Tue 10 Jun- the Se & Vila Nova de Gaia, Taylor Fladgate port wine tasting

Tue 10 Jun- after the included buffet breakfast, we took the Muni from a station near the hotel, back to the Sao Bento station, and walked up to the Se (fortress cathedral) to have a look at its azulejos. They were pretty impressive.
We then walked down to the river front, through the narrow winding cobblestone alleys. From the river front, we walked over to the Ponte de D. Luis I, designed and built by Eiffel (of the Paris tower fame), and walked across to the Vila Nova de Gaia town. It is famous as the place where port wine originated, and many of the original wineries are still in operation. The one we visited, Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman was established in 1692. We tasted several styles: Chip Dry, First Estate, and Vintage. We decided to buy some ruby red Quinta de Terra Feita Vintage 1988, bottled in 1990, and some of the Chip Dry (white) port. It was a generous tasting, so we kind of staggered around the garden, then headed back to the bridge.
Instead of walking up the steep roads or stairs, we took the funicular, which was just down the block from the Muni station, which took us back to near the hotel. On the way back, we picked up some tomatoes and cucumbers to supplement our vegetables.