Feeling Blessed: Trip Day 12

Monday, July 6, 2026

Trip Day 12 - Régua

Friday July 3

We seem to be very busy and I am falling behind with blogging. The trouble is that when to much time has passed, it gets more dificult to recall what happened and when. We are having a very good time though.

Every evening we find a paper with the plan for the next day. This morning it seemed the plan was not followed. There was offered an "elective walk with PD" for about 1 hour of the city of Régua.

We were a bit confused not seeing our leader so decided to follow the yellow flag (different group) but there were only a very few participants anyway. This was a very small town but it still seemed to be sleeping because it was early. There was a museum and it seemed to be open. A young man (the director?) was very persuasive to invite us into the museum. It seemed that we were supposed to get a lesson to weave one of those tiny baskets. But the man to teach was sick so that had prepared a lesson of painting a tile. As I said, we were confused because it had not been written on the plan.

James and I thought it was best to go back to the ship.

The ship was sailing to the next place were the bus will bring us after our outing.

We are being taken in a bus to the home-hosted place. Every of the three groups to a different place. Our driver was amazing. Narrow streets with lots of curves.

We were taken to a Manor house, an aristrocratic estate, were Donna Anna-Marie was welcoming us. Obviously it was very,very old. I think the family tree was going back to the 1600s. The rooms were small, full of antique furniture and things. I asked and they had no objections of us taking photos but it was difficult. I was afraid to move much or turn around.

The manor house had even its own chapel where the family tried to have one service each month. But a priest needed to come of course which needed to be arranged. But all family weddings and baptisms were happening here.

Outside we watched as a helper was locking the chapel with a gigantic key.

We went around the house to the back were a snack and drinks were prepared in the shade.

And we were invited to stroll around in the garden which was truly very nice.

And then another drive on the narrow curving roads. The landscape was lovely.

Back on the ship we enjoyed "sailing" along.

We needed to experience being in a lock in our room. We were told to touch the lock wall. Well....

Detox water in the lounge. It says so!

Dinner at 7 pm. At our table we all guess what that "fruit/vegetable" between the cheese was. I take one.

Somebody tells us that it is a sort of gigantic caper. You can see it in my hand biten open. All I can say that it tasted very interesting.

Because this was the evening before going to Spain the next day it was called the Spanish Evening. The dinner was several types of paella but buffet style.

This is gazpacho, famous cold spanish soup. It looked nice but I finally decided that I needed to cut back on my intake. I teased and said that it would make a nice "bloody mary".