The morning was all about the scenery. Beautiful, terraced vineyards of every description. The river alternated between spaciously wide and distressingly narrow. Several cruise ships of similar size passed by, one in particular with a crowded upper deck composed of happy, bathing suit-clad passengers, who, according to a crewman, catered to the normally staid British.

In the afternoon there was an excursion to Castelo Rodrigo, which we’d seen two years ago. Owing to some abdominal issues and the extreme heat, I remained behind. While they were gone the ship proceeded eastward. I’d like to say I spent the time admiring the view, but in fact I slept. There was an AC malfunction on the bus, but everyone returned with good things to say about the town. Yoriko bought almonds, but gave them to our housekeeper after worrying about bringing them through customs.

We had another fine evening watching the stars while drinking port. Compared Graham’s 20 and 30 year Tawny ports, without a final consensus on which was the better. It was sad that so very few passengers stayed up for the evening. Cool, bug-free, and quiet.

Having a drinking buddy for this cruise detracts from my reporting. The morning views in Porto are magical. Views along the river begin urban, then trends more and more rural. Eventually it’s all vineyards with occasional homes, villas, palaces. It all makes Napa look like a wheat field in Wyoming.  

It’s been very, very hot, which for me is agony, but acceptable for most people. Wearing masks is only troubling off ship, especially on the buses, where we aren’t even supposed to drink water. On board, mask wearing is limited to when moving about, which doesn’t amount to much. The sun deck is large enough to allow social distancing, mostly without masks.  Several people took a dip in the pool, which was a departure from our earlier cruise when no one used it. I sadly didn’t bring a suit. 

The first lock was a good introduction to the process, but not impressive. The second one, with a height change of 115 feet, is awesome. The ship was delayed at both locks, but Viking was able to quickly adapt and change locations for meeting the buses for the day’s only excursion. Sadly, we skipped going through the third lock on the ship.

(It’s a riverboat. But it’s also a ship. There is actually no hard and fast rule in the terminology: Traditionally, if a vessel holds a boat, it’s a ship. Hence, submarines are boats. Our riverboat had a little outboard motorboat on board, so I’m calling it a ship.)

The excursion included Mateus Palace (as in Mateus Wine), which was beautiful inside and out. Incredible history. On a cool day I would want all day to tour the interior. But without AC, I was sweating bullets. The garden was also a thing a beauty.

Sandeman Winery sits on a hill offering a superb western view, but it was marred by thick haze. Visually stunning, but photographically impossible. The wine itself has suffered from my new-found familiarity. While I once respected the product, experience with other brands has shown that it’s 80% marketing and 20% taste.

Regretfully, I did not keep a log of the meals on board. They were all excellent. This time, with a fellow late night lounger, I sat on the sun deck in the evening marveling at the piece and quiet. (Which explains why these posts are late. No regrets.)

Departed on time to Coimbra.  During the short walk through downtown, one person misunderstood the “return to bus” time and was left behind to be found by the third bus. Not heartless; reservations to visit the library was fixed.  Everyone on the bus endorsed the action, even her friend. It all worked out.

The university is not unlike others, to include some strange traditions.  The library (no photos, though the outer room provides a hint) is incredible.  Like stepping into Hogwarts.  Students sell pencils.

Lunch was very good with live entertainment. The remaining ride was uneventful, though the drive down to the waterfront is crazy narrow.

Check-in is a non event. Fast and easy.  We were upgraded from the lower deck.  Friends were moved from the lower deck to the top! About 60 passengers, including some singles, a first in my experience.

Dinner was wonderful (no Surprise), all while taking a short cruise. Ordered a bottle of 2014, but it came out as a 2018.  They waived the cost, then gave us a second bottle, again gratis.  The bartender is exceptional.  Wonderful service. The pluses of the day made us all forget the four hour bus ride.

As part of the safety protocols, Viking requires us to deposit an amount of spit each morning. Much harder to do than you’d image. Took me about 25 minutes.

The provided Viking bus tour was not unlike our tour in 2019, but without the crowd. I’m not saying Covid was worth the pleasure of visiting places without a mass of people. But it was an easier process. This time we got through the monastery quickly enough for me to walk over to the Discovery Monument and take close-up photos. It was really thrilling to be so close, but if we had not cruised along the waterfront yesterday, I would have felt that I’d missed something. I could almost say it was crowded.

There is a bakery nearby that has been in operation since the mid 19th century. Yoriko went there and said it was excellent.

The bus dropped us off a mile away from the hotel for an all downhill walk back. It was a pleasant hike. So many statues.

In the afternoon we did a “Flavors of Lisbon” tour that included a walk around a secluded neighborhood in Lisbon, followed by visits to a restaurant, wine shop, and pastry shop. All were excellent.

Four of us then walked down to the waterfront, a popular place for young people. We nibbled at a sidewalk restaurant before returning back to the hotel. Had excellent red sangria. The prices here are incredibly low.

Bob and I finished the evening at a bar that offered a wide selection of ports. Just a magical day.

We checked in today with Viking.  Extremely organized desk, with a lounge to boot.  Everything is running smoothly. We took two Viator Tours, the first to the Setubal wine region, the second on a sunset cruise. Both were wonderful.   The tour operators were topnotch.  We have never been disappointed with Viator. We learned a lot about Portuguese wine (both by listening to the never-silent, always informative tour guide and tasting some wine). The cruise along the Lisbon waterfront was great. As I’ve mentioned earlier, we’ve done this Viking trip before, and back then many places seemed to be better viewed from the water side.  Today we confirmed the concept.  

Though there is technically a mask-always rule, the reality is that outdoors most people are going without. However, indoors it is being treated very seriously. Good for them. I think Portugal is being quite responsible.

My SO has announced her plan to buy souvenirs early rather than at the last minute, so we checked out several tourist stops. I really enjoyed all the things you can buy that are made out of cork. There should be a cork demonstration on the riverboat, but if one’s heart is set on cork items, it’s probably cheaper in Lisbon.

The Tivoli Hotel’s restaurant is excellent. If time restricts going elsewhere, you can’t go wrong staying in-house. Breakfast is the typical European eat-whatever-you-like buffet. Too much food. The Lobby bar is also excellent for a late night closer. This blog would be the lessor without it.

Uber was a problem twice. Once the driver drove right past us and had to circle around (no small feat in Lisbon). The second time the driver had riders when he accepted our request, which delayed the process. Lesson learned; If you absolutely must get somewhere, plan to get there early.

Lufthansa deserves compliments for the surgical process they used to get us to Lisbon. We deserve kudos too. At LAX they asked for passport, vaccination card, Covid test results, Portugal Declaration Pass. We gave them each item immediately in turn.

Flight was not my worst, but the mask was a real issue for me. Couldn’t breath. But we booked Premium Economy and it was totally worth it. (It was my wife’s first time at a German airport. She had big eyes for all the sandwiches offered.)

Landing at Lisbon was rough, but getting out of the airport was simplicity itself.

Tivoli Hotel was great. Anxious to please. The Viking Desk was also overwhelming in the urge to assist.

I had a wine shop in mind to visit and getting there was another revelation that Google Maps doesn’t know hills. A serious climb. But the diestination was all I expected and the advice was useful.

Dinner with Bob and Kimiko was beyond extraordinary, as usual. Recommendation was none other than The NY Times. Tasca de Esquina.

. . . And, I’m back. During this eighteen month nightmare I had no less than 8 trips comprising visits to 23 countries canceled.  On the marginally plus side, we have a bunch of trips scheduled for 2022 that are already paid for, and I made several substantial improvements on the house.  Also grand, of course, is that no one I know died.

My retirement goal (first imagined when I was 13) has been seriously compromised.  With that, I’ll stop commenting on the past and look ahead.

Tomorrow we’ll depart for a Viking cruise in Portugal, which we did in 2019 and loved.  This time we’ll be joined by two friends plus my sister and husband.  Also new this time is a vastly better understanding and appreciation for port.  We received our negative Covid test only 30 hours after testing, which, among other things, is a new wrinkle in travel. Another change is that I’ve actually learned how to properly make use of the camera I bought for the Africa trip. I hope to take better photos.