July, 2018 | Postcards From Here and There

The Douro River Valley

The Douro river rises in Spain and flows some 900km before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Portuguese city of Porto. For much of its journey through Portugal it is a quiet and lonely river with very few centres of habitation. Its banks are steep and terraced and are covered with vines that will produce grapes for the regions famous port wines. Wine and the Douro river are closely entwined.The wine growing region is large and extends from 70 Km east of Porto to almost the Spanish border. Wine is very important here and you can not visit the Douro valley without experiencing the wines that are made here.

Travelling in the Douro Valley provides you with a number of options. While driving gives you the greatest flexibility, especially in terms of winery visits, it is not perhaps the best option for some. Many of the roads are winding and narrow with some steep ascents and descents. For the driver this means missing much of the scenery along the way as driving requires a good deal of concentration. It is possible to take a day river cruise from Porto and see the valley from the relative comfort of a riverboat however this option doesn’t really give you any time to actually explore much of the region. indeed river cruises are very popular and it is possible to spend several days making the journey up and down river. These are perhaps not the cheapest way to see the area and of course not really suitable for those with only a couple of days to spare.

If you do have a couple of days available perhaps the best option is a combination of train and a short half day river cruise. The Linha do Douro runs from the city of Porto to the town of Pocinho close to the border with Spain and the complete journey takes just short of three and a half hours. There its not much to see in Pocinho so a better option is to leave the train at the small town of Pinhao, a journey of two and a quarter hours, which is really at the heart of grape growing in the region.

Trains leave Porto Campanha every two hors or so. The first half of the journey is unremarkable, travelling through residential/industrial areas and farm land. After the town of Peso da Régua the line follows the river and for the next ninety minutes you are treated to what must be the best, and most scenic, rail journey in Portugal. Make sure you sit on the right hand side of the train for the best views.

The railway station at Pinhao is notable for the 24 blue tiled panels on its walls. Dating back to 1937 and depicting life in the Duoro valley they make this one of the prettiest railway stations that you are likely to visit.

Pinhao is a small town which is centred firmly around grape growing and is an ideal base for exploring the region. There are a number of opportunities for tasting port within walking distance and taxis are available at the railway station if you want to venture further afield. It is worth remembering that Pinhao is only small and it does not have a large number of hotels so it is best to book accommodation before arriving, especially in the summer months.

From Pinhao it is possible to take a river cruise further up river.

There are a number of options but we chose the cruise up to the town of Tua, the round trip takes about two hours and gives probably covers the most scenic part of the valley.

It is a nice contrast to the views from the train as you can appreciate the steepness of the valley and get a better understanding of the importance of the river to the local inhabitants. The boat turns around by the famous Grahams wine estate, Quinta dos Malvedos.

It can be very hot in the Douro in high summer and while the boat does offer some shade it is best to have plenty of sun lotion water and a hat to hand so that you can enjoy the cruise.

Waterloo Beer Festival

The 14th Waterloo Beer Festival was held at Old Christ Church in Waterloo, just a short train ride from central Liverpool. On a hot day in a very atypical summer the venue was cool and most welcoming.

One hundred and sixteen beers from 29 different breweries along with ciders and gin were available for sampling. All beer was sold in halves. I sometimes think that thirds should also be an option as it enables you to try a few more of the beers on offer.

Elderflower Ale. Gibberish Brewing. Speciality Pale. 4.5% – With a taproom in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle Gibberish is very much a local brewery. Pale amber in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of lemon and grass and the palate is soft, round and low bitterness. Doesn’t have much elderflower character which is a shame. Has a nice lemony tang on the finish.

Juicy 4pm. One Mile End. Pale Ale. 4.9% – From the East End of London One Mile End has been in operation for four years. This beer is dark yellow and cloudy. There are aromas of tropical fruits; pineapple, mango, melon, candied peel and lemon. Palate is creamy, low bitterness with orange pith and tropical fruits. As juicy as the name suggests this is New England IPA in style and has been double dry hopped. The finish is reminiscent of lemon and orange cordial!. There may be better examples of the style out there but this is very drinkable non the less.

First Chop Brewing Arm. SUP. IPA. 3.9% – With a brewery now based in Salford this beer pours amber, clear, small white head and some nice lacing. The aroma is malty, lemon, caramel and yeasty. The palate has a nice hit of resinous pine, pineapple and is smooth with a slight creaminess. Low bitterness. Nice malty finish.

Crusader. Milestone Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.4% – Light amber in colour, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt and grassy. Palate is slightly sweet malt and is low bitterness. Well made and quite drinkable.

South Island. Vale of Glamorgan Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.2% – Very pale yellow, clear (just) and with a non persistent head. Aromas of citrus and hoppy mango. Palate is very dry, crisp, medium bitterness and malty in character. There is a nice bitter tang to the finish. Very light but characterful and very drinkable.

Gulp. Milk Street Brewery. IPA. 4.8% – based in Frome, Somerset. This beer is amber, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, bread and a touch of citrus. The palate has a little crispness and is not overly sweet. West coast in style.

Mango Fever. 4T’s Brewery. Special Pale. 4.6% – Brewery based in Warrington. This beer is yellow gold, clear, bright and has aromas of grapefruit, lemon, mango, pineapple, candied peel and pear drops. It has a good mouthfeel with medium minus bittering. There is a sweetness here and the flavour is reminiscent of fruit salad sweets.The finish is full on mango.

Yakima. Great Heck Brewing. IPA. 7.4% – Dark amber, clear and with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, toffee and nuts. This is a serious west coast style IPA with bags of sweet malt flavours, it is creamy with low bitterness and hints of citrus and dark muscovado sugar. Very nice.

Brick Lane Street Art

Brick Lane can be thought of as the epicentre of Street Art in London. The streets and alleys that run off from Brick Lane are covered in bright, vibrant art works both large and small. The canvas may well be a wall, window ledge, door or shop front shutters. There really is no limit to the possibilities for expression here. By its very nature the art is constantly changing, take a similar walk around the streets in six months time and there will have been significant, noticeable changes. This ephemeral nature of the work is what makes the Street Art scene so interesting.

Brick lane is just a short walk from Liverpool Street station which is served by the Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City underground lines. Leave the station via the Bishopsgate exit, turning left onto Bishopsgate. Cross over at the crossing and then turn right onto Brushfield Street. At the end turn right onto Commercial Street. Cross over at the lights and then turn left into Fashion Street. This is where some significant pieces of art can be found. From here you can walk down the street and turn left at the end onto Brick Lane.

Just before Fashion Street meets Brick Lane there is this piece by Jimmy C.

Once on Brick Lane take the first right onto Heneage Street.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil by Lewis Campbell Lost Monkey 2017 – Heneage Street

Heading back onto Brick Lane and into Seven Stars Yard. There is so much Street Art here it is difficult to know where to begin. Some is better than others but that of course is a personal view.

Exiting back onto Brick Lane again now take the next left onto Fournier Street. There is not much Street Art here but it is a most interesting street with beautifully restored town houses built for merchants in the eighteenth century. At the far end of Fournier Street is the Ten Bells pub which has associations with the Jack the Ripper story.The main piece on Fournier Street is at the Brick Lane end and is by Shok-1, known for his aerosol X-ray art.

Next up is Princelet Street and the Jack the Ripper story is here in an undated context by Otto Schade.

Stix uses his stick figures to illustrate community cohesion in the area.

Hanbury Street has a long association with Street Art. The piece by Belgian artist RoA, known for his huge paintings of wildlife has been on the side of the building for a long time.

At the bottom of Hanbury Street is a huge work by Majid Adin that was completed only recently.

Continue along Brick Lane. The courtyard of the old Truman Brewery is an interesting area but was unfortunately closed off at the time of my visit. At the corner of Pedley Street and Brick Lane is the Kinkao Thai restaurant, the side of which is a huge canvas for street art. The current work occupying the space is by Dan Kitchener.

My walk ended at Grimsby Street but there is much more to explore in the area if time permits.

The London Calling blog is a good website for Street Art in the capital. More about what else Brick Lane has to offer to visitors can be found here