The return to the Golden Valley

Douro’s valley, its vineyards, the cliffs and the railroad are all part of my memories. My parents moved there soon after my brother was born, nearly a year after they got married, and left when he was little more than three. I was not born yet, so in fact, these memories are my families’.

My first time up river, by train, happen already in my early adulthood. My parents hadn’t been there ever since they left, almost twenty years before and I felt moved by my curiosity to see the place where my parents started our family and also by my interest in visiting one of the most interesting landscapes in Portugal – known worldwide due to the Oporto’s wine and its vineyards.

Me and my wife had long been interested in revisiting the “Golden Valley” when my mother asked if we were interested in doing it with my parents. The invitation received an immediate OK and was even extended. In the end and without much effort required to convince the others, we managed to gather a group of eight. Us, our parents, and my wife’s uncles.

The rendezvous was set for 9:00 AM on a late July Saturday morning, at Oporto´s main railway station – Campanhã. The plan was to travel light and stay overnight at Tua.

Our journey had started; the train departed on time, soon after 9:00 AM. The weather forecast for the weekend was very promising and we had to make sure that we carried enough water to endure the first part of that day’s trip: Porto – Peso da Régua, nearly 2:30 hours.

The first forty to fifty minutes are rather dull. The train travels mainly through small cities, on the outskirts of Porto, and then progresses into a more rural landscape. The real interesting part begins when we reach Pala. We enter the Valley and little by little we approach the river. At a certain point we do not know what is separating us from the still waters, as the view from our seats resembles more the one seen from a boat’s inside.

Our travel companions are a mix of season travelers, like us, and habitués – people of all ages that mainly because they have their roots “upstream” do it once or even several times per week. For those, the river is not new and are therefore more than happy to exchange places with those of us that are eager feel the river and the scenery.

As far as I’m concerned I’m as much interested in the view as in the people traveling with me. The train is crowded and some of the passengers have to stand. It’s hot, the windows are all open and we can hear the train’s diesel engine quite clearly. The noise of the wheels on the rails makes the experience even more real. There is luggage, a mix of plastic bags and card boxes everywhere: under our seats, and above our heads. They are the belongings mainly of women returning home after a week in the city. Some carry just the necessary ingredients for the next meal whereas others carry small appliances that, no longer needed in the city are heading for a new life in the village. Conversations vary from references to previous trips, made years before, and the casual chat between two frequent passengers about how the train should have more carriages on weekends to cope with the demand. A lady seating in front of me, phones her husband. She complains, and asks him not to be late at the station.

The Valley becomes wider, the track moves away from the river, and the train slows down as we approach and enter the City. It’s almost noon and we have reached our destination well in time for lunch.

Régua’s railway station is very pleasant and seems to have been recently refurbished. Outside we can still see some old trains, some in good condition and still in use.

The restaurant had already been chosen and before long we started walking. The forecast was right, 30°+, and we tried to rush to the nearest shadow. The “Caves do Castelinho” is located just outside of the station’s perimeter. We got there in no time. As we approached the restaurant we were invited for an appetizer and a tour to their wine cellars. Which we did with pleasure. Given the good fortune we had with the weather we decided to seat and have lunch outside. The food, the wine and the service were excellent. It is a place to revisit!

Before resuming our trip we still had a couple of hours to visit Régua. It is, in the region one of the centers of all activities related to Porto’s wine. And that is something still clearly visible in the old part of the city, where most of the buildings are a couple of centuries old and in some way related in the nectar. The “relationship” of the city with the river is also imprinted in some the walls. Although the river has long been tamed through a system of dams starting close to the border with Spain and spanning almost to the river mouth in Porto. Making it possible to sail through all its course. Floods still occur on more rainy winters.

Time went by almost unnoticed, and although the temperature had risen to 35 C we managed to have a very pleasant after lunch walk. But now we had to return to the station, and resume our trip.

The train left on time, and soon after, we were back to the river margin enjoying the scenery. On this part of the journey the train was not as crowded as before. And we could hop from seat to seat or from window to window as we pleased, just so that we would not miss any part of the view. To make it even easier and also to try making the heat more bearable, all windows in the carriage were open.

As evening approached the heat did not seem go away. And when we got to Tua we were received by an atmosphere of joy, typical of a small village getting prepared for its annual festivities on a hot summer night.

We checked in at the only existing hotel “Casa do Tua” where we had a pre-reservation. It is a family owned business and it is lodged in a very recent build, the rooms are comfortable, and breakfast satisfactory. But the most important part -that day at least, was the small swimming pool. That is where some of us spent some time before we go out for dinner.

Tua is a very small village. And if it ever had a “golden age”, it is long gone. It is located at the intersection of two rivers and two railway lines. It was the traffic generated by the railway that “feed” most of the local economy. Nowadays that traffic is residual.

So, and if it wasn’t for the fact that our visit coincided with the festivities, we were guaranteed with an extremely calm and relaxing environment.

The rest of the evening was spent visiting the village that extends from the railway station to where Tua’s river meets the Douro. It´s a nice walk. And although it was pitch black we could clearly feel the river just a few meters from us, just by listening to the noises made by the fish jumping out of the water.

The next day started early, we had a train to catch. Breakfast was served on time and at 10 o’clock we were back on the train ready to resume our journey.

The part of the valley that followed is very dramatic, with cliffs and vertical walls. The train has to make its way through a series of tunnels and bridges. It is just a few Kms from the end of our trip that the valley becomes wider and the landscape with its characteristic vineyards and step like slopes return.

We reach the end of the line at Pocinho. There is not much to see here, as we were told the day before at Régua. So we staid just enough time to catch the next train back, which by the way was the same.

The journey had not yet ended. We still had to return to Porto, but not before lunch, which we had at Pinhão. The day was again very hot, as the previous, and walking was not a pleasant thing to do at that time of the day. So we looked for a nice place, by the river side, before going for lunch and travel back….

The return is already scheduled for early October during the harvest season...we will keep you posted ;-)