Trip to Braga this morning, about 50 minutes away. First to Europe's largest (and most magnificent sculputered granite staircase) at the pilgrim church of Bom Jesus do Monte. We avoided the stairs by using the 1882 (and still going strong) water driven funicular. Our Tour Director, Sarah (Canadian with a Portuguese husband) was married at this magnificent church. We got a good, but quick view of the externals just before a thick, drizzly mist came in.
The mist cleared as we came down to town - once again a most wonderful place. Braga is Portugal's most important religous centre with a bucket load of churches (93 of them). The Cathedral, founded in 1070, is on the site of a Moorish mosque and was built following the Christian Reconquest.
Back to Porto and one of us required some rest as the sun shone through and the temperature climbed. The other headed out to explore and get a feel of the old town, including to locate the riverside accommodation which we will move to tomorrow. Lots of people and the waterfront and cobbled streets are busy, busy, busy. Cafes and restaurants in abundance. It is a national past time of the Portuguese to eat out. Per capita, it has more eating out venues than any other country, and this sector of the economy was the only one not to suffer decline in the GFC. It is claimed that the Portuguese spend an average 10% of income on eating out!!!
Very modern Metro system, which I found easy to use - new stations and new trains. Feet up for a while before we head out to Matosinhos on the Atlantic coast for our farewell dinner. And what a feast it was - tasting plate after tasting plate (somehow most of our table's prawn shells finished up in front of me!!!). Then the mains, the dessert and the coffee - and all the while, the wine.
The next few days on our own will have to be fasting days!!
No comments:
Post a Comment