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.
There are stark differences in how dense the vineyards are. From this . . . 
. . . To this. 
The terraces can be hundreds of years old. I like the stairs from one to another. 
This lock, while not the tallest, is still very imposing. The entrance from a distance does not seem wide enough. 
One of our identical sister ships. 
Low bridge. 
Tight passage. 
Nice place. The tunnel touches upon my imagination. What kinds of vehicles have passed through it in the last 100 years? 
Some trains are a scrambled assortment of cars. Others are purpose-built. 
Many, many chapels, mostly at the top of a hill. We drank wine from this vineyard the week before the trip. 
Not the most attractive beachfront, but the water was certainly refreshing.