Our primary focus in Lamego was the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies ((Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios).
It sits atop a hill reached by a grand, zigzagging staircase of 686 steps.
Trees flank both sides of the staircase.
Nine terraces break up the ascent.
Each level features fountains and blue tile artwork.
Statues of the 18 Old Testament Kings of Israel stand near the top.
At the apex of what some Led Zeppelin fans might call a Stairway to Heaven is beautiful Rococo church, designed in the Baroque era.
If it's Baroque, don't fix it.
Construction started in 1750, on the site of an older chapel dedicated to St. Stephen. Like many church projects, construction continued for decades, finishing in 1905. By the conclusion of the project, the glimmer of Portugal's wealth from exploration of the New World had faded.
If you make the ascent, you may recognize that as you go higher, the quality of the materials and workmanship become increasingly upgraded and refined. More noticeably, inclusions get progressively grander.
Our local guide said that was not as originally envisioned but rather because lower levels, as the most recent additions, were constructed under ever tightening budgets.
Many religious people make a pilgrimage on their knees up these beautiful stairs to the glorious church, seeking spiritual guidance and healing.
On September 8, the annual Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios features a fiesta complete with Catholic Mass at the Sanctuary followed by the Triumph Procession through the streets of Lamego. Marching bands, floats carrying statues of saints and clergy make this parade quite a spectacle.
How did our group of Viking River Cruise guests fare Climbining to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies?
I must say, we all made quite easy work of it.
We rode a tour bus to the summit and walked down the steps.
That is a wonderful way to go.
The inside of the Sanctuary is quite beautiful, as you would expect.
There's a statue of Jesus wearing a frock, like a doll.
Our guide said that locals put socks on His feet, because the feet have become darkly stained over decades with people touching and kissing them.
The panoramic views from the top are stunning. As usually is the case, photos don't do the views justice, especially on a bright, sunny day when some photos can get a bit washed out by light.
All but a handful from our group walked down the stairs.
We did not proceed at a breakneck pace by any means, giving us the welcome opportunity to enjoy the views at each of the descending platforms.
At the bottom are a series of statues representing the four seasons, which are also quite beautiful.
We were all given the opportunity to explore the old city on our own or to hike to the top of another hill to an ancient castle.
Only one other person decided to join Julie and me on the guided ascent to the top.
With temperatures rising quickly, it was a hot but pleasant hike up. Our guide kept us on a steady pace, seldom pausing long enough to take a photo.
Julie and I soon realized we are now accustomed to flatter walks than when we used to hike up and down hills regularly in Big Sky.
Still, we had no significant difficulty keeping up with our guide and the man who took the challenge with us to reach the castle.
This hilltop was used as a natural fortress beginning in Roman times, if not prior to that.
As with much of Portugal, possession changed hands between various conquerors, including the Christians reclaiming it from the Moors in 1057.
The medieval castle was constructed under Christian rule, historians believe, mostly in the 12th Century.
Like the Sanctuary, this castle boasts panoramic views of surrounding areas.
That vantage point, of course, made it ideal for a defensive fortress, like Castelo Rodrigo.
On the way down, we stopped at a door to a restaurant that gave us access to a medieval cistern.
This cistern served as a reservoir for Lamego for centuries.
Built in the 13th century, the cistern collected rain water through holes in its ceiling, storing it to be used later by the city.
That assured fresh water for residents of Lamego in the event of a military siege.
The structural integrity of the granite walls remains, meaning it can still hold water. It no longer serves as a reservoir.
It is now an exhibit for curious tourists.
Southern California should make a note, because most of their rainwater washes down gutters, drainage ditches and sewer lines into the Pacific Ocean, when it isn't flooding canyons devastated by wildfire, which additional water could help extinguish.
We said prayers of thanks at Lamego Cathedral, another beautiful church.
From the museum, we could see the summits where we had been.
Our early morning start in Régua meant we were back from Lamego in time for lunch and scenic afternoon cruising.
The lounge one deck lower was an inviting place for light conversation with beverages.
Cruising the Douro, we had the opportunity to try the different hues of port. This evening before Porto a Vintage Port Presentaion by Maitre D' Nick.
Vintage Port is the intensively red, full-bodied wine we typically think of as Port. Tawny Port is lighter and less sweet. It is aged for two to three years in oak casks, before then aging in bottles.
It is a wine blend aged for less than three years. Aged Tawny is amber in color. Blended from a range of wines, it has been aged 10 to 30 years. Late-Bottled Vintage is less rich than Vintage Port. It is aged in casks for four to six years before being filtered to bottle.
When in the lounge, a talented pianist often played virtuosically but unintrusively.
Sitting in the lounge or dining room didn't mean we had to miss views of the river, including our arrival in the Gaia/Porto area this particular evening.
I believe this was the night of a special buffet of Portugal's greatest culinary hits.
The dish I liked best was one that looked somewhat disturbing. The Octopus in my dish had gray, bumpy skin and other features still prominently visible, like a dissection, but it was delicious.
"Tuna," incidentally, does not refer to fish, in this case. It stems from the Latin word "tonus," meaning tone or sound. In Portugal, Spain and Latin America, a "Tuna" is a group of university students wearing university clothing performing traditional music.
The young performers wore a traditional student outfit similar to those we saw at Coimbra University.
The students put on a good show with a dash of flair.
This was July 15, which FIFA World Cup fans may remember as the night that Argentina defeated England in the semifinals to advance to the World Championship Match.
Viking did not televise any of the World Cup games, which I suppose is not in keeping with their brand. Given the importance of the sport in Europe and this year in the USA, it seemed a rather an odd event for Viking to skimp on.
Then again, Viking focuses on a specific type of traveler, and sports fans doesn't typically fit that demographic, it seems. Only one younger woman seemed to be an avid World Cup fan, although Julie and I were definitely following the games this year with North America hosting.
Most all Viking guests stayed aboard to attend Tuna Folk Show.
After the show ended, Julie and I walked ashore to find a place to watch the game. As it turned out, a short walk from our ship was a huge outdoor screen with chairs and tables in a large area outside a bar for match.
England was up 1-0 more than 80 minutes into the match, a seemingly insurmountable lead in the low-scoring world of FIFA Keepaway...I mean Futbol. Soccer to me.
But Argentina scored at the 85 minute mark to tie. The partisan crowd cheers left no doubt about which team they were for, even if for centuries Portugal was England's oldest ally. Argentina is, after all, neighbors with their former colony, Brazil.
Remarkably, Argentina scored again just seven minutes later to win! And the crowd went wild!
