Visiting Portugal's Dynamic Wine Region

One hour from Guimaraes, a quaint town dating to the 10th century that's seen as the cradle of Portugal's identity and is preparing to be European Cultural Capital 2012, I had one of my most unique and delightful wine experiences. I was spending several days in the country's Vinho Verde region, the northwest sector renown for its fresh, aromatic, light citrus-tinged wines. This region, one of Portugal's oldest, is named not, as often thought, for the youth of its wines, but rather for the verdant landscape carpeting this land that's blessed with warm summers, cool winters and plenty of rain -- perfect conditions for producing some fine varietals. Curiously, the vines grow along wires and arbors, lending a picturesque quality to the terroir. The reason, however, is a practical one: Originally it was a way to efficiently plant the land and now the aerial growth allows for plenty of sun to rain down upon the leaves while keeping the grapes far from standing water which would breed mildew.


A mighty family house hovered in the background as Vasco Croft, the congenial and knowledgeable wine maker and owner of Afros Wine, greeted us. From this hill top retreat, the vineyards growing Loureiro and Vinhau grapes, used to make white and red wines, respectively, are spread before us. Piercing the idyllic valley far below is the tower of a parish church and, beyond, gently rolling hills.

The tour of the property started out quite ordinary as Vasco pointed out the stone dwelling that's been in the family since the 17th century and the stately trees that his great grandmother planted -- some are more than 100 years old. (But wine production in this region goes way back to Roman times.)

Then the conversation became decidedly more unique as Vasco showed us many of the elements involved in the production of biodynamic wines. Though there are many people who still hold that this green methodology that goes far beyond simply producing an organic product is hocum or some sort of magic, it's the results that count. (But I'll get to that later.)

The process involves considering a host of cosmic factors -- from the phases of the moon to ambient magnetic radiation -- that can affect the health of the vines. Here, the entire eco-system is seen as playing a core role in grape agriculture. Sure, there are some production aspects that, to the traditional wine producer, seem certainly curious. Vasco told us that he plants and harvests according the phases of the mood; places cow manure in cows' horns that are buried underground to produce a humus that's used in minute quantities; and uses a dynamizer machine that sequentially rotates clockwise and then counterclockwise to mix up various components, such as crushed quartz and dried flowers that help build up the quality of the soil.

He even showed us a tinkling organic-shaped waterfall he had built that optimizes the rhythmic quality of the water. (Another key biodynamic principle.) Vasco keeps bee hives on the property for pollination purposes, uses tea tree oil to prevent mildew on the grapes, and sprays them with silica to maximize photosynthesis.

It's all quite complicated and precise, but it obviously works. I sampled five wines that were some of the best I've tasted during my many visits to Portugal. These wines were transparent, vibrant and full of life, just like the wine producer, Vasco. My favorite was the elegant, light citrus-toned 2007 sparkling white made with 100% Loureiro. Vasco told me that his 2008 Loureiro was recently voted "most ethical wine" by the Independent. I also had the opportunity to taste a couple of the 2009 vintage that were still unlabelled. The 2009 Loureiro had grapefruit notes while the 2009 Vinhao (a red) had ripe tannins and plenty of licorice notes. I would've loved to have packed away all five in my backpack. Sadly there was no room.

Sure, it's hard to explain how these unorthodox methods work. But Vasco is producing wines that maximally reflect the region's terroir. I'd be delighted to visit this vineyard and taste any of these wines again. Anyone who is interested in a wine tasting at this quinta needs to call to make a reservation in the summer only.

Morocco's Bird Watching Oasis

My trips don't always work out the way I'd like. Sometimes they work out better. Because of itinerary restrictions among the members of the group I was traveling with, I spent my brief time in Morocco based out of Agadir and not the High Atlas Mountains, as I would've preferred. But that didn't stop me from heading out into natural landscapes.

I hired a jeep and took off on a day trip with my guide, Mokhtar, through the Souss Valley, a fertile land in south Morocco where the country's Berber people reside, bound for Massa with its picturesque estuary.

On our journey, we passed donkeys carrying heavy loads and women dressed in colorful garb sitting astride horses with baskets filled with greens, sometimes they overflowed to such as extend that you could hardly see the donkey. We passed villages of red clay in an ever-changing scenery -- from lush verdancy dappled with bold wild flowers to crop fields, groves of citrus, olive and almond trees, and dense forests of Argania trees. (The oil from their nuts are used in many traditional dishes.)


As we traveled through the semi-desert, the buildings were the color of sand with doors painted in bold blue and green hues. We bumped off road on rutted, bone-rattling single track bound for Souss Massa National Park and its picturesque estuary that's surrounded by massive sand dunes and a tidal sandbar. The road got sandier as we bumped along towards the ocean. Finally, I strolled through sugar-fine golden sand delighting in the cool breezes. Then my guide told me that this area is more than a prime migratory bird zone. It's also said to be the beach where the whale disgorged the prophet Jonah.

This petite wetland with its reeds and grasses is considered Morocco's prime bird watching site. And it didn't disappoint, with an array of sightings: terns, gulls, herons, ibis, sand martins and marbled ducks, a threatened species. I kept my eyes focused skyward, wondering if I'd spot eagles, falcons or even some rarer birds. Given the natural beauty and the wealth of bird sightings, I wished I had a few days to spend here. But we had to head back to Agadir that evening.

We did have time for a late lunch of traditional Berber bread that was baked in a clay kiln and then piled high in shallow wicker baskets. We ate the warm bread with honey. Then I curled a piece around beef shish kebabs. I also scooped up the traditional Berber dish, tajine, that's served in a round clay pot with chicken, squash, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes.

Oahu: My Favorite Walking Spots

Sure visitors flock to Oahu for its golden crescents of sand and it's surf-centered sports. But whenever I'm on the island, I don my walking or hiking shoes to explore some of my favorite parks and gardens.


I didn't run into anyone at Ka'ena Point, the western most point of Oahu that's accessible only by foot or mountain bike. This wind-swept expanse of dunes and tiny beaches is an albatross nesting site where, on my several visited, I spied monk seals, dolphins, whales, and green sea turtles.


Not far from Diamond Head, the Koko Crater Botanical Garden is lush with sweet-smelling plumeria trees. In this 200-acre arid garden that's set in two craters, I again was one of only few visitors. This time I was mesmerized by the towering crater walls.


At Makapuu Point, I walked a road to the lighthouse that hugs a lava cliff where I had panoramic views of the Koko Crater and Molokai. I even spotted some whales in the open ocean as I took the unofficial cliff trail to the bottom.


It's easy to spend the whole day in Hoomaluhia Botanical Gardens, which is blessed with 400 verdant acres laden with heliconia and other sweet-smelling blossoms and other plants from around the world. I strolled the more than half dozen different trails that wander through a landscape rimmed with sheer-walled cliffs and the ocean beyond. This garden couldn't be a more perfect place to lay out the beach blanket and chill.


I knew it was impossible to walk the entire 700+ acres of the leafy Senator Fong's Plantation Gardens. Luckily, they provide a narrated tram tour as well as guided nature walks through a small portion of this green space. Here, I learned how kukio nut trees are used to make hair conditions; ti leaves are considered good luck; mango is related to poison ivy; queen ginger can grow to 10 feet tall and a rose apple smells like a rose and tastes like an apricot.

Prowling Guatemala's Pyramids

Tikal may be one of the grandest of the ancient Mayan sites but I still wasn't prepared for the sense of magic that radiates from this once thriving urban center that was wrapped up with mathematical and astronomical genius as well as plenty of warfare, royal politics and ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifice. Even the most jaded tourist can't help feeling a sense of mystery and majesty as you gaze on striking limestone pyramids rising out of the middle of a dense jungle.

I did Tikal as a day trip from Guatemala City. Sounds a bit crazy schedule-wise because I had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch the 6:30 a.m. flight aboard a 32-seat turbo prop to Santa Elena. It's only a 45-minute flight, but it still left a 40-mile drive to the park entrance. And I also knew that given thatyou have to do at least 7 miles of walking to see all of the major temples and excavations in the park, it was going to be a very long day. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely stay overnight at the Jungle Lodge probably the nicest of the three accommodations in Tikal National Park. That way you could be on the trails until dusk and then return as soon as the park opens in the morning. The chances of plenty of bird and other animal sightings are far likelier at those times of the day. Also, there will be less tourist traffic, though when I visited recently, I often felt that I had the trails all to myself.

Probably the most surprising aspect of my visit to Tikal was the array of botanical findings. Along the dirt paths that network the more than 200 square mile site, my guide pointed out the sapodilla tree where gum is derived. (The bark contains chicle, a gummy substance.) A variety of palms tower over our heads as do massive mahogany trees. Roots, especially the buttress kind that are like the old men of the forest, and vines are just about everywhere. I scratched the bark of a copal tree and sniffed a pungent scent. No wonder the Mayans used the wood to make incense. Then I crushed the leaves of the clover tree and was overpowered by the dramatic fragrance. But it's the Ceiba tree -- a specimen that's hundreds of years old stands prominently not far from the beginning of my walk -- that the Mayans have most revered. It's Guatemala's national tree and it's was considered to be a holy botanical, one that was at the center of the Mayan universe.

The air was thick with heat and moisture as I wandered the now slick paths thanks to a constant drizzle. Everything in Tikal is slippery on a good day and it becomes almost like an ice rink when there's a touch of precipitation. (But it's this precipitation that allowed the Mayans to survive here for the land is devoid of any water source. And the industrious Mayan builders constructed reservoirs and an elaborate canal system to catch and transport water to where they needed it.) Even my super sticky shoes weren't working here and I had to struggle to remain upright when I prowled around the stone ruins of the Grand Palace. Climbing along the steps and walking through a stone tunnel and through ruins of doorways, my guide pointed out a flat stone that may have been a bed and another that could have been a throne. On one side of the landscape a skinny string of a trail meanders into the woods. I'm told it's the tracks of ant colonies. (Later I crossed the trail of a caravan of fire ants that are renowned for their skin-burning stings.)

All my senses were on active duty in Tikal. As soon as I entered the thick jungle, I sniffed a combination of vegetation and wet earth. I was surrounded by an utter silence that was pierced on numerous occasions by bird sounds. Green parrots, parakeets and toucans are only a small sampling of the creatures that fly through the trees. I listened carefully and heard rustling in the upper story of the foliage. Howler monkeys and then spider monkeys were dangling from high branches. Ahead, I spotted what looked like a guinea pig. It turned out to be an agouti that was regularly on the Mayan menu. Then I saw a very cute raccoon-like creature. It was a coati that I was told not to approach because they have very sharp teeth and claws.

Among the many steep-sided temples, for me the most dramatic was Temple IV, the highest in the national park, rising some 220 feet above sea level. After climbing the steep set of stairs, I found myself far above the jungle canopy with panoramic views toward the Mayan Mountains. The only thing piercing the jungle are the other pyramids. But acrophobes should beware that Tempe V might be a struggle. The stairs are really like a very steep ladder rising up the side of the temple. (There's no climbing up the original stone steps. But at their base I found a contemporary stone altar that is used by Mayan shamans to perform various rituals during the year.) Temples I and II that face each other are Tikal's iconic image. You can't climb I but II is open via another wooden stairway on the side. And, of course, you've got great views of the entire acropolis from that vantage point.

Another interesting feature of the park are the multitude of stelae or stone pillars bedecked with hieroglyphs. They are almost like ancient newspapers telling the story of a king and the daily events during his reign. Aside from temples and stelae, there are countless other archaeological
findings worth exploring, including the ruins of a what was a sauna that may have been used for ritual purification as well as a ball court that, rather than a simple sport, were a sacred ritual practice.

My Favorite Unusual Walking Trails

Hiking and walking are two of my favorite activities when I'm traveling. It's a way to get intimate with the landscape. And though I have a particular fondness for trails that snake through densely forested landscapes, I've also found more than a handful of trails that either snake through unusual lands (such as Turkey's Cappadocia region that's dotted with monoliths that are so curious they resemble images from a Salvator Dali painting) or they don't represent what one typically thinks of as a gravel, dirt or sandy hiking path. (Croatia's Plitvce Lakes National Park with its myriad boardwalks that wander through a land dripping with waterfalls comes to mind here.)


try to walk or hike at least one path in almost every country I visit. Recently, I wrote a feature round-up article for the travel network Boots n'All where I've picked out some of my favorite and unusual trails in the world. They range from the black lava-lined vineyards on Pico Island in the Azores to the serpentine Great Wall of China. Some of the trails I chose, such as the one that runs atop the battlement walls in Dubrovnik, are easy to negotiate on your own. Others, such as along the dry stream beds (or wadis) in the Negev Desert in Israel, are best tackled with a guide because it's easy to lose your way. I've picked out tour companies and guide services that will enhance your journey by pointing out historically interesting and botanically relevant features.

Journeying on the Panama Canal

I've always loved living history museums as a way to have a learning experience while feeling like you've stepped into another time. That's what I felt recently while transiting the Panama Canal. Panama City is pretty much synonymous with the Canal and, because I always try to look for the undiscovered on my journeys, I have to say that visiting the Canal was not top on my list. (It wasn't even on my top 10.) But spending most of the day on the Canal and watching its operation while transiting on a small 120-foot cruiser, the Pacific Queen run by Panama Marine Adventures , completely changed my mind.
In fact, unlike cruise ships which claim you'll have a birds' eye view of Canal operations, that turns out to not be the case -- the cruise ships are just too big for anyone to see the full operation like I did. Our boat was small enough so that you could easily walk from from bow to stern to see the locks opening and closing, lines being tossed and caught, and waters churning all about once we're locked up. The entire operation is captivating, particularly since this engineering feat that's been in operation since the early 1900s, involves so many steps and yet works like a synchronized dance in a fashion. Here's a first-hand account of passing through the first two locks as we transited from the Pacific to the Atlantic. (An entire transit from Pacific to Atlantic can take eight to ten hours.)


Shortly after leaving the port on the south end of the Amador Causeway, a motor boat parallels our path, allowing a pilot to jump aboard (while we're cruising) and present our transit paper. (No one goes through the Canal without their papers.)

Atop Flamenco Island I spot a radar station which monitors all traffic entering the Canal. Massive cargo ships, some carrying thousands of containers, can be seen around us. They are waiting their turn to enter the Canal.

We travel under the Bridge of the Americas that's part of the Pan American Highway. An old ferry terminal with its wooden pilings and breakwater is visible on one side. On the other are cranes and other equipment that are involved in the expansion of the Canal. (It's supposed to be completed in 2014.)

Curiously, two men in a small boat row up to the ship ahead of us. This quaint practice that's been ongoing since the Canal went into operation in the early 1900s allows the transfer of heavy electrical lines that will connect each ship to motorized mules. These miniature train cars side atop the Canal walls and are key in aligning each boat within the center of the Canal. (We're so small that we don't need them but the container ships can use eight of them.) Once they throw the lines, the men, wearing life preservers and rain gear, position their row boat against the lock wall.

Then we approach the first lock, Miraflores, which, like all the locks, are like giant escalators, bringing each boat from sea level up 85 feet to Lake Gatun and then down again to sea level. Miraflores is a double-step lock, which means the boat is raised up in two stages. The second lock, Pedro Miguel, raises the ship in a single step.

I stood or sat in the blazing sun the entire time, rather than going down below, because I didn't want to miss any of the steps in this operation. When I wasn't watching the ships all about, I was captivated by the dense jungle that carpeted the land on either side of the Canal.

The action at the locks is some of the most interesting in the journey. Ahead we see birds circling basically because they're looking for the fish that are shocked as a result of the salt mixing with the fresh water that comes from Lake Gatun. (Our guide calls it instant sushi.) Once we're positioned in the lock -- and we share it with another small boat -- the giant iron gates slowly and simultaneously close in a "v" shape. (With the tip of the "v" facing upstream. The water churns around us as fresh water from Lake Gatun enters culverts in the lock to raise our level. (No pumps are used; it's all gravity powered.) But the filling of the lock is quite subtle. In fact, I barely realize we're rising. While we wait for the lock to fill, there's time to notice a series of numbers painted on the lock walls. These show the distance from the last lock and to the next. Our guide also informs us that the Canal walls are thick concrete -- nothing like this massive had been constructed of concrete at that time -- and they're some 55 feet thick at the locks.

Curiosities abound in and along the Canal. A red antennae on the right provides the feed for the live video cam. Yes, it's possible to see the Canal goings on any time of the night or day. (Ships do transit the Canal at night and lights are provided for their safety. Interestingly, the lights are directed not down the middle of the Canal but along the Canal walls so that ships don't stray too close.)
Only when the water is equalized do we move out of the lock, down the Canal and on to the second lock, Pedro Miguel, and then Lake Gatun. The narrowest part of the Canal that's about nine miles deep -- referred to as the Gaillard Cut -- penetrates the Continental Divide. This was also the most difficult to excavate, having to be sliced through solid rock. Above our heads is the Centennial Bridge, a main thoroughfare during rush hour to get to Panama City. I notice that the huge container ships are accompanied by diminuitive tug boats. It turns out that they are part of the Panama Canal Authority.

Our trip ends in the port at Gamboa where a giant crane stands. I'm told that this German crane dates from World War II -- part of the spoils of war -- and is used to remove the heavy lock gates for repairs.

My Three Best Kept Travel Secrets

TripBase, a very popular travel blog, recently started a tag-you’re-it game across the travel blogosphere. The idea is to collect a cool list of across-the-globe travel secrets from as many travel bloggers as possible. At some point, this list will be a Creative Commons roundup that I’ll be able to share with you once it's available.

I’ve just been tagged by two of my favorite travel bloggers, Melanie of TravelswithTwo and Robin of MyMelange to contribute my top three travel secrets.

Here they are:

1. Florida's Panhandle sometimes gets a bad rap, often because overdeveloped Panama City gets so much attention as a haven for spring break revelers. But there's that other Florida Panhandle, the authentic one that presents so many opportunities to explore some pristine beaches you might have difficulty choosing which ones to lay down your beach towel. In fact, over the past many years, some of these beaches have made it on to Dr. Beach's Best Beaches in America list -- a list with some 50 key criteria, including water color, scenery, urban development, sand quality and more.

Here are some of my favorite picks where blinding white sandy beaches are the rule and where, depending on the time of the year, I've found sections with more shorebird tracks than footprints.
Nine miles of dunes make St. Joseph Peninsula State Park particularly appealing. Shallow waters make also make it ideal for novice kayakers and a haven for migratory song birds, though it's also possible to spy hawks soaring overhead. St. George Island State Park is blessed with miles of sugar-white sands bordered by salt marches and oak and pine forests. Off the beach there's also good fishing for red snapper, mackerel and pompano. At Grayton Beach State Park, you can swim in emerald green water, gaze at sea-oat covered dunes, and hike through a lovely pine forest. St. Andrews State Park gives you the choice of swimming in the gulf or in a quiet tidal pool. From the beach, snorkelers are treated to multi-colored fish among the granite boulders of the jetty.


2. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and ringed by defensive Genoese watchtowers, Alghero makes for a picturesque town, especially given its fortified ancient quarter. Yet, many of those who visit Alghero with its fortified quarter never seem to leave their beach blanket. Set along the less developed west coast, Alghero has so much more to offer than swaths of sand and aquamarine waters that are perfect for boating. A sense of history pervades the old quarter that's still surrounded by Genoese watchtowers. On a self-guided audio tour, I climbed to the 20-meter-high terrace of the 16th century Porto Terra Tower for the panoramic views.
Though the beaches lining the coast of this resort town as well as those in nearby Fertilia get all the tourist attention, there are an array of day trips (many within cycling distance) sure to delight those who care little about sunning on Sardinia's sands. For example, I picked up an audio-guide at the Palmavera Nuraghe and meandered these ruins in this prehistoric village, one of the most complete of these Bronze Age complexes. Drive or bicycle through the little-visited Regional Forest of Porto Conte and you'll quickly understand why the protected land of oaks and pines is dubbed Noah's Ark. Unique white donkeys, small horses and Tibetan goats are just a few of the curious creatures wandering about. Though most visitors sign up for a boat tour to reach the famous Grotto di Nettuno with its cave network, a more memorable journey is to take the 654 steps of the Goat's Stairway down the cliff face. Not far away at Porto Ferro, three Genoese watchtowers guard Sardinia's longest beach where surfers flock to take on the crashing waves. Bird watchers often drive or bike to nearby pine-fringed Lake Baratz, Sardinia's only natural lake, where you may spot grebes and mallards.


3. Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia get so much tourist traffic but it's the little visited Extremadura region -- one of Spain's least visited regions and the birthplace of Cortez, Pizarro and other Spanish conquistadors that provides so much inspiration for me with its rural landscapes of olive trees and Holm oaks, craggy mountainsides coated with pines and chestnuts trees and historic towns, Guadalupe, Merida, Trujillo, Zafra and Caceres, laced with labyrinthine streets. Each has a distinct character and is worth a visit: Trujillo http://www.spain.info/ven/otros-destinos/reportaje/trujillo.html?l=en for its palaces bearing the coats of arms of prominent families; Guadalupe for its massive monastery that's a UNESCO World Heritage site and one that houses a wealth of museums with elaborate embroidered vestments, reliquaries, ancient books of Gregorian chants; Merida that has some of the most complete set of Roman ruins around - so much so that I was able to jog along the periphery of the Roman Circus where chariot rides once took place; and, every June in Caceres, the capital of the province and another UNESCO World Heritage site, hosts the Classic Theater Festival where the works of the gold age artists can be experienced.
In whitewashed Zafra, though I didn't stay in one of Spain's most impressive paradors that's housed in a 15th century fortress-palace, I enjoyed the property's best feature: it's white marble Renaissance patio where I dined one evening on guinea hen in puff pastry. Instead, I stayed at Hotel Huerta Honda, the next-door property that was once the site of the castle's farm. In fact, the hotel's restaurant retains the original brick archway that was part of the fortress in the late 1400s. I also was lucky enough to visit during an annual event, De La Luna Al Fuego, when I took a historic tour of the fortress' impressive ramparts. I would've hung around longer to watch the sun set when an unexpected lightening storm cut our explorations short.


Now, I'm tagging 5 other travel blogs to share their top 3 best-kept travel secrets:

EllenBarone: Ellen's website and blogs have something for everyone. I've had the pleasure to travel with her and find that she's a real Renaissance woman who always gives me great tips and something new to think about.

JourneyWoman: Evelyn is a supreme resource for all things any woman will need when she's on the road, whether it's staying well or wondering what's appropriate to wear in different international destinations.

CiaoBambino: Ami provides a wealth of family-friendly travel advice. I don't have kids but, if I did, this would be one serious resource.

EuropeUpClose: Terri's just got so many fab tips, deals, news items and advice on so many European destinations. I'm in Europe frequently and I always find something here I didn't know.

Italylogue: Jessica rounds up an amazing array of everything you need to know about traveling to and enjoying Italy.