June 23: Guimaraes
The Portuguese section of the Douro river has 5 locks. These locks, most of which were built in the 1970s and 1980s allow navigation for ships of a certain size ( they can’t be wider than 11 metres, or longer than 83 metres).
Today we went through the highest lock which has a lift/drop of 35 metres, which is equivalent to about a 10 storey building. It is the second highest lock in Europe.
We had to move from the top deck so that the sundeck awning could be lowered in order to get under a low bridge, so we took up front row seats on the lounge deck. The only little issue with this was that we were right near the horn, which gave us a real fright every time it was sounded.
We had to wait for a ship to come through before the lock became available to us.
Join me for a ride through the lock..a fascinating experience.
After lunch we visited a town called Guimaraes, which is said to be the birthplace of Portugal, particularly the castle which was constructed in the 10th century. The castle is a national monument and is closely associated with symbolic moments on Portugal’s path to independence.
We walked through the waiting room, the weapons room, the bedroom, the banquet hall and the chapel.
The historical centre of Guimaraes was declared a UNESCO world heritage heritage site in 2001. It’s very quaint.
Back to the Estrela for dinner and a trivia night.
Comments
6 responses to “The Pantzers parlay Portugal”
What an Absolutely Fabulous tour of Portugal this has been Sara – Huge History – Loved every “minute” of it!! I’m always left thinking “how old is Australia” !!!!!!~ :))xx
Those ship locks are so fascinating. Looks like you’re having an amazing time. so lovely to see the photos of the three of you youngsters 🥰
Hi Sar
I’ve spent a bit of time over the past couple of days catching up on your trip. It looks fabulous.
We visited many of the same places a few years ago and loved. Porto is one of my favourite cities.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.
So interesting and such beautiful photos to complement the information – well done AGAIN Sar ❤️
That lock is seriously high. Trip looks fantastic xxx
Why does it all feel so familiar! I’m enjoying reliving our trip with all your photos and commentaries without leaving home.
Thanks xxx