Sorry to have taken such a long break away from writing.  The thing is, since I arrived in Porto on Sunday with mom, it's been nonstop.  So nonstop that mom decided to cut her 3 day excursion early and leave on the first bus Tuesday morning.  Props to mom for pushing through 2 days straight in serious tourist form! (I have a picture of her passed out on the sofa but I don't think she'd appreciate me posting that ;)    So as a result I decided to extend our Porto stay another night so my friend Leigh (who will be staying the week with me) and I could take full advantage.  As you can imagine, that was also nonstop. So I begin to write to you now as I  try to remember all that has happened beginning 4 days ago.

Sunday, October  4, 2015 - PORTO, Portugal

Mom and I arrived on a rainy Sunday morning and settled into our cosy studio apartment.  One of the reasons I picked this place was based on it's great location.  Located in the historical zone of Porto, it's just steps from all of the landmarks we'd be visiting.  And the view from the window and terrace was unbeatable!  I'd highly recommend it if you're ever in Porto. 

(Porto, Portugal - Urban Apartment, Casa da Portela)  I used booking.com.

The view from our apartment - Casa da Portela - on one of the more sunnier days.

Once settled in, mom and I walk uphill (lots of cardio walks here!) to the city Cathedral and Pillory built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Even on a dreary day the architecture is outstanding and the view down to the Douro river from the pillory square is beautiful. 

We happened to arrive in the middle of Sunday mass so knowing mom would like it we decided to stay and take part.  Although I've been a  non practicing Catholic for many years now, even I could appreciate the coming together moments of mass.  Still to this day one of my favorite moments is at the end when the priest gives his final remarks and says "peace be with you", and the crowd repeats "and also with you" and you kiss or shake hands with everyone around you.  That day we sat next to Portuguese natives and foreign tourists, and everyone reached out to extend a hand to their neighbor and wish them well. It was a very beautiful and humanistic moment.

The historical monuments are  in very muted, earthy stone colors here in the northern part of Portugal, so when you turn the corner and see colorful postcard moments  like these, it makes you smile!

A late lunch at the restaurant in the A.S. 1829 Hotel.  The beautifully restored building is quintessential Portuguese with the intricate ironwork and the blue and white tile façade.  The meal, which consisted of 3 traditional  small plate dishes to share paired with an delicious glass of Douro red wine for each of us was outstanding! Life is good!

Tile shops abound throughout the city selling a variety of the traditional blue and white designs as well as the Moorish influenced tiles found more in the southern part of Portugal.  

A sunset view from the apartment casting a beautiful architectural shadow over the entire cityscape.

The dazzling lights illuminating the historical  buildings makes the city look magical at night!

Saõ Bento Train Station

Avenida dos Alliados esplanade

Boa noite Porto, até amanha!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Today is the day!   Fermentation has stopped and the wine is ready to go into the barrel.  The process doesn't take long, just a few hours. Unless you count the time spent washing all of the containers and vats in the wine cellar...then it took the better part of the day.

Here the wine is suctioned out of the vat going directly into the barrels. Dad manages to fill 4 giant barrels of red. Lots of wine to be drank by all!

The remains are then pressed to extract every ounce of juice, nothing left!  That too will then go into the barrels and the new wine will be ready in a few months.  This table wine isn't aged or treated the same way the rich wines that we find bottled by real vineyards is.  My parents' wine is meant to be drank within a few years and while the taste may change with age it will still be crisper and slightly tangier than the others.

Monday, September 28, 2015 
Bade, Cerdal (Valença do Minho)

I wake this morning to see that as the early sun rises to the east, the westerly view from my bedroom window shows the full moon slowly disappearing behind the Spanish mountainside.  An amazing start to the day!

Yesterday was spent relaxing, visiting with family and cooking- a typical Sunday. The two highlights for me were visiting with my great-aunt Rosa (now 102 years old and sharp as a tack!) and making that fall harvest pork dish I previously mentioned. 

Chestnuts are first boiled with wild fennel & wild mint. 

The finished dish garnished with fresh grapes and figs from the orchard was served with loaf a warm rustic bread and a bottle of red wine from the Alentejo region.  Yum!

                                                                                                          

Monday, September 28, 2015

A break from the usual pastry with coffee, this morning I'm having Greek yogurt (somehow here it tastes more like sourcream) and fresh passion fruit from mom's garden.

Fresh walnuts straight from the tree. Time to think of a dessert.

Dinner was grilled octopus with boiled potatoes & an escabeche sauce made of olive oil, vinegar, minced onion, garlic & parsley, paprika & salt.  It's poured over  both.                                                            

Life is pretty low key here in the country as I knew it would be this week.  Been enjoying the slower pace of life before I get into full sight seeing mode next week and a more hectic schedule that it brings.

Friday, September 25, 2015

When life gives you a harvest...

 

You start picking! 

But first, I had to scan the house and gardens in a state of "yay, I'm here again!", eat lunch, take a quick and then I  was ready to go!  

I was given my own bucket and a pair of pruning scissors, all I needed for the days job of picking and hauling the grapes to the "adega" (wine cellar).  There were 5 of us, myself along with my parents and my cousins who live next door.  My parents had helped them with their harvest last week so now it was their turn to return the favor. 

In the two locations that we had to pick  from we started  on the vines behind the house.  Here my parents have a mini vineyard mixed with an orchard, vegetable & flower garden.   This plot of land is such a source of pride for them.  Aside from the grapes, here they'll  harvest the potatoes and onions that they'll use all year long,  the tomatoes they'll freeze for sauces, the beans that they'll dry for soups and stews, the apples, pears, cabbage, carrots and turnips that will keep in their farmhouse cellar through 2 seasons and a constant supply of oranges, tangerines and lemons...and as you can see, monstrously large lemons!!!  

So 3 hours and about 18 huge tubs of grapes later we finally finished,  stopping only for a cold drink and time to load up my cousins mini tractor with the supplies needed to pick in the next vineyard.   This vineyard (about 1/8  of a mile away from the house) surrounds a field about 1 acre in size where my parents grow the grass that is used to feed their sheep year round.  From this field another 15 bushels were collected and much to my surprise,  a  basket full of fresh chestnuts from a neighboring tree.  Luckily, a warmer and drier end of summer has allowed them to ripen earlier!  I see roasted pork with chestnuts,grapes and figs in our near future - yum!

Back at the house, all of the grapes were crushed into gigantic tubs,  my dad stirs the mixture slowly and the fermentation process begins.   And now we wait...

I anticipated passing out as soon as my head hit the pillow and I did.  So tired I even slept through the constant chime of the grandfather clock every 15 minutes! 

All in a days work!

Friday, September 25, 2015

I have arrived!  

I love that even at 6:30 am they're showing a taped soccer game in the airport baggage claim area! 

                                                                                                              

Since I have 2 hours before my bus arrives why not have the staple Portuguese "pick me up" (one of my husband Michael's favorites!) - a Meia de Leite (our version of cafė au lait) and a Pastel de Nata (eggy custard/cinnamon pastry deliciousness!)

And Away I Go...

                     

              Grape Harvest Tile Mural - Pinhāo, Portugal

As I prepare to leave today on my 2 week solo trip to Portugal, I reflect on all that I look forward to. The first week will be spent working along side my parents making wine - something I haven't done since I was a kid growing up in Connecticut.  I expect it to be fun but definitely much harder work - especially because the process of picking and transporting the grapes will be included this time around.  Sadly, I anticipate collapsing in sheer exhaustion long before my parents, further showing me that at the age of 78 they are as ever tough as nails!
Once finished with our wine making duties, my mom and I will be spending 3 days in the beautiful city of Porto. I'm embarrassed to say that in my years of traveling, I have only flown in and out of this city.  We'll be tourists together all the while strengthening our mother/daughter bond.  Dad will most likely be happy about about being "sans women" for a few days so it's a win-win!
My last week will then be playing "tour guide" to my good friend Leigh who decided to join me and finally take some time away from her family to recharge.  We'll be exploring my favorites areas of Minho and Galicia, Spain and creating some great memories together.
So I guess that while my main goals of this trip are to recharge myself, forge closer ties with my loved ones, document stories that I can pass on to my children/grandchildren, and oh yes, come home with fun Portuguese curiosities that I can sell through my business (oops, I almost forgot that this was part business trip ;) ), I really want to try to see things with fresh eyes.  Take in the beauty of things or moments without feeling rushed and needing to move on to the next thing quickly. Basically, to focus on quality, not quantity.
So sit back and enjoy these next few weeks of my blog.  I hope to capture the beauty of a country that forever holds a special place in my heart, convey experiences that you may be able to relate to in your own travels and share with you all a side of me that I don't often express - one of deep love and above all, humor. :)