Découverte à pied là où le Douro rencontre l'Atlantique à Porto

Je suis une marcheuse, j'aime l'esthétique visuelle, explorer les choses simples et satisfaisantes. Et vous aussi ?

Nous travaillons sans relâche à Quinta do Tedo, et lorsque nous avons besoin de nous « détendre », notre endroit préféré, à environ une heure et demie de notre Quinta se trouve aux alentours de Foz, sur la côte atlantique, là où le Douro se jette dans l'océan.

Notre blog de ce mois-ci n'est pas centré sur le vin. Je sais que de nombreux visiteurs viennent à Quinta do Tedo en passant par Porto.

Le centre historique est charmant, bien que parfois trop mouvementé à mon goût. Venez à Foz, un quartier plus calme, idéal pour se promener le long des rues pavées pittoresques et sur le front de mer, pour observer les gens, pour déguster des fruits de mer, pour s'enrichir culturellement, et bien plus encore !

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  • Musée Serralves - sculpture extérieure de Claes Oldenburg et Coosje Van Bruggen

    Entrée de Duas Portas (le long de la ligne de tramway reliant Foz au centre historique de Porto)

Mon endroit préféré pour dormir à Foz est Duas Portas, une "deuxième maison" pour notre Famille Bouchard. Simple, bien aménagé, avec des lits confortables, d'excellents petits déjeuners et un vin d'honneur et un coin expresso dans le salon - ce B&B est calme et accueillant. Les hôtes, Luisa et Miguel, ainsi que le personnel, sont chaleureux, prêts à aider les clients, et des personnes extrêmement sympathiques.

L'arrière de l'hôtel est un parc avec des coins repos, le salon dispose d'une grande sélection de disques à écouter et de livres d'architecture pour vous inspirer (Luisa et ses parents sont des architectes locaux bien connus). L'ambiance est sobre et cool. Que vous faut-il de plus ?

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  • Traversez la rue de Duas Portas et profitez de la promenade du Douro vers l'Atlantique

    La rivière Douro borde le côté nord de Quinta do Tedo et rejoint l'Atlantique à 100 km à l'ouest, au phare de Foz

Arrêtez-vous pour un café en milieu de matinée ou un jus d'orange frais à Tavi à Foz. Choisissez parmi les délicieuses pâtisseries portugaises présentées à l'entrée et dégustez-les à une table surplombant l'Atlantique - oh lá lá !

Descendez sur la promenade côtière et admirez la beauté de l'Atlantique, de ses vagues déferlantes et de ses horizons sans fin. Des pistes cyclables bordent la promenade et vous pouvez vous joindre aux promeneurs, aux joggeurs et aux coureurs, aux familles de plusieurs générations qui marchent ensemble, aux randonneurs de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, et aux skateboarders - un échantillon de l'humanité qui partage une appréciation commune de la côte et des plaisirs simples de la vie - le soleil, l'air salin et la promenade.

Continuez vers le nord et passez devant l'installation de la rotonde de Matosinhos, conçue par l'artiste new-yorkaise Janet Echelman en 2005. Initialement baptisée « she moves » par l'artiste, en raison de son balancement permanent au gré du vent, les Portugais l'ont rebaptisée « anémona », en raison de sa ressemblance avec l'ouverture et la fermeture d'une anémone. Cette sculpture rend hommage à Matosinhos, la terre des pêcheurs.

En parlant de pêcheurs, la visite de l'usine de sardines Conservas Pinhais à Matosinhos est à ne pas manquer. Enfilez une cape de protection (sans oublier de rire!) et suivez la visite interactive expliquant de A à Z le processus de mise en conserve des sardines. Au siècle dernier, Matosinhos comptait plus de 50 conserveries ; aujourd'hui, Pinhais est l'une des rares qui restent.

La visite commence par un film court et poignant sur l'industrie de la pêche au Portugal, ses défis et ses succès, suivi d'une visite des bureaux d'origine datant des années 1920, remplis de souvenirs historiques tels que des cartes d'exportation, des timbres de commande et des livres de comptes.

Visitez l'usine en action : les ouvriers préparent les boîtes avec des cornichons, des piments, de l'huile d'olive et d'autres ingrédients. Apprenez à emballer les boîtes dans du papier (toujours à la main) et, grand final, goûtez un assortiment de conserves ! Vous pouvez même y déjeuner.

Images:

  • Visite de Conservas Pinhais (photo prise à l'époque de COVID)

    Sardines fraîches à conserver

    Sardines enveloppées dans le papier jaune caractéristique Nuri

Ensuite visitez Casa de Arquitectura, une ancienne cave à vin qui est aujourd'hui un espace culturel avec des expositions et un caviste, Garage Wines. Retournez à pied, en taxi, en Uber ou en bus le long de la côte, ou...

Partez à la découverte du marché des petits producteurs de Matosinhos, allongez-vous avec un bon livre ou faites une siesta au Parque de Ciudade, ou prenez un apéritif à Junior (Matosinhos) ou Botella (Foz) puis dégustez des fruits de mer grillés au charbon à Tito 2 (plus traditionnel) ou 5 Oceanos (plus raffiné).

Profitez de votre exploration de Foz et, avant ou après, n'oubliez pas de suivre le Douro depuis l'Atlantique jusqu'à l'intérieur et de nous rendre visite à Quinta do Tedo.

~ Saúde, Kay

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Exploring on foot where the Douro meets the Atlantic in Porto

I am a walker, and I love visual aesthetics, exploring and making simple and very satisfying discoveries. Do you, as well?

We work hard at Quinta do Tedo, and when we need to “chill” our favorite place, about 1.5 hours from Quinta do Tedo, is around Foz, on the Atlantic coast where the Douro flows into the ocean.

This month’s blog is not wine/Port-centric. I know many visitors come to Quinta do Tedo by way of Porto. The historic center is lovely, although at times too busy for my taste. Come to Foz, a quieter part of the city, great for walking along quaint cobblestone streets and the fresh waterfront, people-watching, seafood, cultural enrichment, and more!

Images:

  • Serralves Art Museum – Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen outdoor sculpture

  • Entrance to Duas Portas – along tram line connecting Foz to the historic center

My favourite place to sleep in Foz is Duas Portas, a home away from home for the Bouchard Family. Simple, well-appointed, comfy beds, excellent breakfasts and an honor wine and espresso corner in the lounge - this B&B is quiet and inviting. The hosts, Luisa and Miguel, and the staff are warm, there to help the guests, and the nicest individuals you could meet.

The back of the hotel is a large park with sitting areas for relaxing, the living room has a great selection of records to listen to and architectural books to inspire you (Luisa and her parents are well-known local architects). The vibe is understated and cool. What else do you need? 

Images:

  • Cross the street from Duas Portas and enjoy the Douro walk towards the Atlantic

  • Douro River flanks the north side of Quinta do Tedo and joins the Atlantic 100 kms to the west at the Foz lighthouse.

Stop for a mid-morning coffee or fresh-squeezed orange juice at Tavi in Foz. Choose from an array of delicious Portuguese pastries, invitingly showcased at the entrance, to enjoy at a table overlooking the Atlantic - oh lá lá!

Head down to the coastal walk and take in the beauty of the Atlantic and her crashing waves and endless horizons. Bike lanes border the walk, and you can join in with meandering individuals, joggers and runners, generational families walking abreast, Santiago de Compostela backpackers, skateboarders - you name it - a cross section of humanity who all share a common appreciation of the coast and simple life pleasures - sunshine, salty air, and strolling. People-watching here is at its finest!

Continue north and pass the eye-catching installation at Matosinhos’ rotunda, designed by New York artist Janet Echelman in 2005. Originally coined “she moves” by the artist, for the ongoing swinging in the wind, the Portuguese renamed it “anémona”, for the resemblance to an anemone’s opening and closing. This sculpture pays tribute to Matosinhos, the fisherman’s land.

Speaking of fishermen, a visit to the Conservas Pinhais sardine factory in Matosinhos is not to miss. Put on a protective cloak (sure to bring a laugh or two) and enjoy the interactive tour to understand the A to Z of canning sardines. In the last century there were 50+ canning factories in Matosinhos; today, Pinhais is one of the few remaining. 

The tour starts with a short and poignant film of the Portuguese fishing industry, its challenges and success, followed by a visit to the original offices dating to the 1920s, filled with historic memorabilia including export maps, order stamps, ledger books. 

Walk through the factory in-action - workers prepare tins with pickles, chili peppers, olive oil and other ingredients unique to each conserve. Learn how to wrap the tins in paper (still done by hand) and, the grand finalé, taste an array of sardine and other fish conserves! You can even have lunch at Pinhais.

Images:

  • Conservas Pinhais visit (photo taken during COVID times!)

  • Fresh to-be-conserved sardines.

  • Nuri sardines wrapped in signature yellow paper.

Afterwards stroll past Casa de Arquitectura, formerly a winery and today a cultural space with exhibits and a wine shop, Garage Wines. Walk back, taxi, Uber, or bus back along the coast, or…

Head on to explore Matosinhos’ bustling traditional market, lie down with a good book or for a siesta in Parque de Cidade, or enjoy an aperitif at Junior (Matosinhos) or Botella (Foz) followed by charcoal-grilled seafood at Tito 2 (more traditional) or 5 Oceanos (more refined).

Enjoy your Foz exploration and, before or after, be sure to follow Douro from the Atlantic inland and visit us at Quinta do Tedo.

~ Saúde, Kay

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Our core work force at Quinta do Tedo

Last month I wrote about rebuilding parts of our 4 km/2.5 miles of dry stone walls that were originally built in the 1800s, with photos of our vineyard workers in action.  Thanks to this team our terraced vineyards stand solid.   These exemplary multi-taskers are the quinta’s backbone and an integral part of our success.  As we are minimally mechanized, because of the sheer steepness of our terraced vineyards, we depend on this workforce - to work the vineyard in the winter months with our horse Tedo and  to ensure throughout the year the best viticultural conditions possible to have an excellent grape quality at harvest and, among other duties, to build and rebuild dry stone walls.  In order to work so hard it is essential that they are provided decent working conditions. Heading off for break for 9:30 meal.

A well-deserved break.

Arriving in the summer at 6 :30 as the sky lightens and the temperature is cool,  they work until 9 :30, come in for a light meal to refuel, head back to the vineyards and return at 1 PM for a hot lunch.  A break follows and then back to the vineyard, finishing around 4 PM.  Long, hot hours under the sun with sweat and fine schist dust; we are indebted to them.

Green bean and potato soup and fried fish…..mmmmm….

Delicious!

Proud to be a « traditional quinta » we serve hot meals to our workers, thanks to our cook Adelaide’s delicious food.  The morning « snack » includes a delicious soup (Adelaide is a pro at this) and a protein and carbohydrate – grilled sardines,  big slabs of bacon or codfish cakes aka « bolinhos de bacalhau » with potatoes and watered-down wine.  At 1 PM a more substantial meal is prepared, with soup again, meat or fish, potatoes, rice or beans, and homegrown vegetables, all prepared in a myriad of ways.  Adelaide cooks not only for the vineyard workers but also for our winemaking and tasting room/agroturismo teams, and V and me.  One day I will put up a plack outside her kitchen « Adelaide’s Place » - but there are only 24 hours in a day, as I remind myself.

Conviviality is ever so important for all work.

Harvest starts next month and our vineyard workers swell in number from 6 to around 25, women with more hand dexterity for cutting our delicious and ripe grapes and men to carry the grape-filled baskets down the steep terraces  for loading in our trucks.  The sooner the grapes come in to press the better and our quinta becomes a beehive of activity, to be reported on next month.

Food at the quinta

When we first bought the quinta in 1992, in addition to being self sufficient in vegetables, fruit, olive oil, wine and of course port, we also had chickens, roosters, ducks and pigs.  We slaughtered 2 pigs a year, and always had legs hanging to season in the kitchen’s enormous chimney. Fowl was prepared in a myriad of ways and had flavor!  Vegetables were seasonal and picked fresh in the morning to be served at lunch.  I loved this ambiance, being a Californian who had never lived on a working farm, such as our quinta. Our children had a ball running around, being dirty most of the time, exploring and being part of the quinta in action.  Feeding the feathered animals and pigs was a highlight, and they would excuse themselves from the table to run outside with kitchen scraps and breadcrumbs to offer.  Of course they would much rather do that than to sit down and eat!  I remember one day at lunch when my then 3 year-old daughter Odile, looking at the steaming tray of rice with meat waiting to be served, asked “Mamma, where’s da red rooster dat I fed dis morning?”  You can only imagine! We no longer have these farm animals but we do boast home-grown seasonal vegetables, from tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, potatoes, beans, lettuce and one vegetable that finds its way into almost every meal….cabbage!  Oranges, tangerines, lemons and almonds also abound, and the cornucopia overflows.

The cabbage family dominates
Onions.....
Garlic.........
and potatoes go hand in hand

At Quinta do Tedo we do not have tractors to work the land, as mentioned in a previous blog, we have a horse and around 6 workers, in addition to our cook, manager/winemaker, assistant winemaker, tour guide, and occasional extra help, that mushrooms into a crew of 25 at harvest!  We have 2 meals a day for those who toil outside; a “snack” at 10 AM; typically soup, potatoes, grilled sardines or another protein source and at 1 PM; a proper hot lunch, starting with soup, following varies from baccalhau or fish, to grilled pork ribs, roasted chicken or braised beef to feijoada (a bean stew with pig ears, tripe and sausage), always accompanied by rice, pasta, beans or potatoes.  A full stomach=a happy worker is a saying that we believe in.  Our table wine is for all, mais bien sûr!  The vineyard workers have one room and the large kitchen is where we eat, together with the winemakers, the tour guide, and any visiting friends, family or business connections.  Lunch is the time to sit down and talk and to be together.

When people ask me how is the food at our quinta, given that I am not Portuguese, I generally respond that it is, in a nutshell, “simple, yet very flavorful”.  Now “simple” is very subjective.  The methods of making many dishes at the quinta are not simple, they take time; dishes simmer for hours on the stovetop or roast in the oven, meat and fish are marinated before grilling, discreet herbs and spices are used.  Ours is a working farm, the cook prepares for everyone, no one dish “jumps out” at you, flavors are harmonious.  The core ingredients are genuine, because for the most part they come from our land.  Our olive oil is soft and delicious, our table wine has a hint of port in the bouquet and is round and inviting in the mouth, and the port speaks for itself.

Life is good at the quinta and we are so lucky to be here.

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