Our last stop before returning to Porto for the trip home, was Regua. We did some leisurely cruising to get there, passing innumerable vineyards and groves of olive and almond trees. If you look very closely at the photo on the left, you will see a statue on the distant hillside. That statue is the flat-hatted, cape-wrapped mascot of the Sandeman vineyards!
Another beautiful sight as we approached Regua. This is an ancient bridge and aqueduct.
From Regua we drove to Lamego, where we visited the amazing Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, which sits on a hill with 686 steps leading to it. Pilgrims used to climb the steps on their knees — sometimes doing it over the course of several visits, which I can completely understand! 😉 Our group drove up instead, though some did walk down.
At the top, the church is beautiful, surrounded by statues and greenery. The interior is gorgeous as only the baroque style can make it.
From here, our group cruised back to Porto, some to continue with a post-extension, and the rest of us to catch various flights home. We met some wonderful people onboard and can only hope to meet them again on a future trip!
P.S. Our wonderful dogsitter sent us this picture of our little cocker spaniel with the other dogs who were there with her at the time. Some belong to the dogsitter, but others do not. Bisou looks like a midget next to the other six! LOL!
