With so much expertly prepared and exquisite tasting food, did we need to eat the next day? Absolutely not. But, the real reason we went to the Douro was to return to one of our all-time favorite restaurants – Casa do Arco. Before lunch, though, we needed to walk!

C found a hike that looked amazing but was a bit more of a challenge than some in our group were up for that morning. So, we walked through the town where the hike started – São Cristovão do Douro – and got our fill of “ruins”. I LOVE ruins – old buildings that have been abandoned and that look hauntingly beautiful. We also went into what seemed to be an art/antique gallery with a bar in it. There was some nutty art inside. The owner had a sense of humor and was a collector of very old things, which I appreciated.

Onto lunch! Friends, you MUST go to Casa do Arco when you visit the Douro. The owner, Marco, is a giant among men in the hospitality and culinary world. The inside of the restaurant is meticulously designed to capture the essence of the outdoors and at the same time Marco has added some whimsical touches. The views from any one of the 16 seats in the restaurant are awe-inspiring. C loved that Marco and Antonio wore matching green suede New Balance sneakers.

The pictures of the food won’t do it justice so you’ll just have to visit. But, here are a few, including one of me eating my “dessert” which was a plate of jamon iberico with grilled pineapple. Yummmmmmmm.

So sad to leave such a magical place. But, Porto is also magnificent in its own right. So, on we went!