Ratna writes

Today, Priya, Mama, and I ventured to the stunning  Douro Valley , one of the protected designation of origins of wine, famous for port in particular. Despite the rain coming down for most of the day, views from the ride were too breathtaking to capture in single photographs, but here's one of Vila Real, a town on the water that we passed on the way. The journey took about an hour and a half by bus, through verdant undulating hills cut with terraces for the viticulture for which the region is famous. Our first stop was the Régua train station, whence departs the fabled " Train to Nowhere " that meanders through the Douro valley with no particular destination.  Our carriage for the day, however, was decisive about its designated destinations. The first winery we visited was Quinta da Roêda, the farmstead on which the company Croft has its holdings. We learned that the word  quinta ("one-fifth")   is used to refer to a farm in Portugal because one-fifth of the pro...

We started our Thursday with a drive through historic Porto and parked at the  National Soares dos Reis Museum , founded in 1833 to expose Portuguese students to the fine arts. With its well curated Portuguese paintings and sculpture and the gorgeous blue-and-white tiled walls, it was a dream come true (particularly given Mama's aesthetic preferences). We passed the hottest hours of the day there taking in Soares dos Reis and his contemporaries, through gallery after breathtaking gallery. We highly recommend their small and thoughtful collection! When the hottest hours of the day had passed, we popped into Livraria Lello , known for being "the most beautiful bookstore in the world." After a visit, we can confidently confirm that we agree with this assessment. A stained glass ceiling and window coverings suspend over a red staircase that looks like melting lava, like something out of Harry Potter. After the first tawny port of the day, we ventured out to the stunning teal ...

Mama and I woke at the crack of dawn today to board our bus to Sintra , a town about 14 miles from Lisbon, to the northwest. The town is home to at least five major palaces, and other small castles and royal chalets. We went in pursuit of Pena Palace, which our wonderful guide Bruno told us was constructed by King Ferdinand in 1838 for his wife, who tragically died in childbirth before she could ever lay eyes on it. What a sight it was to behold. We'd truly never seen anything like it in our lives, straight out of a Disney movie with the dreamy Portuguese countryside in the background. The vegetation around the approach of the castle was unique and evocative, transporting us to another time, in tandem with the petulant mist settling over the mountains as we ascended. Mama and I made our way through a tour of the inside of the palace, and when I constantly got separated from the tour group I found myself scampering through other groups whispering "excuse me, pardon, obrigada , ...