After an excellent bike ride along the sea front at an early hour and before the rain swept in we upped sticks quickly to drive N108 up the magnificent Douro valley. The river is deep, relatively wide and set within steep sides so that the countryside came right down to the waters edge. No water meadows here. The port wine vineyards are well up the valley beyond Regua where the terraces support the vines. Further on, the terrain became more open and less vegetated but none the less impressive. Gradually, the vines gave way to olive and cherry trees but with oranges also growing by the side of the road. The N108 itself was high above the river although we crossed it three times and extremely bendy. The Duchess took it in her stride but at her own pace.
Aiming for a campsite at the end of the main valley which we then realised was not yet open, we carried on eastwards to Braganza, just 20 miles from the Spanish border. The site chosen was quiet and in beautifully wooded slopes. We enjoyed a convivial hour with the owner Arnaldo who was interesting and was studying Adam Smith's 'Wealth of Nations'!
Left to right: Morning at Porto; Rio Douro; The magnificent Douro; Port wine country; M2 relaxes with a friend; Arnaldo at Cepo Verde
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