It was around our 40th anniversary we were planning to spend a night our two away, but we also had been talking about how we were not able to properly celebrate our birthdays and Christmas because of the strict lockdowns we all had to follow, plus our friends we are staying with have also missed many key dates, with the added complication of Peter also working away too, but we were now all together again, and restrictions were easing a bit.
So a venue was found. Another pousada that seemed to fit the bill, and situated on the edge of the Penela-Gerês national park in northern Portugal. It’s just over three hours drive which isn’t too bad if you use the motorways, but the down side is the toll charges that are almost the entire length of the journey.
We had a few drinks the night before and sat on the patio next to the pool watching our resident goats in next doors garden. The two kids have been given the nicknames of ‘bell head’ and ‘bollock neck’ which is quite descriptive and makes us titter.
The problem was then trying to pack out things for the trip the following morning. As usual, Wayne under packed and Netty was ‘practically perfect in every way’. I also slept in and virtually had no time to get ready before climbing in the RAV4 and beginning the journey up, but we weren’t due to check in until three in the afternoon. We had decided to go in one car because of all the extra costs with tolls and fuel.
It was a pretty uneventful trip up towards Porto. We did stop for a bite to eat and drink at a service station, but quickly decided against it as the facilities on offer were not up to par.
The scenery north of Porto starts to improve somewhat and past Braga becomes really quite beautiful. About twenty minutes from the pousada we happened across a local restaurant that was perched on the edge of a valley and so we did a quick turn and pulled in for a sumptuous lunch, Portuguese style! (Restaurante Galetino Vieirio do Minho cabrito).
Checking in to the Pousada was quick and simple, but we did have to show proof of two vaccinations. Our room had a view down to the river and had a small balcony with table and chairs, what’s more the room had air conditioning which was super considering how hot it was. It wasn’t anything really special, but pleasant enough and the views were stunning.
After a quick exploration to find the pool we settled in for a few drinks in the very warm lounge area, then a shower and changed for a lovely dinner. Two full Portuguese meals in one day was too much for us and we struggled to get any more refreshments in so settled in for the night.
The following morning we decided to check out the river area, as it was clear that this was where all the interesting stuff happened during the day. The twisty road down was an event and a clear reminder to drive defensively here in Portugal as you can not rely on what others will do! We also learned that if you want to find any parking, get there early. We did manage to find somewhere near to a cafe, but more importantly just across from a beach hiring electric boats. So we dutifully paid for an hours worth, and set off down the fiver to get a perspective of the scenery from the water. It’s a really stunning area and well worth getting out on the water, but there is clearly a pecking order in boat etiquette, and we were way down the list and had to navigate cautiously avoiding the wakes caused by the more powerful engines, but it was fun!
We then decided to head up into the hills to ‘catch two birds with one stone’. There was a road winding and twisting up past Gerês itself which took us to a viewpoint, and a waterfall. Both can be seen in the accompanying video, but we’re quite spectacular in their own way and easy to see why they attract many tourists and locals alike. The return leg back down to the river was also challenging as they seem to be widening the road in areas, and there’s not much room to manouver at times.
We stopped on the way back to the pousada for a traditional Portuguese lunch of piri-piri chicken for the boys and fish for the girls accompanied with Mateus Rose or beer. Lush!
The rest of the day was spent chilling by the pool and the occasional dip to cool off from the searing heat! The evening was sitting out on the front patio area overlooking the valley and watching the sunset drinking G&Ts and Aperols! We even managed to get some nibbles brought out to enjoy with our drinks.
The following day was the homeward journey, but not wanting to end the party early we opted to explore Braga. This wasn’t a planned itinerary, but more of a dip your toe and see what it’s like visit. The consensus was that Braga is well worth a return trip and probably needs a day or two on its own to get the most out of it.
Overall it was a great couple of days well spent in some pretty spectacular scenery and a bonus of discovering Braga was icing on the cake!
Our Portuguese Life 