local tour guide who took us to the city's central market and then to the old city describing its university roots and the legends. We also visited the two connected cathedrals. CATEDRAL Vieja and CATEDRAL Nueva (the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral). Both were stunning.

Plaza Mayor is considered one of the most beautiful public squares in Spain. This grand Baroque plaza serves as the living room of the city. Lined with restaurants, cafes, and arched galleries featuring medallions of Spanish historical figures.