After a good nights sleep Dave popped into reception for the bread that we had pre-ordered the day before. Breakfast was that with more honey and was delicious. We managed to set off at about 9 o’clock which is quite good going for us!
The first part of our day was the hour-long drive to Pinhão. The proprietress of our campsite had advised us where to go and we saw some beautiful views of the wine region of the Douro. The plan was to take a well-known train route from Pinhâo to Pochino. The train didn’t go for another hour and a half so we mooched around the little town, had a coffee and another Nata custard tart and then waited on the platform because AT LAST it was sunny!!! Dave even managed to get a hose attachment in the local hardware shop as ours was too small for some campsites.
The train ride itself was an hour in each direction with just a 20 minute turnaround while they moved the driver’s cab to the other end. It went by in a flash as the scenery was absolutely spectacular. We drove past rows and rows of newly tended vines. All the producers had large signs with their names so it was easy to see which makes were produced there. Dave was in his element leaning out of the window with a load of other photographers to get the best shots.
After the train ride we headed to the Sandeman estate, Quinta de Seixo and started a very twisty and tortuous route up the hill amongst vines, having to squeeze past a tourist coach as we got closer to the attraction. When we got there we followed signs to the shop as, having done a tour previously, we did not want to do a full tour. It was really well organised and there was a beautiful lounge area outside the shop where we purchased a flight of port with white, ruby and tawny varieties. Luckily for me, Dave was driving, so apart from the odd sip, I had to drink it all!! Initially I did a blind tasting and was very pleased to identify all three ports correctly. So, I drank while he shopped and we returned with a fair stash of local produce!!!!
On the way back we stopped off at a tyre centre and Dave got the tread checked. Much to his delight, none of the tires needed to be replaced. I meanwhile went to the nearby supermarket and stocked up on a few provisions for the next stage of our trip.
It had been really lovely enjoying a sunny day at last and we were really pleased when we got back to the campsite to see that the bar was open as a result. We popped across to the bar for a quick drink and ordered a home-cooked meal for dinner.
At 7 o’clock we strolled over to the bar for our roast lamb with potatoes, green beans and carrots. It was really delicious – proper home cooking – and we had a nice chat to the campsite owner who explained the history of the campsite to us. It had been in the family for three generations and when the father-in-law died they started to refurbish the main building. This was a slow process so in order to make the business viable meanwhile they converted the grounds into a campsite. They are still in the process of refurbishing the interior but in terms of outside space have done a fantastic job with attention to detail in every aspect.
You are making a lot of people very jealous! What a great day and the evening meal looks just the job.
Sorry 😋
You were not brought up to drink at every opportunity.!!
Go for it, you are at an age where soon you won’t be able to enjoy such pleasures.
A sunny day is certainly one the cards for you, no more than you deserve.
Can’t wait to see Dave’s photos. Love Jx☕️
Fantastic blog Sue &Dave, we have been following it all, wonderful locations with great shots of course, … llooking forward to seeing you here in the Dordogne.
Glad you are enjoying it! Looking forward to seeing you both soon. Just planning the route and where to stop!
There’s a campsite in France we know of that offers quality home cooked food 😂😂 Frances