Monthly Archives: September 2019

Vila Nova de Gaia and another look at Porto, Portugal

We have been looking at those Port wine cellars across the river since we arrived in Porto and today is our day to visit.  After you cross the Dom Luis I Bridge over the Douro River, you are actually in … Continue reading

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The Douro Valley, Portugal

Today we have an early departure from the hotel for our small group tour of the Douro Valley, the region of Portugal where the grapes for fortified wine known as Port are grown. Because we will miss the standard breakfast time, … Continue reading

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Porto, Portugal

We are disembarking our cruise ship today in Lisbon.  We were here in May at the conclusion of our transatlantic cruise.  We stayed on for a few days then and even took some day trips out of the city.  The … Continue reading

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The Principality of Asturias, Spain

Today we are docked in Gijon in the Bay of Biscay for a tour of the Asturias providence of Spain.  This is our last stop before reaching the port of Lisbon, Portugal where we will disembark.  We are doing the lazy … Continue reading

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Bilbao, Spain: A City Transformed by a Museum and the Largest City of the Basque Country

Today we are in Bilbao, located in the northern part of Spain.  Bilbao is the largest city of the Basque Country which cover parts of Spain and France.  Twenty-three years ago this was considered a gritty, industrial city and not … Continue reading

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Margaux, the Bordeaux Wine Region, France

Today we are taking our most expensive excursion of the cruise.   We are going to the Margaux region outside Bordeaux to visit a winemaker, tour a chateau, and have lunch.  I thought we were also doing tastings yesterday, but Boris … Continue reading

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Bordeaux, France

Today we are docked in Bordeaux, France.  Bordeaux is the sixth largest metropolitan area in France.  The riverfront in Bordeaux in along the Garonne river.  “The Garonne merges…below the city with another river, the Dordogne River, to form the Gironde … Continue reading

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Belle Isle: A little bit more of Brittany

Today we are docked just off of Belle Isle, France.  Like our previous stop, the island is in the Brittany region of France.  It is the largest of Brittany’s islands and less than nine miles from the Quiberon peninsula extending … Continue reading

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Mont Saint Michel and St. Malo, France

Today we are anchored off the walled city of St. Malo, Brittany.  Brittany is one of fifteen regions in France.  However, the main attraction on today’s stop is actually in Normandy, another region of France.  But for the flow of … Continue reading

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