Four day trip to Porto and the River Douro

Date: Thursday to Sunday, 21-24 September, 2023

The Society has organised a four day trip to Porto, including a full day exploring the upper reaches of the River Douro as far as Tua. We will visit iconic historical sites in the city of Porto and have the chance to meet up with members of the Society’s Porto Branch for a talk on Baron Forrester and a joint dinner at the impressive Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, whih was founded in 1855.

Venue:  The three nights will be spent at the 3-star Hotel Star Inn Porto.

Programme:

Thursday, 21 September:

     09.30: Coach departs from behind the Estoril Casino (parking at the paid car park)

     10.15: Coach stops in Lisbon, at the Museu de Lisboa, 245 Campo Grande, 1700-091 Lisboa

     15.00: Book into the Hotel Star Inn Porto, having stopped for lunch at a service station

    18.00: Talk on "The Life and Times of Baron Joseph James Forrester [Part 2]" at the Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, hosted by the Society’s Porto Branch, followed by a joint dinner  

Friday, 22 September:

     10.00: Guided visit of the 300 year-old Factory House in the ‘Ribeira’ area in Porto

     11.30: Free time to explore the surrounding historical areas and have lunch at a venue of choice:

• The ‘Ribeira’ (The ‘Bolsa’ and the magnificent ‘São Francisco’ church next door);
• The ‘Gaia side’ (cross the bridge for Port tasting and/or the teleférico to the 'Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar');
• ‘São Bento’ (the Cathedral, the tiles in the railway station, ‘Praça dos Aliados’).

     16.00: Meet back at the coach

     16.30: Visit to the recently-renovated Museu Soares dos Reis (or further free-time in Porto)

     19.30: Dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel

Saturday, 23 September:

     08.30: Travel by coach via Régua to Pinhão, on the upper reaches of the River Douro

     10.45: Go on a 50 minute boat trip in a ‘barco rabelo’ up the River Douro from Pinhão to Tua

     12.00: Lunch at the Restaurante ‘Calça Curta’ in Tua

     13.50: Return by train to Pinhão along the picturesque banks of the River Douro

    15.30: Stop off at Amarante on the return journey to Porto to see where the Portuguese under General Silveira heroically repelled the invading French for 14 days in April, 1809

     19.30: Dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel

Sunday, 24 September:

     10.30: Departure for Lisbon by coach

     12.30: Lunch at the Restaurant ‘O Regalo’ near Pombal

     16.00: ETA arrival at Campo Grande, Lisbon

     16.30: ETA arrival at the Estoril Casino

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Price: €480 per person sharing a double/twin room, €150 single room supplement - all inclusive, including accommodation, all meals (except for lunch on the 1^st and 2^nd days), transport, boat trip, museum entrance and insurance. €20 surcharge for non-Members.

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Booking: By e-mail to info@bhsportugal.org.

• The deadline for bookings is the end of Sunday, 27 August. Payment instructions and meal plans will subsequenly be sent via email;
• A 50% deposit is payable on confirmation of your booking; the balance is due by 7 September;
• As places are limited, bookings will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis;
• Cancellation of bookings is possible if written notification reaches the British Historical Society (to info@bhsportugal.org) before 6 September, in which case the deposit will be refunded. Thereafter, a % of the total cost is refundable: 14-8 days = 50%; 7-0 days = 0%.

Please provide the following information:

• Name/s:            
• D.o.b. (for insurance purposes):       
• Where will you be meeting the coach? Estoril or Lisbon?
• For those sharing, do you require a double or twin room?