Prior to receiving an invitation from Viking River Cruises to participate in the #VikingSocial cruise on the Douro River, I knew very little about Portugal. I was aware that Port wine was made in Portugal, and that cork trees grew there. Anything else I might have learned was surely forgotten as soon as I put down the pencil after taking whatever high school or college test I had bothered to study for in the first place.

This trip afforded me the opportunity to learn of Portugal’s history, witness her beauty, experience her culture, and taste her wine. As a result, Portugal is now in the upper echelon of countries I would love to visit again and again.

Of the 1,121 photographs I snapped along the journey, here are a few that summarize my first impressions of Portugal.