The Douro Valley

What a difference a day makes! 
After yesterday's all-day rain, today we have had glorious sunshine.  It was perfect for a trip in the Douro Valley. We were collected at 8.45am by Pedro,  our guide and driver for the day,  and were taken with two other couples staying at our Pousada, first to a viewpoint overlooking the river, and then further up the valley to a Quinta owned by a family of three brothers. 
Here we participated in tasting two wines and three ports which they produce. We also tasted a very fine olive oil pressed from the olives they grow. 
We were driven higher up the Douro valley, surrounded by terraces of  grape vines on every available surface!  We then took a short but restful cruise on the river which is the subject of my blip. We spotted a couple of Golden Orioles flying across the river.
Then it was on to lunch with a couple of other similar groups, in a property owned by Pedro's boss. We all sat convivially around a huge kitchen table enjoying a meal especially prepared for us. 
Then it was time to return to Porto, a drive of about two hours, arriving at our hotel at 6.20pm after a really lovely, if boozy,
day spent  in excellent company.