Douro Valley & Aldeia das Dez, Portugal Day 7

We took a Sunday drive today, only it was Wednesday in Portugal. The road out of Geres heading towards the Douro Valley twisted and rolled down to the water and through the forest, through open farmland and little villages along the way then back up the mountain and so on. Little cobblestone roads would lead us around the bend where a tiny village would appear like a special little surprise. It was pretty much us and a few others out on the road which was like a dream. At one point, I had read about this route, described as the prettiest in the world and we really wanted to see the Douro Valley so it was destined to be.

We pulled into the village of Aldeia das Dez at about 4:30 and our hotel, Plano 5, hadn’t opened for the day so we decided to go for a little hike up to the church and into the forest above. The path in the forest was flanked heavily by eucalyptus and the air softly carried its scent.

After dinner, Colin made fast friends with the owner of our hotel and while they visited, I decided to take a little walk into the countryside. It was a perfectly beautiful night, the birds were chirping, and except for an occasional car, it was a peacefully silent walk. I stopped to admire all the little home gardens along the way and couldn’t help to make a note of the endless numbers of cabbage patches I’ve seen in every home garden. We wrapped up the night with slices of apple pie/cake, fresh from the oven, and went to bed with plans for a lovely hike bright and early tomorrow morning.

This post is one in a series posts on my visit to Portugal. You can find all of my posts here:

The story behind my journey to Portugal
Day 1 & 2: Lisbon Portugal
Day 3: Cascais, Sintra, & Obidos, Portugal
Day 4: Nazare, Costa Nova, & Aveiro Portugal
Day 5: Porto, Portugal
Day 6: Soajo & Geres National Park, Portugal
Day 7: Douro Valley & Aldeia Das Dez, Portugal
Day 8: Monsanto, Portugal

IT'S ME, SERENA!

I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.

I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.

Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.

I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.

BROWSE

SERENA GOES TO MARKET

AROUND THE HOME

STYLE

RECIPES

PLACES TO GO

SERENA'S LIFE

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