This Pousada has accommodation in the
village of Alijo in the Douro Port Wine grape growing region in Portugal.
The surrounding countryside
has both the large quintas of the major Port Wine houses and also small
estates with vineyards terraced down the mountainside.
Visits can be made to the Port
Wine Quintas to sample this famous wine and also to learn how it is
produced.
One of the most spectacular
times to visit is in autumn for the 'vindima' (grape harvest). The fields
are filled with workers picking the grapes and carrying then to collection
points to begin the journey to be pressed.
A few quintas still produce
their luxury brands in the old fashioned way of treading the grapes by
foot to extract the juice without damaging the pips which can cause a bitter
taste.
It is said that the Douro River is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Portugal and is best
visited by train or boat with car being a very poor third option.
The management will be pleased
to help arrange boat trips. Train tickets for one of the great journeys
of the world can be bought at the stations.
Even if not taking a train
journey, a visit should be made to Pinhao Railway Station to see the famous
tiles on the walls containing scenes of the wine production process.
The Pousada de Alijo has 21 rooms with en-suite bathroom, air conditioning/heating, Cable television and satellite, telephone, minibar and hair dryer. Some bedrooms
are inter-connected.
The Pousada has a restaurant
offering a variety of dishes including a selection of local and regional
specialities. Other facilities include bar, terrace, swimming pool,
tennis court, lift and parking.
Activities in this area include
hunting for wild boar and fishing for barbel and other fish. Also
country walks and bicycle tours.
August is the time of the
local festivals when the villages have their music, dancing, markets and,
of course, the religious processions and services.
The festivities start in
the nearby village/town of Favaios at the beginning of August, followed
by Sanfins do Douro a week later and in Alijo itself usually from 14 to
16 August.
The Pousada is named in honour
of one the great names in the Port Wine industry. In 1831 the 22 year old
Englishman, Joseph James Forrester, came to Porto to join his uncle's firm
of Offleys Forrester and Company. He soon produced high quality hand drawn
maps of the production region and also paintings and water colours of the
Douro and Porto. He wrote on technical matters relating to Port Wine including
a pamphlet accusing the port wine shippers of malpractice.
He was later made Baron Forrester
by the king for his services to Port Wine. In 1892 at the age of 53 he
had a good lunch at the quinta of Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman. Returning
home with Baroness Fladgate and Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira (of Ferreira
Port) the boat hit a rock in the rapids in the Douro and was lost. It is
said that the ladies crinolines kept them afloat but Baron Forrester was
wearing a money belt containing gold sovereigns and perished.
The international airport
at Porto (Oporto) is approximately 136 kilometers from this Pousada of Portugal.
The Pousada in Alijo will be closed from 1 November 2011.
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