Left: The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Our Lady of Remedies). Right: The view of Lamego from the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Our Lady of Remedies). Images courtesy of the author
«We spent seven days aboard the AmaVida, cruising along the Douro River and stopping in several towns along the way, including Barca d'Alva, Pinhão, Peso da Régua, Entre-os-Rios, and Porto.»
Beginning its course in the Sierra de Urbion region in Spain, the Douro River flows through the western part of Portugal until reaching the Atlantic Ocean. We passed a series of stunning gorges and vineyards on steep hillsides where grapes are harvested to produce some of the country's best port wine. Along the river are five dams, or locks, which allow for easy navigation and generate hydroelectric power.
Today, we spent the morning in Lamego, where we visited the spectacular Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Our Lady of Remedies). Lecturer Paddy Bowe gave a brief talk outside the church in which he pointed out its various Baroque architectural features—from the delicate curves of the rounded windows, to the optical illusion of size, to the symmetrical and playful irregularity.
After taking in the incredible view of the city, we descended the beautifully tiled, zigzagging staircase (with over six hundred steps!) while admiring the various sculptural structures along the way. We then visited the Museu de Lamego, housed in the former Episcopal palace, where we viewed its lovely collection of sixteenth-century Flemish tapestries and religious art.
Our last activities of the day were an after-hours tour of Museu do Douro in Régua and a bit of shopping in one of the most fantastic museum gift shops. Afterwards, some of us stayed to enjoy the sunset over the Douro River with a glass of port from the museum's outside bar.
Overlooking the Douro River from Museu do Douro with a glass of port