Welcome dear reader to the world of sun and sand.

Embarking on Easter Thursday for some fun in the overcast skies of Morocco.

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Saturday in Casablanca greeted me with a wet footpath and the knowledge that my luggage was still packed n Istanbul. We trekked off to the Turkish Airlines office to demand an explanation. It was closed. Come back Monday.

So I set off by bus to visit the second largest mosque on the planet.

Snowy went for a lovely walk with Billy and Mitch this morning.

After exchanging their usual barking version of To wake the dead, the two girls settled down and were comfortable with each other’s presence.

Wednesday 28 May

Took off to Peso da Régua to check out the Douro Museum and a wander around town.

With plenty of time on our hands we headed off to Quinta de La Rosa to see if we could catch up in the luncheon that we had cancelled yesterday.

Precipitously located on the bank of the Douro, we settled into a black pudding amuse-bouche and a shared pot of sardines. They were followed up by chicken two ways – confit and roasted – for Eva while I had a roast beef salad.

We also managed to consume a serve of sponge cake with undercooked egg and a little scoop of ice cream. We were very disciplined.

We made a short diversion to view the tile work in the Pinhao railway station.

We then hit the high road to return to the hotel via Vila Real.

Tuesday 27 May

We ventured down to the lounge for a pre-dinner and lo and behold, Filipe set us up with a mini tasting and a couple of snacks. The fact that I lost a filling whilst munching on the wasabi peas is neither here nor there.

Eva was quite happy to continue with the Burmester red while I was able to sample an alvarinho and a alvarinho/loureiro blend.

Tuesday 27 May

After returning from Amarante and having a siesta, we ventured forth once more to visit this castle a short drive away.

After managing to drive up most of the hill on which it was sited, we ascended by foot and were afforded some excellent views. Well those of us who bothered to climb the ladder stair to the top.

Tuesday 28 May

After yesterday’s food fest, I decided to cancel our luncheon booking at a Quinta near Pinhao and settle for something less.

We ventured into our nearest city which is situated on the Tamego River. Very picturesque, to be sure.

We had a wander around selected one of the best restaurants in town to have lunch. Too bad that I escorted Eva into the cafe next door and before realising the grave mistake, we had ordered and had a drink.

Still, we’re still hear to tell the tale so it wasn’t too bad.

The meal, two mains, a salad, two Cokes and a bottle of wine, cost 14 Euro.

Monday 27 May

We popped in to check out the house and gardens.

Eva was impressed with the communal laundry trough opposite the property. It appeared that it was still being used to this day.

After a short walk through a wooded section, we were confronted by a large formal pond in front of the house. The tree adjacent to the lake appeared to be quite old.

Not having time to make an inspection of the house due to our lunch engagement we headed straight for the gardens.

Monday 27 May

After a brief visit to Casa Mateus to view the gardens, we made our way to Folgosa for lunch at Chef Rui Paula’s restaurant on the Douro, DOC.

Not prepared to forgo experiencing too many of the temptations that were on the menu, we opted for the signature degustation menu.

The waiting staff, all eight of them, were very attentive. I think we drank the first bottle of water before the entrees and drink arrived.

We watched several vessels glide past and a train or two.

It really was a valiant effort on our part to get through it all, but we had reputations to uphold.

And the wines and ports that were paired with the tucker were quite drinkable, as witnessed by the empty glasses. (Who’d have thought that you could have a chilled tawny at a midday meal?)

Arrived via a circuitous route, unaware that the “off the beaten track” option had been selected by the previous driver for our car’s GPS.

As usual, the Renault Captur was not the Fiat 500L that was selected but it is still a nice little vehicle.

Our room wasn’t ready until three so we partook in some liquid refreshment, lunch and I had a quick dip in the outdoor pool – quite bracing – to while away the time, while Eva relaxed in the lounge.

Eva was so pleased to get her iPad connected to the free internet while waiting in the queue for our Porto connection that she left her suitcase to look after itself.

A quick-witted fellow traveller pointed it out to me; Eva was still oblivious but I retrieved it for her. (Traveller’s note: if this had happened in Italy, it might have been a case of “Arrivederci, baby!”)