Category: Portugal

En route back into Spain (we were now heading for Galicia) we paused at the small coastal town of Caminha in the very north west of Portugal.

Caminha is an old fishing town of some 16,000 people on the Minho Estuary (which separates Portugal from Spain) and it is directly opposite our next destination of A Guarda in Galicia. It’s on the Coastal Caminho route to Santiago and, while being visited by an increasing number of ‘pilgrims’, it remains a fairly quiet little town outside of the holiday months of July and August.

It has the most northerly beach in Portugal, the Foz de Minho, which wraps around the left bank of the estuary and leads south to the Camarido Beach; so allowing visitors the option to swim in the River Minho or in the Atlantic Ocean. The best beach in this area, especially for surfers, is the Moledo Beach which is just a bit further south of the Camarido and a little to the north of the resort town of Vila Praia de Ancora. One other beach in the area worth visiting (and which is protected from the often strong winds blowing in from the Atlantic) is the Azenhas River Beach in the town of Vilar de Mouros on the banks of the River Coura. This latter beach also offers great photo opportunities with it’s watermills.

We will visit Vilar de Mouros some time in the future, ideally at the time of it’s annual music festival which in the past has hosted acts as diverse as Bob Dylan, Cure and U2 but, I was talking about Caminha…

We parked up on a large open car park by the harbour and entered the old town via the Praca da Conseilheiro Silva Tores. This plaza, more of a circle than a square, is the prettiest part of the town. It is dominated by a clock tower (the last of thirteen towers which used to connect the now mostly dismantled town walls) but, it also contains various other interesting features including (a) a very attractive town hall building; (b) a beautiful 16th century church, the Igreja da Misericordia (which was built as a spiritual hostel and hospital for pilgrims on their way to Santiago) and; (c) an impressive 16th century ornamental fountain designed by Joao Lopes.

The Terreiro Fountain designed by Lopes is actually one of three identical fountains (the other two are to be found in nearby Viana do Castelo and in Pontevreda over the border in Galicia). The Caminha fountain was initially located in the Norte village of Moledo but was moved to Caminha early in the 19th century.

The little Igreja da Misericordia (Church of Mercy) is something else. Inside, it is stunning…

The Praca da Conseilheiro Silva Tores is the beating heart of Caminha and it was strangely stirring just sitting in this lively little plaza over a couple of cups of coffee absorbing the mood of the town. I think we both would have been happy to sit a while longer but we had made the decision to reach A Guarda in time for dinner.

After an hour or so, Vanya moved to check out a couple of the local shops (she is anxious to acquire another, larger, cork handbag for which this area is rightly famous) while I went off to look at the Igreja Matriz de Caminha (the Matriz Church of Our Lady of the Assumption). This 15th century church, made of granite and protected by what remains of the city’s granite walls, is supposedly beautiful inside. Sadly, it wasn’t open during the period of my visit but I was able to enjoy some quite exceptional views across the estuary from the walls.

Another interesting sight we stumbled across is the railway bridge over the River Coura (which runs into the River Minho). Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (he who designed and built the Eiffel Tower in Paris) designed and built this bridge. Until then I had no idea that he designed such structures but within a few days I was to stumble over another such construction of his.

We came into Norte this time around primarily to avoid the wet weather which was beginning to threaten Spain. We are really pleased with that decision. We encountered some wonderful places and will definitely return (probably as soon as next September) and; if we return to this particular area, I would be keen to visit Vilar de Mouros and, especially, the Serra D’Arga. The Serra D’Arga is an 825 metre hill with spectacular views, waterfalls (the Penas and the Pincha) and windmills.

On to A Guarda…

We overnighted at a campsite (the Sereia de Gelfa) in the tiny hamlet of Gelfa, just two miles or so from Vila Praia de Ancora. We were considering staying a couple of nights with a view to exploring some more of the Norte Region but the campsite proved such a disappointment with neither the bar nor the restaurant open that we decided to move on after just one night. The campsite reads very well in it’s brochures and it may be entirely different during July and August but, until then, forget it – none of the facilities were open while we were there.

Still, there was time for me to walk a couple of kilometres to Restaurante Camarao and then on along a wooden coastal path towards Vila Praia de Ancora but; after getting close enough to see it appears to be little more than a beach resort, I gave up and returned to the Camarao’s bar for a quick beer.

Ancora is a favoured stop on the Camhino Santiago from Oporto but, while it may appeal to tired and/or hungry pilgrims en route to Santiago, it didn’t appear to have much of interest to me. Of course I may be doing the place a disservice and will consider take a closer look at the town when we return to Norte in September.

Onwards to Galicia in Spain.

Known locally as the “Jewel of the Costa Verde” the small waterfront city of Viana do Castelo is easily recognised by the magnificent 20th century white church (the Santuario de Santa Luzia) up on the nearby 228 metre hill of Monte de Santa Luzia. This church, inspired by the Sacre Coeur in Paris, honours Saint Lucy the Patron Saint of Sight which is most apt given the splendid views on offer from the top of the church both over the city and the surrounding area.

Our route into Galicia was taking us along Portugal’s coast road, through Viano do Castelo, when we noticed the Santuario and what looked like some kind of festival taking place down near the harbour. We parked up alongside a number of other vans down at the port (there was plenty of space) and set off for a quick look. Had we known that Viano do Castelo is one of the largest cities in the north of Portugal with a significant sized population and a history of shipbuilding and industrial fishing, we would in all likelihood have kept driving and given the place a miss because we tend to favour the smaller quieter places. We’re both so glad we didn’t! Our all too short stay in Viano do Castelo proved utterly charming, interesting and enjoyable and; yes… we had caught the last day of a week long local festival known as the Santos Populares but, more about that later.

We parked up on the commercial docks close to what looked like a hospital ship. It is named the ‘Gil Eannes’ and, amongst other things, it did serve as a type of hospital ship. After being built in the city’s shipyard during the 1950’s, it served as a general support vessel and icebreaker to Portugal’s ‘White Fleet’ of trawlers which fished for Cod in the North Atlantic off of Newfoundland and Greenland. After being decommissioned the ship was returned to Viano do Castelo and converted into a combined museum and youth hostel.

Drawn by church spires (they are a great aid to navigating cities) we made our way t0 Viano do Costelo’s well preserved medieval centre, the large and wholly pedestrianised Praca da Republica. This picturesque plaza is a large rectangle; edged by numerous 16th century buildings including the Pacos Municipais (the city hall) and the Igreja da Misericordia (which so far as I am concerned is the most beautiful of the city’s churches and outshines even the local 15th century Cathedral). The plaza contains a large 16th century fountain (Chafariz), a few small shops, cafes and restaurants (not forgetting a highly regarded Costume Museum) but it was a restaurant I needed (it was late in the morning and we’d not yet had breakfast) and so; after a quick look at the Igreja da Misericordia (the Saint Mary the Great Cathedral was almost entirely covered in scaffolding and closed), we settled down at one of the plaza restaurants (the Sancho Panza) for brunch.

Just a quick word on the Igreja da Misericordia or Church of Mercy. The original 16th century church was in such disrepair by the end of the 17th century that it had to be rebuilt. Work started early in the 18th century and the current church, with it’s Baroque style interior and impressive blue azulejos (tilework), is truly magnificent and well worth the one Euro entrance fee.

The food at the Sancho Panza Bar-Restaurant was the best of the trip so far with Vanya and I both agreeing the prawns (described in the menu as shrimps but the size of langostines) were the best we have ever tasted. I also enjoyed a bowl of Panadinhos de Porco (breaded pork) and I even ate some of Vanya’s salad. We were impressed with everything about the Sancho Panza. We sat at a table just outside the restaurant but a visit inside revealed a much larger place than expected, including a bar and an open kitchen. The service, as well as the food, was excellent and the price was very reasonable. I’d eat there again.

After brunch we made our way through various winding lanes of the old town (holding properties as diverse as fishermen’s cottages, smart art-deco town houses and elegant mansions) towards the Santiago de Barra Fort where the final day of the annual Santos Populares Festival was still in progress . The ‘popular saints’, by the way, are Saint Anthony, Saint John and Saint Peter.

Many of the streets in the old town reflect the wealth of a country which, largely through the efforts of it’s seafaring explorers, become a world power during the 15th & 16th centuries. These explorers include Magellan who both orchestrated the first circumnavigation the world and himself navigated a ship around Cape Horn and into the Pacific Ocean; Bartolomeu Dias who first navigated the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean; Vasco de Gama who subsequently sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and became the first European to sail to the Indian Sub-Continent and; Pedro Avares Cabral who is credited with being the first European to discover Brazil. Between them these explorers helped create one of the world’s greatest international trading communities.

We entered the Santiago de Barra Fort the City’s fort in time to enjoy the last day of the Santos Populares Festival. Music and dance, especially Portuguese folk music and ‘fado’ (particularly soulful, mournful & moving performances) fill the days of the festival; with the highlight being the “Marchas Populares” where neighborhood groups vie with each other and showcase creative dance routines.

We couldn’t stay too long but we wholly enjoyed sitting, drinking freshly made lemonade while a local pipes and drums band entertained us with a repertoire of Moorish music. They made for a very enjoyable and interesting day and I swear one chap on the bagpipes could successfully audition for the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

Heading back to the Van I received a very pleasant surprise. We passed near a multilevel road and rail bridge over the River Lima (with trains using the lower level). This bridge was designed and built in 1878 by no less an engineer than Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (he of Eiffel Tower fame). At the time, I was unaware Eiffel designed bridges but within the next couple of days I would stumble across yet another (see post for Caminha). They are really very distinctive lots of wrought iron.

Next stop was a small campsite in the tiny hamlet of Gelfa. We were heading for Galicia.

Braga, the capital of the Norte Region was also recommended as a place to visit by our hosts at the Cotto do Gatto

Ordinarily, we would not be too enamoured at the thought of visiting a city of 200,000 in the Van but, no problem, it proved to be a wonderful place and we had arrived in time for Portugal’s National Day celebrations. Judging by the amount of bunting on display all over the city, it appeared that some form of religious festival was also under way and we learned later it was up in readiness for the Festa de Sao Joao (Saint John) in a few days time.

We were parked up in the Municipal Camping Site (Parque de Campisimo e Caravanismo Municipal de Braga) near the centre of the city . Vanya wanted to rest up with the dogs until the evening and so I went off to check out the city in advance of our all going into town later in the day. A twenty minute fast walk along Avenida Dr Viriato Amaral Nunes and then the Avenida da Liberdade (much of which is pedestrianised) took me to Praca de Republica.

This is perhaps Braga’s main square and it is a great place for having a drink and people watching, although the cafés in this part of the town are predictably overpriced. The square’s three main features are the Lapa arcades (with their 19 arches), the Lapa church and the large fountain. As I arrived, the place was buzzing with music and impromptu dancing (mostly by the older generations) and it continued all through the day. I watched for a while and then made my way to the nearby 18th century Basilica dos Congredados (for the peace and quiet as much as the shade it offered).

Braga is a Portugal’s third largest city and it was therefore necessary I plan the rest of the day so as to maximise our short time in the city. We intended to stay just the one night. I settled down outside a cafe bar on the Praca da Republica to take stock of the situation. The first important question was whether to drink coffee or wine with my sorely needed cold water? The local coffee has to be good given Portugal’s long association with Brasil but, the north of Portugal is well known for it’s green wine (Vinho Verde). Unlike orange wine which is orange in colour (you’d know that if you read my Izola blog way back in 2017), green wine is not green. It is so named because only very young grapes are used to make the wine. Progress! I decided upon wine and coffee. The wine was good (although I had forgotten Vinho Verde has a fizzy edge to it) but, the coffee proved better.

A little research while I rested identified that Braga was founded in 16 BC during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. Indeed, Braga was initially known as Bracara Augusta and it is believed to be Portugal’s oldest city. It is very much a religious city and is sometimes referred to as the Portuguese Rome on account of having 47 churches and the country’s oldest cathedral (consecrated in 1089). It is known for it’s beautiful historic buildings but there is considerably more to the city than it’s buildings.

That settled it. I had already visited the Basilica dos Congredados. My next stop would be Braga Cathedral, followed by the Church and Hospital of Saint Mark and the Igreja Santa Cruz. Both of these latter churches are on a square known the Largo Carlos Amarante. Vanya is not into churches (neither literally nor figuratively) but she would want to see Largo Carlos Amarante if only because of the huge letters on the square which spell out the city name – that could be a photo opportunity for Beanie. Then, time permitting, there is the city’s most visited tourist site at the edge of the city, the beautiful Basilica of Bom Jesus do Monte. Plenty to be getting on with there.

The ‘Se de Braga’ (Braga Cathedral) is Portugal’s equivalent to our Canterbury Cathedral in England. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Braga and the Primate Archbishop of Portugal and it was the most important cathedral on the whole of the Iberian Peninsula until the consecration of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Built on the ruins of a Roman Temple and extended over the centuries, the Se de Braga is not large as cathedrals go but; on the inside it is as sumptuous as they come. Adorned throughout with rich golden ornaments and purple flags and with the most magnificent ceiling and an incredible pipe organ it is stunning. The two Euro entrance fee to view the church is tremendous value but I came away wishing I had bought the five Euro ticket which would have also provided access to the upper side chapels and the choir, etc. Unfortunately, I didn’t see that particular ticket advertised until I was already well into my tour of the Cathedral..

I had to tear myself away from the cathedral but I soon found the Largo Carlos Amarante with, amongst other things the Church and Hospital of Saint Mark, the Igreja Santa Cruz and of course the large letters spelling out the city name.

I didn’t get inside either the Church & Hospital of St Mark’s or the Igreja Santa Cruz. The fact is I was delayed on my way to the square looking at various street art, listening to a harpist playing folk music and admiring what I later learned is the Casa e Capela dos Coimbras with, inside, it’s very decorative azulejos (tiles). It is easy to get distracted in Braga; there’s so much going on in the city.

Given how critical I was of the International Garden Festival in Ponte de Lima, I should mention Braga’s Jardim de Santa Barbera on Rua do Souto. This is my style of garden. It is a small garden in the centre of the city; free to enter (and so can be enjoyed by all); with a focus towards the shapes and colours of the plants and; with the Archbishop’s Palace (the Paco Episcopal Bracarense) providing a great backdrop, it’s a beautiful place to simply sit and enjoy.

By the way, the Rua do Souto is another largely pedestrianised part of the city and the main shopping street in Braga (the type of shopping my wife does with close friends, not the fruit and vegetable kind of shopping). It leads to a large historical arch, the Arco da Porto Nova, which was going to be a gate into the city but events overtook things. The fact is, the city expanded so much during the period it took to finish building the arch that it has only ever served as an ornament. Much like the M25 I suppose.

It’s time I wrote about Braga’s principal tourist attraction located some 5 kilometres from the city centre – the 18th century pilgrimage Basilica of Bom Jesus do Monte. This is one of Portugal’s most visited attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. The Basilica and the surrounding gardens are impressive but it is the Baroque Staircase leading to the church which seems to take all the plaudits. Known as the ‘Sacred Way’ it comprises almost 600 steps and depicts an ascent to heaven. It is adorned with small chapels, statues and fountains – the fountain of ‘The Wounds of Christ’, the fountain of ‘The Five Senses’, the fountain of ‘The Virtues’ (Faith, Hope & Charity), etc. It is all so very beautiful and it also offers spectacular and panoramic views of Braga and the surrounding countryside.

For those wanting to walk to Bom Jesus do Monte from Braga there is a quiet path, the Ecovia do Rio Este, which goes almost the whole way (and the Basilica is signposted) but don’t forget there are almost 600 steps as well as the return.

Be warned, the place is full of coach tours. They come from all over (particularly Porto) and more often than not combine the Bom Jesus do Monte with a visit to Guimaraes. Guimaraes is pretty but I can’t understand why it should be chosen in preference to Braga. It’s easier I suppose but, the tourists are missing out on a great city.

I missed out on so many things – the Chapel of Sao Frutuoso de Montelios, the Torre de Menagem, the Palacio de Raio (with it’s exquisite tile works), Coffee at Cafe Brasileira, the Indoor Market, the Jardima Avenida Park and the Parque da Ponte – the list goes on BUT Braga is now known to me and I’ll be back.

Ponte de Lima was recommended as a place to visit by one of the owners of the hotel we were staying in, the Hotel Cotto do Gatto.

Situated just a few miles to the west of our hotel, it is one of the more popular stopping points on the Caminho de Santiago (the Portuguese Camino). It is also the oldest chartered town in Portugal although; this and many other places were in existence long before towns started being chartered in Portugal in 1125.

We had no trouble finding a parking spot near the Expolima even though a couple of events were in progress (a small farmers market and some kind of biker’s convention) and from there it was but a short walk to the main focus of this relatively small town, the old bridge across the River Lima.

On the way to the bridge we passed the Capela de Sao Joao. The original Chapel of Saint John in Ponte de Lima was destroyed by a fire, together with most of it’s contents, and was subsequently dismantled. The present octagonal shaped chapel was built in 1867. It’s a pretty little building but our (my) primary interest was the bridge and the town’s medieval centre which is reputedly one of the prettiest in Portugal. I think this may be on account of the large number of public parks and gardens in evidence all over the town. There are no less than 18 formal town gardens.

Ponte de Lima was named after it’s 1st century Roman bridge across the River Lima. Little remains of the original Roman bridge with it’s 5 arches. During the 14th century the bridge was renovated, fortified and considerably extended to 17 arches. Only 14 of these arches remain but the bridge is still an impressive 277 metres long and it makes for a very scenic photograph too with the white Baroque style church of Santo Antonio da Torre Velha at it’s western end.

Pilgrims on the Caminho Santiago (Portuguese Camino) were pausing at a small chapel at the western end of the bridge for many years until it was replaced by the Igrejia de Santo Antonio da Torre Velha during the 18th century. Next to the church is a monument celebrating the efforts of the pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

The inside of the Igreja de Santo Antonio da Torre Velha is quite spartan except for what I think is a very stylish altar. No?

There’s a legend surrounding this part of the river. In 138 BC a Roman army under the General Decimus Junius Brutus was advancing north into what is now Galicia but, upon reaching the River Lima, the legionnaires refused to cross. It seems the area was so enchanting they confused the River Lima with the River Lethe; otherwise known as the River of Forgetfulness. The Lethe is one of five mythical rivers leading to Hades; famous for it’s beauty and it’s capacity to erase the memories of anyone who drank from it or was immersed in it.

The legionnaires’ commanding officer was compelled to cross the river first and then to call out the names of individual soldiers who were to follow him. By such means he was able to demonstrate that it was safe to cross and that he had not lost his mind. The rest of the force slowly followed his example but it was decided there and then that a bridge would be built to expedite future crossings.

This tale explains why there are statues of legionnaires lined up at the eastern end of the bridge, in the car park alongside the town’s main square (the Largo de Camoes Plaza) and; an officer on horseback (Decimus Junius Brutus) at the western end of the bridge.

The River Lima forms one side of the Largo de Camoes Plaza. The other three sides are mostly bars and cafes which face the river. It’s a nice place to sit and enjoy a spot of lunch, which we did. The local wine (vinho verde) and a couple of tapas dishes. The square’s principal features are it’s fountain (the Chafariz Fonte Publica built in 1603) and, at the southern end, an old prison keep which now houses the local tourist office.

Most of the medieval part of the town is to be found behind the square and the old prison keep. This includes the main church, the Igreza Matriz de Ponte Lima and the Camera Municipal (the town hall) which was once a private mansion. It also includes another very pretty chapel towards the north end of the town, the Capela des Pereiras built in 1525 (and initially named the Chapel of Santa Rita de Cassia) but renovated in 1818 (minus the bell tower – I wonder if there ever was one?). This is the chapel to visit for the views towards the mountains and across the town but you’ll not see any of mine – I accidently deleted them.

I wrote earlier that there are 18 formal gardens in Ponte de Lima. I thought to visit a couple while in the town and settled on the Arnado Park (behind the Santo Antonio Church) and the Jardim dos Labirintos Botanical Garden (where the Ponte de Lima International Garden Festival has been held every year since 2005). The Arnado Park was ‘okay’ but, nothing great. The International Garden Festival was a real disappointment. It is described as “a unique initiative.. which relaunched the taste and cult of gardens and gardening”. I’ll let you know. It proved far too intellectual for me. I enjoy gardens that have a focus towards the beautiful brilliant colours of shapes of living plants (and the odd water feature) and not some pretentious plastic or tin interpretation of a garden.

It’s a shame because, by and large, Ponte de Lima is a very pretty place. There are hydrangeas in abundance and they were very wonderful to see but… no, you can keep the pompous, hollow…. enough David!

I’ll leave you with a couple of photos of Beanie in Punte de Lima…

Continued north today passing up through Guimaraes and Sao Torcato to a small (and very friendly) family owned campsite in the tiny village of Garfe for a couple of day’s relaxation. We didn’t drive far but the landscape has totally changed to one of rolling wooded hillsides.

On our way to Garfe we paused in the village of Sao Torcato so that I could view the Basilica. We could see the Basilica from quite a way off with it’s two tall, slender granite towers. They started building this church in the 800’s but didn’t finish it until well into the 1900’s with the sanctuary not being consecrated until 2015 and with the church being elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2019. Saint Torcato was born into a noble Roman family who grew to become Archbishop of Braga and then Oporto and Dume. Early in the 8th century he was killed by General Muca who had been sent to conquer the Iberian Peninsula and convert the Christians to Islam. Torcato became the first Saint on the Iberian Peninsula and his body is now housed in a glass chamber in the church sanctuary. Inside the church they were preparing for a christening as I arrived and I couldn’t help but be impressed by the craziest fountain with running hot and cold water feeding into the baptismal font.

There was little for us to do in Garfe, just the one cafe bar and the smallest shop and so we all simply chilled.

Back into Spain tomorrow

While Aveiro has no beach of it’s own, the town has two beaches nearby (Barra 9 kms away and Costa Nova 3 kms further on). Vanya wanted to visit Costa Nova to see the colourful beach hut houses which predominate there and this led to us staying overnight.

The village was formed in the 19th century as fishermen, wanting to be closer to their fishing grounds, first extended their brightly coloured wooden storage huts into temporary shelters and then into more permanent dwellings (so that their families could join them). Costa Nova still has a fishing industry but, judging by the crowds that were there when we visited, tourism has fast taken over with the colourful houses being the main attraction.

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I was not sufficiently impressed by Costa Nova to recommend it as a place to visit (there’s little there other than a beach and the colourful houses) unless of course you do as we did and combine the stay with a visit to beautiful Aveiro. Having said that, the dogs loved the beach…

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