Miranda do Douro

 We collected the bikes from just under the Luiz 1 bridge and took our leave of Porto, travelling back along the riverside and heading towards Vila Real ( they have a football team). Heading along the Douro valley took us through vineyards and olive groves, lots of agriculture. 

We headed to Miranda do Douro which was high in the hills just at the Spanish border. It was a beautifully kept quiet town with a castle which was regularly blown up in border fights, a cathedral and an old wall requiring some health and safety inspection. Miranda has its own official dialect but it was all gobbledygook to us. Not sure who the 2 dudes in the square are but it looks serious. 

We were the first incumbents of a newly refurbished air bnb in which the hot water had just failed, so we took refuge in the local bar while it was sorted. The flat was very tasteful but lacked a kettle. This was where the local bar stepped in again. 

The local restaurant raised its game with its best veggie offerings and we got absolutely soaked in very heavy rain on the way back!







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