Explore More Autumn 2019

POSTCARD from PORTUGAL

POSTCARD from PORTUGAL Specialist Cruise Consultant Bianca LeQuesne's favourite destination on her Douro cruise was the small town of Favaios, here she tells us more about it 50 VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK | SUMMER 2019

TRAVEL Choosing just one place from my beautiful Douro cruise was difficult, but Favaios, a town in northern Portugal, was special. A small town with a population of just over 1,000 people, it is known for its wine – Moscatel de Favaios – and also for its ‘four corners bread’, both of which were delicious. Our first stop was the local museum of wine and bread, where it was great to learn more about the treats that awaited us and to understand the important role that these two industries have played for this small town. Our local guide advised us that the locals drink Moscatel with breakfast – it is left to your interpretation as to whether this is a true or not, but I like to think this is one of the reasons that the local residents have such a cheery and friendly demeanour. We then visited a local cooperative to learn a little more about how the Muscat grapes are made into the Moscatel wine and of course to try the final product. Very sweet and surprisingly light, Moscatel wine can be used in cocktails but it is easy to see why locals prefer it just as it is. I discovered there were more products also made from the grapes; jams, and jelly for example, and I am still enjoying these at home now. My favourite part of the day was a visit to the bakery. There are still eight bakeries in Favaios which bake their famous four corners bread each day to distribute to the surrounding towns and villages. The small bakeries will bake around 1,000 loaves a day and it was a great privilege to go and visit one of these bakeries to see how this is done. The ingredients are simple: water, yeast, flour and salt – the end product, delicious! We were invited in with open arms to watch the bread being baked in the two stone ovens. Loaves upon loaves were brought out and we were encouraged to try the freshly-baked bread with butter, cheese, ham or jam. As we left Favaios our journey back to the ship in Pinãho was stunning. These little places we visited were for me the real jewels of the Douro wine region. Clockwise, from opposite page: The town of Favaios was a highlight; the countryside around Favaios is peppered with terraced fields and traditional villages; Bianca loved discovering more about local industry; the famous ‘four corners bread’ PHOTOS: © ISTOCK A 10-day Portugal’s River of Gold journey, from Lisbon to Porto, starts at £2,095pp in 2020 vikingcruises.co.uk AUTUMN 2019 | VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK 51