The weather is warming up, and the sun’s shining for a drive down the mountain into picturesque Pinhao on the Douro River. More spectacular views of vineyards and wineries ( Quintas in Portuguese), as far as the eye can see!

Following Pete and Su through hilltop villages is a bit hair-raising at times!!!. . .  We spot a sign indicating narrow road ahead. 2mt wide, Bruce is 2.2 m, so we manage to reverse and take an alternative road!! Driving through the small roads in Pinhao there are so many signs to decipher , we are thankful for our reliable GPS!

There is there a fantastic free motorhome parking spot opposite the river and the magnificent river cruise ships.

Now, grab your hats and cameras and join us aboard a traditional wooden boat for a two hour cruise down the Duoro River! Similar boats were used to transport the wine down the river to Porto. As the Duoro River snakes through the landscape, we pass many Quintas (wineries), olive groves and other magnificent cruise boats too.

This region is famed for its port wine dominantly . The Pinhao train station has beautiful blue tiles, depicting the vintage.

Sipping a refreshment on the banks of the Duoro after our cruise, we look up and are fascinated by a strange, colourful cloud formation above the hilltop! Not sure what causes this beautiful display??

We say farewell to our travelling companions, Su and Pete, who are heading on to the Porto region today. It’s been wonderful sharing our motorhome adventures and we will miss them!

After Mark works (SafetyQuip) for the afternoon, I reward him with dinner at the vine covered restaurant which is right next to Bruce see the picture over a local Rose. We savour a local Portuguese dish of rump tails, rice and kidney beans which looks un-appetising . . .  but actually quite delicious!