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It’s late in the evening back here in Porto. The pair of us have had a long, enjoyable day traversing the Douro valley to Pochino and back by train. Now we’re knackered and relaxing at our hotel. I’ve managed to get the wifi working so I can post a few pictures from today. I want to write a full blog about the trip as it’s well worth the effort, but I’ve hundreds of photos to edit first. Plus, this is meant to be a holiday!

What I will say is the train journey is amazing, but stay on it to the end of the line as the Douro valley changes character a couple of times, from lush wine country to wild landscapes and gorges that remind me of the Waikeri railway on New Zealand’s South Island. Anyways, here’s a few pictures from today. As you can see, we were blessed with stunning weather.

The railway runs through fertile areas full of vineyards like this…
…and this..
..then passes through rugged gorges like this, where the railway hugs the side of the river
In many places the railway runs just a few meters above the river, passing through many tunnels en-route.
Many trains on the line consist of vintage coaches hauled by these vintage locos – the British designed Class 1400, which are powered by English Electric engines. 67 were built between 1967-69, with many still remaining in service. Here’s 1438 running round our train at the end of the line – Porchino.

Tomorrow we’ve a day exploring the delights of Porto, which is a city I’ve really taken to. I love the architecture, ambience and cosmopolitan nature of the place, so we’re looking forward to having time to mooch around.

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