Here are a selection of photos from our trip into the high Douro, truly memorable and well worth a visit if you are here!

On top of a high mountain pass, here the greener valleys give way to rock strewn pastures. Old stone walls testify to earlier agriculture and are similar to Brittany and Cornwall. Taken after lunch at temperatures of about 30C, the rocks radiate the heat back, it is positively baking up here.

View from our Quinta hotel over the vieyards and Olive groves. Foreground orange and lemon tress.

Also from the hotel in other direction, sorry about photo quality it was hazy.

We had a wonderful dinner on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. Our friends Patsy and Nick from Hayling Island, offered to share the journey with us, I am so glad they did!

Pinhao, from river boat, Alto Douro.

Many hillsides here display the names of the porthouses to whom they belong, you may recognise this one.

Parts of this valley are only accessible by train and river.

Just to give an idea of the steepness of the valley sides and by no means the steepest, Alto Douro.

On the river trip, from Pinhao.

More to follow soon!

All our best Lynne and Alan