Day 21: Sailing and Castello Rodrigo

 Saturday 21 st September.

Yes more sailing, locks and more vineyard views.

















Docked at lunchtime then onto Castello Rodrigo.

From its lofty hilltop position, the small historical village of Castelo Rodrigo looks down over the plateau stretching eastwards to Spain and northwards to the deep valley of the River Douro. According to tradition, it was founded by Alfonso IX of León, in order to be given to Count Rodrigo Gonzalez de Girón, who repopulated it and gave it its name. With the Treaty of Alcanices, signed in 1297 by D. Dinis, poet and king of Portugal, it came into the possession of the Portuguese crown.

40 minute coach drive




















Back to the boat and it is dinner time again!

Where we are docked it is the end of the line for sailing up the Douro. We are at the Spanish border and the river gets to shallow form here. An over night stay, excursion tomorrow the start sailing back.

Day 20: Sailing to Pinhåo

 Friday September 20

Full day of sailing, pictures tell the story.

Should say we went through 3 locks which is always fun.

The second lock is a height gain of 35 metres, the highest single step lock in Europe.

Early pictures are very hazy as we were very close to the fires. Many fire engines past by us.

Interesting to see a lot of old villas abandoned and left to crumble away.

After an hour up the river the vine covered slopes started to appear.

This was the Douro river we hoped to see.