portugal part two

waking up to the sound of a rooster. the smell of wine fermenting outside my bedroom window. i have fallen in love with portugal. perhaps it is because of the way i have been received and treated since i have arrived. but the douro valley with its all surrounding slopes and vineyards has a sense of mystery to it that i have never experienced before. you turn your head an all you see is vineyards. it is up and down. slopes and hills. it is simply magnificent. all that said my first day started being awoken by a rooster that did his thing at six in the morning. to be honest. i was not impressed. but my luck soon changed and the day began. and what a day it proved to be. after lying in for another hour or two the thing that awoken me was the smell of fermenting grape juice from the cellar below my window. the aromas of heaven. i was the best way to start any day. especially this one. the day progressed by me spending some time walking around the older part of the cellar and watching the bubbles rise and breaking through in the lagares. the smell of port filled my nostrils and it was a euphoric feeling. after breakfast and driving around a bit i relaxed on the terrace that overlooks the valley and the vineyard filled hills around the quinta. the sweet sense of serenity and peace is impossible to miss. the pace and attitude of live here is different. everybody knows when to do what and is not flustered by raised voice tones and aggressive speech. it is perfect harmony. what more can one ask for. dad and i then went for a cellar tour and port tasting. we were like children. the excitement was vibrant and i dont know who was more excited. dad or me. never the less the afternoon was magic. we tasted ten different ports. we tasted port that was over forty years old. they told us secrets and details that was evidently not the information enclosed to normal visitors. i felt privileged. and proud. and enlivened being there with my dad and talking about the wines with him. surely a day that will go down in history as one to remember. we laughed and had some serious discussions. shop talk philosophy and general enjoyment and pleasure for working with a product that made both of us feel alive inside. something that made the hair on your back stands up. it revives us. finally. the simple sense of walking into the cellar. smelling the different aromas and the thoughts that it evoked is an experience i will not trade for anything in this world.