Throwback Wednesday

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Do you remember drinking Mateus rosé in the 60’s or 70’s? Well, I certainly do. We will soon take a trip down Memory Lane to Mateus Palace, which is pictured on the label above. But first, I will describe the morning’s activities.

A lecture on Portugal and the Douro Region was offered, but we did not attend. A second lecture, on cork, piqued my interest. Who could resist entering the lounge to see all the cork merch laid out by “The Cork Lady?” 

Cork trees belong to the oak family. It takes 25 years for a new tree to produce its first batch of cork. The cork is peeled off from the trunk from the ground up to the first branches, all the way around the trunk.It doesn’t hurt the tree to leave the trunk completely bare. After the first harvest, a cork tree will grow a new crop of cork in 7 to 9 years. When a trunk has been harvested, the last number of the year is painted on the tree so that farmers will know when it is time to harvest that tree again.

Portugal is the world’s leading producer of cork. There are cork shops (and wine shops) everywhere. Cork is lightweight, flexible, and buoyant. It is waterproof, flame-retardant, and decay-resistant. It offers thermal and acoustic insulation. I’ll drink to that!

Today we cast off from Vila Nova de Gaia and “sailed” to Lamego, where Viking Helgrim stopped briefly to disembark most of her passengers. While our boat continued on the river to Pinhão, the passengers traveled by bus to Mateus Palace.

Our boat passed through three locks today. The first lock we reached was part of a large dam.

  

At the biggest lock, the waiters passed out sangria during the transit.

The landscape along the route was hilly and verdant, and dotted with vineyards. 

At last we arrived at Mateus Palace and Gardens. It had been raining off and on. Now it was seriously raining. 

We had to walk to the palace from the gate. It was an impressive approach, even in the rain. Apparently, in Portugal, the word “palace” is not supposed to be used unless royalty has slept there. Thus, the Mateus Palace is not a true palace, even though it is called Mateus Palace. (I wonder if the Avenida Palace, our Lisbon hotel, is a legitimate palace.)

                                         

A second palace is reflected in the water as one nears the baroque mansion. But, wait, is that a body in the water? Is that a statue that fell over? 

The manor house was built around 1740. The reflecting lake was added in the 1950’s or 1960’s. The woman sleeping in the water is a sculpture installed in 1981.

The property is now owned by the Mateus Foundation, which is managed by descendants of the founders of the winery. The name Mateus comes from the location of the property. The family name is Albuquerque. Several family members still occupy a part of the manor house that is not open to the public.

After a while the rain stopped enough for us to wander in the formal garden for a bit.

On the way back, our guide, Inês, kept talking about the amazing railroad station we were going to see in Pinhão. (Inês is a Viking crew member and will be the tour escort for our bus for the entire week.) By the time we got to Pinhão, it was pitch dark. Everyone was tired and wet and ready to get back to the boat. But we drove past the turnoff to the dock and kept going to “see” the railroad station. The station was deserted and there were no lights on. The bus slowed down, but we couldn’t see anything. Then we came to a dead end and the bus had to slowly back up for a so that we could find a place to turn around and return to the boat. Maybe Inês started doing this tour in summer when it was light out at 5:45, but, as they say, that train has left the station. 

Back on the boat in time for a cocktail before dinner. Hugo gives a very short talk on the next day’s port every night. The chef talks about the local specialties on the menu. Then Hugo gives us a hilarious Portuguese phrase of the day. A phrase to describe chaos is “O fim do Munda em cuecas,” which means “The end of the world in underpants.”

We had dinner with our group, which I will call “LuAnn’s Group” in honor of the person who organized this trip but could not come due to last-minute shoulder surgery. There are 14 of us, including Ken and me. We don’t all fit at one table, but we will eventually get a chance to sit with everyone else.  Six of them are people we have not met before, but everyone knows at least one other person.

The passengers at large are not especially diverse. I would guess that all are over 55 and most are over 65. All but one Asian couple are white. There are four New Zealanders, and the rest are Americans. There is a group of 8 LGBT women, and there is one trans woman traveling alone. No scooters, wheelchairs, or walkers, but  a few canes. This is not a good trip for anyone with mobility issues.

After dinner we did not go to the Music Quiz. It was a long day.

By the way, the shape of the Mateus bottle was inspired by the water flask used by Portuguese soldiers in World War I. The label has been updated and the wine has been tweaked to make it a little drier, but the bottle shape remains and they still use a real cork stopper.

Today’s travel tips

Number One: Don’t buy stamps from the shop where you buy postcards. They are likely to be stamps issued by a private mail service. I have not had good luck with these stamps in the past - the cards were never received. On the other hand, I have not had good luck trying to buy stamps at a real post office in Italy. The lines are unbelievable and they are sometimes out of international stamps. Just mail the postcards after you get home. 

I won’t have a travel tip every day, but I have two today. Number Two: People, if you are eating in a restaurant that has cloth napkins, for God’s sake, do not blow your nose in your napkin. You will leave it on the table. Eventually the server will pick it up without being of aware of what you did. Then the server will come to my table to bring me silverware or food. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen this happen.

Today’s “fabric” is cork. Arguably, cork is not a fabric, because it is not woven, knitted or felted, and it does not consist of fibers. However, it can be used like a fabric, so I would consider it a fabric, along with leather, when it functions as one. Here are some of the cork items displayed by the Cork Lady. The cork felt soft and smooth.

Cloak and Swagger

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Today we will be heading to Porto on our bus. Silvia, our excellent guide from yesterday, will accompany us today, also. 

Portuguese guitars
Photo from Wikipedia

On the way to Porto we will stop in Coimbra, a former capital of Portugal. Coimbra has many structures dating back to the Roman period, including an aqueduct. The Visigoths ruled the region from the 5th to the early 8th century, when the Moors arrived. 

The Moors remained in control (more or less) for the next 400 years or so, until the kingdom of Portugal was founded by Afonso Henriques, who became Afonso I, the first king of Portugal. Afonso I was a larger-than-life character who influenced the course of Portugal’s history. (In order to consolidate his power, Afonso I defeated the armies of his mother, Countess Teresa, in the Battle of Sāo Mamede in 1128.) Afonso I made Coimbra the capital.

The oldest University in Portugal was established in Lisbon in 1290, but was relocated to Coimbra in 1308, and became known as the University of Coimbra.

The beautiful tiled roof of this university building appears to be even more colorful when it is wet.

Over the centuries, many interesting traditions have developed among the student body. Some are still followed today. For example, the students must wear a uniform consisting of a black suit, white shirt, and a black cloak (think Harry Potter). Upon graduation, the suits and shirts are hung on a gate or building and eventually burned. The cloak is kept by the graduate forever. Students will sometimes honor an individual by throwing their cloaks on the ground for the honoree to walk upon. Students can be seen on campus, wearing their cloaks, selling postcards and pencils to tourists to earn money. 

Another tradition involves student singing groups. They sing fado music - emotional and poignant songs - on the street and in pubs and cafes. For most of the university’s history, all students were males, so the traditional singing groups are all male. They wear their cloaks and play traditional instruments, such as the Portuguese guitar. These groups are called tuna groups.

After a tour of the university, which was also being renovated, we went to a nearby venue for lunch. Cloaks were placed on the floor in our honor as we entered, and we obliged by walking on them. We were treated to some live fado music during the meal. Our lunch included a delicious soup and some bacalhau com natas (cod baked in a creamy sauce) with greens.

26 seconds of fado . . .

After lunch we returned to the bus to continue our journey to Porto. We finally arrived at Vila Nova de Gaia at 4:30, where the Viking Helgrim was docked, just across the Douro River from Porto.  

We were sad to say goodbye to Silvia here. She was such a warm person, and such an excellent guide. But we were more than ready to board and continue our adventure. Boarding was quick and easy.

Viking uses smaller boats in Portugal than in other parts of Europe. Our boat has 53 staterooms on 3 decks. We therefore have slightly over 100 passengers, plus 35 crew members. The captain, chef and many of the staff members are Portuguese.

Our cabin was ready for us. It is a category PV on Deck 2. 

At 6:30 we attended a welcome and safety briefing in the lounge. Dinner was at 7:30.

I chose this seafood stew. It was fresh and delicious.

A sweet piece of orange cake for dessert

After dinner there was a lecture on “Portugal Today.” We were tired, so we skipped it.

Today’s fabric is “burel.” Burel is a dense, water-resistant, 100% wool fabric used to make capes and cloaks in Portugal. It is a type of felt.

Photo of female student in traditional uniform and cloak.
Photo found on Reddit. I’m not sure who should get credit for the photo.

An American Discovers Pastéis

Monday, November 3, 2025

Yesterday afternoon we checked in at the Hotel Corinthia in Lisbon to join our Viking tour. This hotel was not in the central part of Lisbon where all the tourist attractions are found. We were given a short walking tour of the hotel’s neighborhood by one of the Viking agents. She recommended some nearby restaurants where we could eat and showed us the closest grocery store. She also explained which ATM’s were good to use and which charged exhorbitant fees. The three-second version is we should only be using an ATM that has the symbol MB with two blue lines.

Photo from twoticketsanywhere.com

There wasn’t much else to see in the neighborhood. Most of our group had arrived in Lisbon yesterday and everyone was tired.

At 6:00 pm there was an orientation meeting for our group of approximately 100. It was mostly logistics. We met Hugo, who seemed to be in charge of us. He spoke very good English and seemed to know what he was doing. Hugo would end up coming to our boat with us later and acting as our cruise director.

We went to dinner at one of the recommended restaurants that served Portuguese food. I think the Viking agents oversold it. It wasn’t that good and it was very slow. They brought me the wrong dinner, but did fix it quickly. 

Our room was comfortable and quiet.

This morning we had to be on our bus by 8:45 a.m. for a tour called “Cosmopolitan Lisbon & the Maritime Museum.” This was something Viking calls an “Included Tour,” which means it is included in the price of the cruise.  That means that nearly everyone in the group went on the tour. We had three motorcoaches (nice buses), each with a guide.

We found our assigned bus and met our guide, Silvia, and our driver. Silvia was fantastic. She talked almost constantly for four hours without referring to notes. She provided so much information it was hard to keep up with her. We had little Quietvox devices so we could always hear her clearly.

We drove to Belém, a suburb of Lisbon. Here we saw Belém Tower, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was built in the Portuguese Manueline style between 1516 and 1519. Despite its lovely appearance, the tower was intended as a military fortification to protect the mouth of the Tagus River.

Unfortunately, the beautiful Belém Tower was being cleaned or restored when we visited.

This photo of the Belém Tower is from Wikipedia

We walked past the Jerónimos Monastery, also a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was constructed between 1501 and 1541 pursuant to the orders of King Manuel I. This monastery is an example of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline architectural style. It is a fusion of Gothic, Renaissance, and Moorish elements and features maritime motifs. 

The Monastery

The Monastery now contains the Maritime Museum, which was our destination.

Prince Henry the Navigator, 1394-1460

Anchors from the Niña, from Columbus’ first voyage

The armillary sphere is a Portuguese heraldic symbol and is featured on the Portuguese flag. It is associated with the Portuguese discoveries.

This is a model of a caravel, a small Spanish or Portuguese sailing ship known for agility and speed. The Niña and Pinta were caravels.

Another important site in Belém is the Monument of the Discoveries. We drove by it but didn’t stop, so I am using a photo from Wikipedia here. 

This dramatic monument is a visual reminder of the large role that Portugal played during the so-called Age of Discovery. “Age of Exploration” might be a more accurate term to describe the first visits of Europeans to lands that had been previously discovered by other peoples.

Not far from all of the World Heritage sites, we discovered an important piece of cultural history - the original and best pasteleria in all of Portugal.

And they are still warm!

My research confirms that these are indeed the best!

We finished with a visit to yet another Lisbon lookout point. Not only did we see the city, but Silvia showed us some cork trees. There will be much more about cork in a future post.

Today’s fabric is “Portuguese Pasteis de Nata Custard Pies Original Blue Tiles” by pholiumsigma for Spoonflower

No Tiles for a While

Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2, 2025 

Saturday

We arrived by Uber at the National Tile Museum, only to find out it was closed. I had looked it up a while ago and it was supposed to be open today. Apparently it is now closed until June 2026 for renovation. I am rather disappointed because I was very interested in learning about the beautiful tiles of Portugal.

We decided to ask the driver to drop us off at the Castle of St. George instead. The castle sits on top of one of Lisbon’s prominent hills, of course.

Human occupation on this hilltop has been documented back to the 8th century BCE. The oldest fortifications here go back to the Romans in the second century BCE. In the 8th or 10th century CE, the castle walls and towers were built by the Moors, who then occupied this region.

In 1147, the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, defeated the Moors and took control of the castle. Though it served as a royal palace for several centuries, it is now a ruin. Tourists visit the site to enjoy the views from the hill top, and perhaps view some of the artifacts that have been discovered there by archaeologists. 

From the castle, we descended the hill on foot, following narrow winding lanes through the Castle Town, as described by Rick Steves in his self-guided walk called “Alfama Stroll and the Castle.” The Castle Town neighborhood began to grow outside the castle during the Visigoth period (6th to 8th centuries CE). The streets here are paved with black and white cobblestones, which is characteristic of all of central Lisbon. The cobblestones are not easy to walk on, especially when wet.

A typical narrow lane in the Castle Town

Patterned cobblestones near the Hotel Avenida Palace

As we descended further, we arrived at the Alfama neighborhood. A lookout near a church offered another view of Lisbon. Here we found a tile mural depicting the reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors by Afonso Henriques.

We continued through the winding lanes, looking at the ancient houses, crumbling but drenched with character, with narrow balconies hung with laundry, thick walls, and many without bathrooms.  (There are public bathrooms for the neighborhoods.) Farther down we came to tiny fado bars, where you can enjoy the local music.  (More on fado on another day.)

You have to really look at the tiles. Not all of them are 300 years old.

At some point we got lost and could not follow Rick’s route, but you can’t get too lost here. We kept going downhill, and arrived at the Fado Museum, where the walk ended.

We went back to the hotel and did another Rick Steves self-guided walk called Bairro Alto & Chiado Stroll. This walk started at the Elevador da Glória. This is the funicular that was involved in a tragic accident a few weeks ago. Needless to say, it was not in operation. We had to walk up a very steep hill.

At a small park at the top, we found yet another viewpoint with a view back across the city towards the castle.

Next up was the São Roque Church, boasting a richly-appointed chapel that came from the Vatican. Our next stop was supposed to be the oldest beer hall in Lisbon, but we could not find it. Somewhere near here we passed a bar where ladies left some souvenirs. 

Sunday

We went back to finish the Bairro Alto & Chiado Stroll.The world’s oldest bookstore is located in this neighborhood.

We also happened upon a different level of the Santa Justa elevator, which I mentioned the other day. This photo shows how a walkway extends from the back of the top of the elevator to the upper neighborhood known as Bairro Alto. 

Finally, we went to the site of a former convent to do an Earthcache, which is a type of geocache that has a geology theme. In this case, the theme of the Earthcache was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The earthquake has been estimated to have been 8.9 on the Richter Scale. It was felt throughout Europe and North Africa. Some 85% of Lisbon’s buildings were destroyed by the quake or the subsequent firestorm that engulfed the city. A series of tsunamis triggered by the quake inundated much of the port area and caused more death and damage. It was a catastrophic event for the city and was the first earthquake studied scientifically over a large area. Enlightenment philosophers debated whether God was punishing Lisbon for the evil behavior of Lisbon’s citizenry.

The remains of the Carmo Convent have been left standing as a reminder.

Rebuilding started almost immediately. As a result, the central downtown area benefitted from some early urban planning. There are parks and other open spaces, and the buildings are all four stories tall. The architectural style is relatively minimalist and uniform. The main streets are straight, wide, and tree-lined. 

We then said goodbye to Central Lisbon and to the delightful Hotel Avenida Palace and took an Uber to a newer part of Lisbon about 20 minutes away. Here we checked into the Corinthia Hotel to begin the next stage of our trip.  I will talk about that in my next post.

Today’s fabric is “Saudade” by selmacardoso for Spoonflower. Saudade is a Portuguese word that does not have an English equivalent. It is a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is characteristic of the Portuguese temperament. All of the images on this pattern evoke important symbols of Portuguese culture which might give rise to a feeling of saudade.