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Arrived yesterday to see large adverts for Sandeman as I got off the plane. This was obviously a good start. The equally large signs advertising Mateus were less so...I didn't have much time yesterday to see very much beyond the lights of Gaia from the Luis I bridge, so today was the first real day of my (very short) visit. Spent the morning doing the non-Port things and then trecked up to the Taylor's lodge for lunch. An what a great lunch it was; I think I've found my new favourite restaurant. Large selection of Port; large selection of vegetarian food; and a great view of the Douro. They gave me a very cold glass of Chip Dry when I arrived and, in all honesty, drinking it very cold having walked up the hill from the river, I could just about forgive it! I followed it with some 20-year-old Tawny which was perfectly acceptable.
In the afternoon, I pocked my head around some of the lodges; the Museum of Vintage Port and some non-Port stuff before heading out to the Casa de la Música (which is an excellent concert hall) to hear the Porto orchestra play some Rachmaninoff.
This was followed by a trip to Vinologia. An amazing place, they have huge numbers of Ports available by the glass. Looking through their menu, the most interesting selection (based on the "what can I not buy in the UK" test) was aged whites from Quinta de Santa Eufémia followed by a Dalva white colheita. A very interesting exeperience! The staff their are great and we had a very interesting chat about 2007.