We set sail today for our easternmost docking point along the Douro River, just on the other side of the border and into Spain. Along the way the knitters knitted; I eavesdropped in on a class about sweater math. OMG. The amount of things I don’t know will never cease to amaze me.
Our excursion brought us into one of the last of twelve medieval villages in Portugal, Castelo de Rodrigo. It was extremely quaint and has a population of maybe 50 people. That could go down to 49 in the next month or so. Eek.
The region is known for two main things; the production of cork and the almond tree. I love almonds and I was very curious to see what the cork thing was all about. For all I know, we’ll be looking at a bunch of wine corks and bulletin boards.
Once we walked around the village and saw the church, the ruins and the main square, we were led to a restaurant to try their local products. Almonds of all different flavours waited for us along with some cured meats and cheeses. It’s a tough life, for sure. We also had the option of trying a dozen or so liqueurs, ports and wines. That seemed ambitious. I allowed myself one shot of the almond liqueur – where else will I find that? I gotta be honest, I hope I don’t ever find it anywhere else. It was NOT delicious.
The cork store was the big surprise for me. Did you know they make cork hats, purses, shoes, belts, jewelry, bags and even bowties? I sure didn’t. I walked out of that store with a few extra items as well.
To say this tiny village did well with our busloads of shoppers is an understatement. We all had a few extra bags in our hands as we boarded the bus. Who doesn’t like cork and almonds, right?
To finish off the day, I have to brag and just say that Janet and I finished the Heated Rivalry season. Again, IYKYK.
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