Day 2 and 3 in Portugal

Sorry for not posting a blog sooner.  Undortunately my computer picked up a virus and the windows is corrupt.  I wonºt be posting any blogs during this trip but promise to do one when I return to Canada.
I apologize to all of our famiy and friends that were planning on following our journey.
All of the ladies are healthy, happy and having great fun.  We went to the Douro Valley yesterday for some fabulous port tasting and typical pastries from this region.  Delicious!.  Today we had a tour of Porto, our walk about the town included the magnifcent tiled railway station, the Cathedral and shopping on Santa Catarina Street.  Great fun.  We are off to dinner shortly.  The food is fabulous and the wines very tasty.  Iºll send a little update as soon as possible.  thanks for your patience and understanding.  The blog will resume the week of May 28th.  

We've arrived.  The sky is partly cloudy and the weather is a comfortable 70 degrees. Perfect touring weather.  Our day begins with a panoramic tour of Porto.  This town or should I call it a city, is much larger than I expected.  The old part of the town dates back to the 1500's.  The  buildings are old, crooked, some falling down and together it is all quite charming. Our guide Monica is full of knowledge and very enthusiastic.  She points out all of the major landmarks to help us get acquainted with Porto.  After an overview we stop at St. Catherines street for lunch at one of the oldest and most beautiful cafe's for lunch.  The building has been restored and looks as it used to back in the 1800's.  The food is delicious. We board our bus once again and our skilled driver travels through the narrow streets, along the river and to our hotel, Pousada Feixo Palace.  It's absolutely beautiful. This building was in reins until recently when the government took it over and restored it into this stunning 5 star hotel overlooking the Duoro River.
The rooms are bright and spacious and the bathrooms large and very well appointed.  We take some down time to unpack, relax and unwind from the long journey.  The pool area has a lovely bar where everyone gathered for a cocktail before dinner. Dinner this evening was in a private room at the hotel.  The room has some of the original frescoes on the walls, high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers and a wonderful view of the river.  The setting is magnificent and the food delicious.  The perfect way to end a wonderful day.

Portugal - our journey begins!

My bags are packed, passport and E ticket in hand, camera ready.  
The "Babes on the Bus" are heading to Portugal.  Let the fun begin!
We'll be exploring sunny Portugal, with it's dramatic coastline, charming villages with narrow cobblestone streets and medieval walled cities. We're staying in pousadas - elegant, unique and historic hotels and visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the city of Guimaraes and the Tower of Belem.
Our journey will follow the contours of the Douro River where we'll taste local wines of the world's oldest wine making region. We'll visit Sintra to see the spectacular castles, manors and gardens and the famous pilgrim town of Fatima. In Lisbon we'll explore city highlights - monuments of beautiful Moorish architecture, the old Alfama district, the sophisticated Bairro Alto and the Lapa districts and learn the secrets of Portuguese cooking at a hands on cooking class. I invite you to follow along with us by checking my blog.  Photos and stories will be posted as often as possible. More to come..........