The Duoro Valley train travels through the northeast suburbs of Porto before rejoining the river after about an hour. The Douro is known for its wine production, with vineyards dotting the hillsides as we headed up river.
The bridges across the river are either high above (the newer bridges), or at the same level as the train (the older bridges). The valley is so narrow that many of the houses are built right next to the tracks.
After Regua, we pass through Pinhão (1). Upriver from Pinhão, the valley sides become steeper and more wild. The river is allowed to run free in a few spots here (2), giving a sense of the challenges the boat crew would have faced bringing barrels of port down river (and getting back up river for the next load).
The train ends at Pocinho, where the engine goes to the other end of the train for the ride back down the valley. I rode back to Pinhão,
where I was hoping to kayak the Douro, but it was not in season.
While there are 5 wineries within walking distance of the train, I visited only 1. I demurred on the flight of port and tried some wine instead, while the server regaled me on where exactly in the valley the grapes were grown, &c. I staggered the 300+ meters back to the station, and rode back to Porto.
After visiting an outdoors store to prepare for a hike tomorrow, I went looking for a restaurant with Fado (Portuguese Music). They either closed at 7:00 or 7:30 (which would have rushed me), or did not open until 8:00 (which would have left me starving). I found a place that sang Fado at 7:00 in a cellar but did not serve food. I was hoping to get some chicken piri-piri after the show, but the piri-piri place closed at 9:00 (3).
(1) Pronounced peen-yow. Pocinho is pronounced poe-seen-you.
(2) The river is dammed in many places, creating a series of linear lakes.
(3) Having visited Spain multiple times, and even spent 3 months teaching in Portugal, I still have not figured out when people eat and when restaurants are open on the Iberian Peninsula.
Back on the Douru heading up river
At Pocinho Station
Pocinho is 171.5 Km from Porto
Views from the South Bank
Crossing the river
Scenes above Pinhão
Waiting for the up train at Tua (4).
At Pinhão Station
View from the winery
View of Gaia (on the south side of the river) from Porto after the Fado show
(4) Most of the Douro Valley is single track, necessitating passing stations like Tua. When there are double tracks in Portugal, the trains stay to the left (like driving in England) (a) even on the Lisbon Metro (b).
(a) And some of the commuter trains in Chicago.
(b) But not the Porto Metro, which stays to the right because it is more like a series of trams that mainly operate at street levels, with occasional tunnels. Roughly like the Green Line in Boston.
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