Home of Port

6-7th August

Today I’ve arrived in Portugal, I think, I say I think as the fog is so thick I can barely see 50m, thank god for gps for without it I would be scuppered. Strangely the fog is only about 5m thick so you can see the sky perfectly. As I arrive in Vianna do Castelo I can see the Basilica on Monte de Santa Luzia high above the town, this is my destination tomorrow.
Vianna is the home of Port, “Portugese wine”, apparently it was first brought to the UK by fishermen who swapped their nets for port, which, because it has been fortified with brandy, lasts a lot longer than wine. English Merchants became wise to the possibilities so a formal trade began and this continued to flourish until the harbour could no longer take the larger ships so the trade was transferred to the next largest harbour which was Oporto. The town, which is spotless, has a lot of narrow cobbled streets with a few beautiful squares and an amazing number of old hardware stores just like “Arkwrights” I very nearly became addicted as I browse and how I came out with less them 5 new gadgets I just don’t know but reassuringly if my horse goes lame I have the perfect tool for the job!
In the early morning I walked through the gates up 630 steps through an aromatic eucalyptus forest to the top, fantastic views, I’m moored just by the bridge this side of the river. There is a new funicular up to the top and I took this back down where I found a restaurant serving the local speciality, goat stew with roast potatoes, then I sat in a café where I watched the fog roll in again.