Europe 2021: Duoro Valley

Europe 2021:

Duoro Valley

The Duoro Valley in Northern Portugal is a long and picturesque region that follows the river for which it's named. It's a working wine region, much more spectacular than Napa, that doesn't feel touristy while being very open to tourists. We stayed here for a few days before continuing our journey by heading south.

There are a number of places to stay in the area, but we chose the centrally located town of Pinhao as our base camp. We rented an apartment right in town and right on the water. A lot of people come here by rail or by boat. If you're feeling brave like we were, you can drive. Be prepared though, as the roads are harrowing and not at all for the faint of heart. It's basically one lane wide with blind curve after blind curve and no guardrails with one side of every road being a wall of grapevines and the other being a sheer drop off.....into grapevines. If you go over the edge, you won't stop for a long time. The good news is that if you survive you won't starve while waiting to be rescued from whatever grapevine or olive tree you end up in.

Our hosts left some welcome snacks for our arrival, including wine!

They left the fridge stocked as well.

We loved our apartment. It was huge by European standards, with two bedrooms and a very large living room. There was also a small balcony to enjoy the passing water traffic. It was in great condition, but had a retro feel which we actually enjoyed in this case. The owner left us fresh bread and provisions at our door every morning as well. 

You see these special vineyard trucks everywhere. They're narrow, which is really by necessity around here.

It is fascinating how every meter of land seems to have grapes (or olives occasionally) growing on it. 

I think she was just hugging the Caddy, but what she might as well have been doing was demonstrating how wide our little VW felt in the valley. The roads here are shockingly narrow!

The town is completely walkable and felt very safe. It's not a big place.

We dined at restaurants around town for the most part, and they were all good. Wine is the theme, as you can imagine, and there is an endless supply of locally produced options.

If you want to pay twice as much for food and local wine, there is also an endless supply of vineyards you can visit. We stopped by a few for lunch and refreshments. 

Pretending to be a wine snob (I mean connoisseur) with my Coke at one of the tasting rooms.

If we had stayed in the region much longer I fear Nel's arm would have gotten stuck that way.

Two-fisting it!

Of course, we had to buy wine and then lug it across four countries for the privilege of flying home with it.  

Branelle watching the rain roll in over the valley.

We took a boat ride one day, which is a pretty common thing to do here. 

This was a great stop and we really enjoyed it - Branelle more then me I suppose. During these longer trips, it's nice to stay in one place for a while every now and then. 

Europe 2021: Bom Jesus do Monte

Europe 2021:

Bom Jesus do Monte

Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount) is a Portuguese Catholic shrine just outside of Braga in Northern Portugal. Branelle and I drove there on the way to our stay in the Duoro Valley and it turned out to be a wonderful stop. The sanctuary has a long history dating back to at least 1373, with construction of the current chapel starting in 1722. 

From a practical standpoint, when you're driving there it feels like you're in the middle of Braga...until you're not all of the sudden. You can park at the top or the bottom - we chose the top but it really doesn't make a difference. I think someone charged us a Euro or something, and in we went. 

The entire place is beautiful! We were there on just a perfect day, so that helps, but regardless of the weather, the place is well kept and the views are amazing.

The inside of the chapel is nice, but not any more spectacular than most. There are also restaurants at both the top and the bottom and a very nice gift shop. I believe there is a hotel as well.

The views again - you can see out over Braga and the mountain ranges beyond. Other than seeing the city below, you would swear you were in an isolated mountaintop sanctuary. There's a very peaceful feeling, interrupted only by the very loud bells that play a long and familiar melody frequently.

There is a long segment of stairways that zigzag down the mountain. There are fountains at every segment dedicated to the five senses - sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste. There's a funicular that you can ride up or down for about half a Euro. We chose to walk down and then take the funicular back up. To be honest, it's not as taxing as I was expecting, so walking both up and down wouldn't be an issue. 

This was a beautiful stop and an interesting and enjoyable place to visit. It's a can't miss if you're in Braga, but I would put it on your plans if you're anywhere in Northern Portugal. 

Europe 2021: Celanova

Europe 2021:

Celanova

This one will be brief. My father was raised in a very small town in far northern Spain called Celanova (pronounced 'thel-a-nova'). I was very excited about getting back here as it had been decades since my last visit. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the most disappointing stop on our entire trip and really epitomized the statement "you can't go home again". Celanova had grown, and not in a charming, touristy way. It seemed like some industrial complex had set up shop there and brought a population boom of working class folks and a surge of apartment buildings. To emphasize my point, this now rather robust 'town' still only had a single hotel (it was the worst place we stayed over the entire three weeks as well). 

There's really not much to see in Celanova anyway. There's an old monastery like most Spanish towns have, and that's about it. I couldn't find our old family home in town (that we no longer own) because everything looked different and I hadn't brought the address. We didn't even bother going to the family farm in La Facha up the mountain. It's just land at this point as the structures have long been neglected. I think I was hoping for a nostalgic trip of my father's history and the 'change' just depressed me. On the way there I had even talked with Nel about rebuilding the country home as a sort of European getaway location for our family. Sadly, there are better places in Europe to start over if we want to do that. 

  

We did manage to do one fun thing. The sketch in the picture above has been hanging in my parents home since the 70's. It's hanging in my guesthouse today. We tried to find the exact spot and angle that the artist used and took a picture to compliment. The old square, at least, hasn't changed much at all. 

It was a disappointing stop all around, so we only stayed one night and then moved on. I think my expectations for some trip back in time in remembering my father probably were too high to be met, but I'm glad I went back to Celanova at least one last time. 

Mecum Houston 2021 Report

 Mecum Houston 2021 Report

If you recall, Mecum was forced to delay their annual Houston auction in 2020 from the usual time in April until December due to COVID stuff. They came back five months later in 2021 at the usual April spot on the calendar. I actually preferred the December slot, but always happy to have a car auction anytime. The inventory was back up this time as well, although still not to pre-COVID levels. Another thing that's up at all auctions since this started are the prices. People are going crazy at these things throwing money around. I'm always determined to buy a car or two when I go to an auction, but I hadn't pulled the trigger at the last two I attended for some reason (maybe I'm getting more frugal in my old age).

Mom came with me one day!

There wasn't really much out of the ordinary auction-wise this time around. The mask idiocy was still in effect thanks to the idiots that run Harris County, but otherwise it was back to normal. I wasn't too active, but I did at least add a new toy to the collection.

Things We Didn't Buy:

1949 Pontiac Silver Streak

I've been getting more and more interested in old American metal recently. I was looking for something from the 50's or 60's (or 40's) this time around and this Pontiac really caught my eye. It was an older restoration, but just a really cool looking car. I told myself I wouldn't go over $30k for it and stuck to it as it worked its way north of $35k.

1957 Mercury Montclair Convertible

Another huge piece of Americana, this Montclair was striking but not quite nice enough for me on close inspection. It was driver quality, which is fine, but for some reason I chose not to bid on it. Someone got a bargain in the mid-30s. 

1987 Buick Grand National

Classic American wasn't the only thing on my radar. I love these Grand Nationals (and the Monte Carlo SS and the Olds 442 that were similar in the late 80s) but Nel is not a fan...at all. This was a very cool car when I was in high school....but she was five at the time. I'm sure I'll have one someday soon, but I didn't bid on this one.

1990 Ford Bronco XLT

Trucks and SUVs are extremely popular right now. I like the ones that have sort of a retro look, and this one fit the bill. It was nice, but not over the top and seemed to be completely stock. I bid on it up to about $22k but wasn't even close as it topped $30k. Branelle liked this one which was an added bonus if I had bought it. 

1985 Ferrari 308 GTS

I always pay attention to exotics in Houston. It's not the hottest market for weird stuff and sometimes a car will fall through the cracks. That's how I ended up with my last Ferrari, but this one wasn't in the best shape. I thought about it, but wisely passed on what, on the surface anyway, seemed like a bargain for a classic prancing horse.

1951 Ford Custom Deluxe Crestliner

Back to American classics, this car and the one next to it really threw me. The condition was phenomenal - probably better than new - but it was just a '51 Ford and they aren't particularly valuable or collectible. I should have bought one of them, even though it would have cost me three times what a normal '51 Ford would have been worth, just because I've never been upset with any of my cars that are in near-perfect condition, no matter what they are.  

1958 Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet

I really wanted this car and became quite enamored with it by the time it went across the block on Saturday. It ticked every box for me. Unfortunately, it ticked a few boxes for other folks as well and the bidding got close to $150k. I couldn't justify that figure, although based on what I've seen since it might have been a bargain.

1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V "Diamond Jubilee"

This is the car that I actually planned to buy in Houston. I had been outbid for this exact car in Kissimmee in January because there was another one right after it and then I didn't get the other one either! I would have happily overpaid to buy this 10,000 mile land yacht, but I got a work call and had to walk away from the block and just missed it. I was so frustrated with myself. Nel is demonstrating how many bodies you could get in the trunk of this thing.

Things We DID Buy:

1991 BMW 850i

Just one new toy this year - this stunning 850i. The condition of the car is amazing, both inside and out. The mechanics have been another matter though, and I'm just now finally getting everything sorted. This is my 4th 8-Series BMW, so I shouldn't be surprised as these 12-cylinder beasts are very complex and temperamental. The good news is that the market for these has really heated up lately so it warrants putting money into it to make it as good as it can be. I like driving it too, which is an added bonus.