When my husband and I booked our latest Road Scholar trip, “Beyond the Vineyards, Sampling Northern Portugal and Spain,” he started telling people that he was going to drink his way through Portugal and Spain. And he did.
Our tour included visits to six wineries as well as seven or more UNESCO world heritage sites. We learned more about Port, Sweet Vermouth, red wines and white wines, than I anticipated. And along the way we had to taste all the differences.
At every winery we had a tour of the vineyards, the fermentation areas, and the tasting rooms. Some of the wineries were located in estates that had been in families for generations. One winery’s gardens were magnificent.
In honor of these beautiful gardens, I plan to start off my blogs about our trip to Portugal and Spain focusing on the beautiful gardens we visited in Portugal.
Our first garden was at the site of the original Crystal Palace. Although the Palace no longer exists, the lovely gardens do. The Galeria Municipal Do Porto Gardens are enchanting not just because of the lovely plants, but also the lovely peacocks and peahens who roam the park. I have never seen so many in one place before!
(I have to add here that almost every winery had peacocks. We asked why, the answer was that peacocks represented wealth. So having them indicated that the winery and the family were doing well!)
In the Crystal Palace gardens, the azaleas and camelias were in the best blooms. They were so large and stunning. There were trees from other countries. Statues along multiple walkways that went to lower levels in the garden. Formal gardens that overlooked the Douro River. The many overlooks gave you a chance to view Porto from a different perspective.
Two buildings are on the site. The official circular arena for the Porto, which stands where the original Crystal Palace once stood, as well as the Capela do Rei Carlos Alberto. A small chapel that is still in use.
The second garden was on the grounds of the Fundacao De Serralves, the Contemporary Art Museum. The museum grounds includes the Serralves’ art deco villa and the park including many gardens and sculptures. We saw the outside of the villa and walked only two of the parks. The formal front and then the treetop walk. I wish we had even more time. To be honest I spent all my time in the gardens and never entered the museum!!
The third and most stunning of the gardens was at the estate and winery the Quinta de Aveleda! This property has been owned by the same family since the 16th century. They have had hundreds of years to create the most beautiful gardens. Included in the gardens are three small houses, including one that was used by family members on their honeymoons. There is also a small area for a family of goats to live, which were put in the garden for the enjoyment of the children. You cannot visit the estate’s lovely mansion, except to view it from a distance, as it is still used by the family.
I wish everyone could see these gardens in person, as photos can only capture some of the essence of these fantastic garden sites.
https://ambiente.cm-porto.pt/parques-e-jardins/jardins-do-palacio-de-cristal
https://www.serralves.pt/institucional-serralves/parque_apresentacao/
zicharonot 