Douro valley

Upstream from Porto (50 mins by car) is the stunning Douro Valley, spread across 61,000 acres of mountains and rivers, and home to Portugal’s most famous port and table wines. I had booked a daytrip through Air BnB for a small group tour and it was amazing. You must do this if you come here, I guarantee you will have the best day. Our guide Manuel picked us up early this morning, apologising profusely for the traffic jam (a bus was blocking the road…..not what I would call a jam 🙂 ), and we headed out of the city. Manuel created this experience after the global financial crisis in 2008 resulted in losing his job, and he needed to create a new income. ‘Well you know I believe that if you put good things out in the world, good things come back to you, so I love to meet people and I love to show off our beautiful country, so it was the perfect thing to do, and people seem to love it. Already I have hosted 3500 people, and I have a 5 star rating and everyone is happy so I think I am doing ok’. I think he is doing more than ok! and he is a wonderful example of creating opportunity from difficulty, and following your passion. The tour he has created also employs his three sons, his cousin, several nephews, and some of his best friends. And it was the best day. As we wound our way through the mountains I could see terraced vineyards in every direction, planted on such steep terrain that everything has to be done by hand as no machines could manage. The harvest finished in October, so now it is winter the vines are being pruned (by hand). After a cruise on the river (sipping vintage port and tasting local tapas), Manuel took us to the oldest vineyard in the valley to taste their special port, before driving to a village at the summit of a mountain for an incredible lunch with local wines, and a wander through the town. Describing it now it sounds very simple, but the attention to detail Manuel has put into this experience is outstanding, and the feeling of satisfaction and happiness we all had as we headed back to Porto can only be compared to the post Christmas lunch feeling of total relaxation, when you’re full with good food and wine, and feeling you have had the best day with lovely people. Please give Manuel my regards when you come, and call him Papa which will make him laugh 🙂