Shortly after breakfast, we passed through the Carrapatelo Locks again…
…and continued downstream, passing a riverside resort with a sandy beach and kayaks and SUPs to rent..
We stopped at the docks in Entre-os-Rios, the port where we spent the first night on our cruise.
From here we would take the bus to Casa de Quintã where we would have lunch.
Like the Mateus Palace, the estate here features opulent architecture…
and decorative gardens.
But unlike the Mateus property, Casa de Quintã offers guest lodging…
And a pool.
We, of course, would use none of that on our visit.
Like Mateus, this estate sports it’s own chapel,
Long tables were set up in one of the outside plazas, and I assumed that would be where we would dine. No, that’s for a wedding party, we were told. Our party of 30 would be served lunch indoors in what I assume is the grand banquet room. The food and wine proved to be as pleasing as the surroundings.
After saying goodbye to the estate’s diligent watchdog, we boarded the bus and proceeded back to the boat.
From here, we would cruise back to Porto…
…passing under Porto’s signature, two-level bridge.
We docked and spent our last onboard night a few hundred yards downstream of the Dom Luis I bridge.
We learned that on our cruise, we 30 passengers had consumed 183 bottles of wine onboard. That didn’t count the additional bottles consumed at our lunches and dinners off the boat.
An additional five bottles of Portugal’s best were consumed that evening by those of us who retreated to the sun deck to enjoy the lights shimmering off the bridge…
…and the fireworks, which flew skyward from across the river in Gaia.
While we were gazing at our surroundings, a few folks, including my current wife, remained in the lounge, drinking wine…
…and singing along to tunes played by Jorge, the boat’s piano man.
Wine and energy exhausted, we finally turned in for what sadly was our last night onboard the Spirit of Chartwell.
