Further North, running with a bull and the National Park

To get to Viana do Castelo we traveled by train. Whilst on the train we met a friendly Spanish girl  who had just visited a friend in Porto and was making her way to the Portugal-Spain border to start the El Camino. We were rather jealous as this was something we really wanted to do, but unfortunately we didn't have the time to do it. We promised ourselves however that we would come back to do it at some point in the future.

We said goodbye to her as we got off the train and made our way down the small high street to our accommodation to drop off our bags. We then went for a wander up the high street and made the 700 step climb all the way up the hill to the church atop the hill (Monte de Santa Luzia) that overlooks the bay of Viana do Castelo, said to be one of the best views in the world!

Monte de Santa Luzia from the Pousada, on a nice day (not our picture)

Unluckily for us, it was a cloudy day and there was a little bit of fog so the view was not as good as it could have been. But was still lovely to see, looking out over the bay and the city below with hills in the background and some beaches just below! The building itself was beautifully designed and inside was just as nice, it even included a crypt as well. We went down into the crypt and were surprised to find a huge very modern looking room below, although it did have some very nicely decorated blue walls.

The following day we looked around the town centre, saw the Placa de Republica and the Town Hall and other old buildings in the square, the fountain included. We also visited the new section of the town, which is right on the waterfront overlooking the delta. It has lots of restaurants in very modern looking buildings. We went over to the docks and saw the famous boat, Gil Eannes (we did not realise it was famous at the time) and saw the fort in the distance. We then headed down some side streets to get to the old centre and Carmen got her photo taken in historically traditional Portuguese dress, which looked quite cool. We then had to make our way to the bus station to get to Ponte de Lima in time to see the festival, Vaca das Cordas.

View from the Marina

The old centre of Viana do Castelo

Carmencita from Portugal!

When we arrived in Ponte de Lima the whole town was packed due to the festival and we could not find a place to sleep as everything was taken. So we headed to the tourist information and they were really helpful and were able to find us a place to stay after making a few phone calls to some nearby places. The owner of the hotel was even nice enough to come and pick us up from the tourist information centre!

After settling in we went into town to find the bull. Luckily we had done our research beforehand so we knew where to go, although on arriving there we found that we probably need not have worried as there was the beginnings of a crowd gathered around the building where the bull was tied up in his pen. The bull looked so calm, not a care in the world, little did he know what was to come. 

The bull with horn covers for safety reasons

 After waiting outside for an hour (we were told start time was 6, but ended up being 7 - typical in Iberia) there was a huge commotion and people started running from his pen outside to where we were waiting about 20metres away. There followed a line of guys holding tightly to a thick rope and at the end of the rope was a not so calm, big raging bull, who came storming down trying to hit whoever was close by. We were very close to him when this happened, not more than 5 metres away, so we got a very good view of this! Luckily he is quite well handled so he roughly goes where they want him to go.

The tradition is to lead the bull through the streets of the town with people running in front of the bull and taunting it and then running for their lives when it runs towards them. This continues until the church where they go three times around it (traditional) then they head to the main square where he goes around the fountain while people try and get as close to the bull the bull as possible. One guy even got hit by the bull, which we caught on film, others jumped into the fountain to get out of the way. People were getting knocked over by other people as they run away, we saw several incidences of this. The bull even slipped over whilst running around the fountain because of the water on the floor. 

After that he is led onto a cleared area in front of the river where again people try and taunt him and touch him while he chases them, he even managed to chase one guy into the river. We felt very sorry for the bull by the end of it, as he must have been exhausted and very frustrated by all the many annoying people, but it was definitely very interesting to see. It is extremely similar to the event held in Pamplona, in Spain, with the running of the bulls, except that they have several bulls there and the bulls are not on a rope there either.(very crazy I might add!)

After the bull is led back to his pen and that is when tables are put up in the main square and the BBQ's begin! Cow steaks with bread is the main thing on the menu as this is again traditional, with of course the Portuguese Super Bock beer! There is music and some dancing, but mostly lots of eating and drinking. We explored the part roman, part medieval bridge after we had some food and looked over the nice gardens. We eventually left after a while and headed back for the night. 

Everyone enjoying some food and a beer

A spit roast!

The following day we went into town after breakfast all packed to go, and saw some sights. We saw some really nice looking buildings including the church and some old manor houses as well as a tower, before then catching the bus out of town to a place called Ponte da Barca, where we would make our way to Peneda-Geres National Park.

On arriving in Ponte de Barca we waited for the rain to stop before heading off to the campsite we intended to stay in within the National Park. A nice 11km walk away. We tried to hitchhike along the way. Eventually a nice Portuguese older couple picked us up and gave us a lift the last 6-7km right to the front doorstep of the campsite. They were lovely people, especially considering we could not communicate very well as they only spoke Portuguese or French. We were really grateful though. 

Unfortunately for us, whilst in Peneda-Geres it rained whilst we were setting up the tent, which set the mood for most of our stay in the National Park. We managed to do one very short walk when it wasn't raining, and it allowed us to see just how beautiful the surrounding area was. The highlight for us though was when we were sitting at the park bench table in the BBQ area and a nice Portuguese guy who was making a BBQ next to us gave us a rib each from his cooking. Presumably as we must have looked like starving puppies eating our bread and canned fish.

The beautiful landscape in Peneda-Geres National Park

 

Guimarães and Braga - The Historic North

Our next stop after Porto was the city of Guimarães about 50km north of Porto. It is just an average sized city in Portugal, but with a great cultural life and history, including the fact that it was Portugals first capital. We were impressed as soon as we arrived and made our way to the hostel we were staying at in the historic centre of the city.

The historic centre is a beautiful place, cobble-stoned courtyards and roads, stone buildings and traditional Portuguese architecture, meaning arches, whitewashed buildings and blue tiled walls. Pretty much all of these features and buildings within the old centre date back to the 13th century when the perimeter walls and buildings inside were built. 

Carmen walking through the historic centre of Guimarães

This however is not the oldest part of the city. The oldest part of the city dates back to the 10th century when the city was founded to help fight off the Moors. A castle was then later built in the 12th century by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, and he used the castle as a base to reconquer the rest of the country from the Moors. The castle now is in need of some repairs, mainly on the inside as it seems to have seen better days. 

Guimarães Castle

In contrast to this though, right next door is the beautifully preserved Dukes of Braganza Palace built between 1420 and 1422, although a lot of it has gone through restoration work. It is now considered a National Monument and is the most visited site in Guimarães.

Dukes of Braganza Palace

Whilst in Guimarães we were lucky enough to see Portugal play their first world cup match against Germany. We sat in a packed out courtyard with restaurants, cafes and bars on all sides each with their own big screen television to show the game. Unfortunately for us and the majority of people watching the game Portugal lost the game 4-0, a pretty bad defeat that did not do much to help the spirits of the watching Portuguese supporters. Even though they suffered a heavy defeat it did not seem to perturb the many Portuguese from having a good evening, eating and drinking till late.

There was a great atmosphere in the city, which was one of the reasons we so liked it in Guimarães, everyone was really sociable and friendly and was such a relaxed culture about the place. We wished we could have stayed more, but unfortunately we were already booked in for another place the next day, so we had to make say a sad farewell to Guimarães.

Fountain just outside the old centre of Guimarães

Braga was where we had booked our next stop, only a further 20km away from Guimarães. Braga, like Guimarães is a city with a lot of history behind it, which is evidenced by the many historic buildings (especially churches and sanctuaries). Unlike Guimarães though, Braga is a city with a lot more going on. There is a relatively new university, built only 30 years ago and there is a student feel to certain parts of the city, meaning there are more bars and restaurants about.

Our first day in Braga saw us getting our bearings by walking around the old centre where there are plenty of things to see, some of the most impressive include the cathedral, which is nearly 1000 years old, the Archbishops Palace, previosuly used to house the resident Archbishop.

Me doing Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Archbishops garden

The Cathedral

Other highlights from the first day included the castle tower and the arcada, a gathering point in Praca da Republica for locals, who go there to enjoy a coffee and Portuguese treats. This area has acted as a meeting point for nearly 300 years! We did not feel the urge to stop for a hot drink however as it was a very hot day, the temperature getting up to 41.5°C!

The Arcada

Hot temperatures!

On our second day in Braga we decided to go for a long walk to Bom Jesus do Montes, a pilgrimage site for lots of people in Portugal. It is a beautiful sanctuary located atop a hill, with several hundred steps to climb to reach the top.The surroundings are lovely, with greenery on all sides, and a tranquil atmosphere, where it is perfect to sit and enjoy the view. The only downside being that the sanctuary itself was being renovated, so it had a horrible blue cover on the outside of the building with scaffolding as well.

After having lunch we then headed up a bit more through a nice wooded park and onwards to the Salimo Sanctuary along a back road, with even more stunning views from atop the hill over the whole of Braga. We found this sanctuary a more impressive building than Bom Jesus, it looked incredible with big stone pillars overlooking the city.

Bom Jesus do Montes

Salimo Sanctuary

Looking out over Braga from Salimo Sanctuary

Heading back down into Braga was another long walk, although we did take a short cut that involved some very steep dirt tracks through the woods, which resulted in some sliding down the hill a bit, but we eventually made it safely. We were also able to see some of the local residential districts and some less desirable areas of the city, which made for an interesting comparison. Overall we really liked Braga as well, but we were pleased to be moving on as we were excited to see more of Portugal, plus we were looking forward to seeing a few Portuguese festivals elsewhere!

Porto - Welcome to Portugal

We liked Porto as soon as we arrived, for silly reasons such as liking the airport and the train into town. Our first impressions were soon confirmed over and over again as we discovered more of this beautiful city.

Porto is a small enough city to enjoy by foot, which is great as you get to experience its lovely streets and its colourful buildings. One of the highlights of the city include the Azejulos, typical Portuguese blue ceramic tiles. They can have a simple design, but more often than not the tiles are paintings of historial and/or religious scenes. While Azejulos can decorate any building, most churches are using them to ornate their exterior, as well as the interior. One of the most splendid examples of Azejulos in Porto is the Sao Bento train station, where the tiles are painted scenes from the history of Portugal.

Azejulos on a church in Porto

Sao Bento train station

Whilst we were in Porto we weren't so much interested in seeing all the tourist attractions, but more of just experiencing the city and its streets and people. We walked, a lot!, we admired the architecture, and most of all we took in all the wonderful views this city has to offer.

Church perched up on a hill

When we did go to see tourist attractions we were a bit disappointed. For example, Livraria Lello, also known as Harry Potter bookshop, was a bit of a let down. Although beautiful, and the interior swirling staircase seemed to be taken straight out of a Harry Potter film, it was very small and, thus, very crowded. Also, you weren't allowed to take pictures inside!

Snuck a picture inside Livraria Lello

Other tourist attractions that we walked past, but did not go inside, include the Cathedral (Sé), built atop of a hill, rewarding the climber with wonderful views from it, Torre dos Clerigos (Cleric's Tower), and Casa da Musica (The House of Music), which was not worth the long walk to go see it. Another landmark all tourist guides mention as a must see is Mercado do Bolhão, the central market. The market itself is nothing special, as when we went there many stalls were shut, giving it a deserted look, but there is a lovely bread shop which gives out free samples! Delicious.

The cathedral at sunset

View over Porto and Gaia from the cathedral

Back to the views. Due to its slightly hilly geography, Porto has many viewpoints, or miradouros in Portuguese, which unfortunately was not a clever play on words from the Spanish mirador combined with views over the Douro river resulting in miradouro, as Carmen initially thought! Miradouro is actually the Portuguese word for viewpoint. How disappointing!

As just mentioned, Porto is built on one bank of the River Douro. On the other side of the river lays Vila Nova da Gaia, Porto's twin community, where all the port wine magic happens. From both sides you are spoilt with wonderful views over either the colourful buildings of Porto or the wine disitilleries of Gaia. The views are great whether you are low on the river banks (or ribeiras in Portuguese), or high atop of a hill. Our favourite miradouro was from the Jardins do Palacio do Cristal, Porto's most beautiful park, which overlooks the Douro river.

View from the Jardins do Palacio do Cristal

Speaking of the Douro river, a Porto must-do is taking a trip upstream. Up the river valley is where the vineyards for the famous Port wine are located and it offers stunning views of terraced hills after hills. There are a few options on how to visit the valley. You can either take a short cruise upstream, lasting about 50 minutes, and costing 10 euros (2014), you can opt for a full-day trip, which includes a cruise one-way (until Pinhao) and return by train (cost 60 euros with lunch included), or get a return ticket by train. The train ride must be one of the best train trips in the world as for most of the journey it follows the riverfront.

We opted for the train ride, because Carmen loves trains, but also because we have learnt that the be­­st part of the valley lays past Pinhao, all the way to the end of the line, Pocinho. The ride lasted about 6-7 hours return and costed around 20 euros each, but it was well worth it. Around each bend there was a lovely sight to be seen, a nice vineyard towering atop of a hill, a new and exciting side of the Douro river.

The Douro valley

The Douro valley

The Douro valley

The Douro valley

The Douro valley

After seeing where the grapes grow, the next must-do in Porto is to do one (at least) Port wine tasting. As we are not very interested in alcohol in general, we only did one. Most of the tastings cost around 5 euros and include an hour tour of the winery. After a bit of a digging, we found one winery that does the tasting for free, at Krohn. We didn't get much of a tour, but we were given three types of Port to taste (white, ruby and tawny). We didn't think we'd be big fans of port wine, but we were surprised to find that we really liked both types.

On the day when we did the tasting we got the opportunity to also experience Vila Nova de Gaia. We had a stroll along its Ribeira, and enjoyed the nice aroma of grilled seafood mixed in with the sweet smell of wineries. To compliment the delightful scents, we were visually spoilt by colourful Porto just across the river. 

Porto seen from Gaia

All that Port wine cannot be had on an empty stomach. Luckily, there are many places where you can have a good meal, from street food to Michelin stared restaurants. Even Lisbonians agree that Porto is the culinary capital of the country! Not surprisingly, a lot of Porto's cuisine revolves around seafood, with bacalhau and grilled sardines topping it. Bacalhau is basically salted cod, done like this for preserving reasons. It is said there are 365 different recipes to cook the bacalhau, one for each day of the year. Most common ones include bacalhau con nata (cod with cream),bacalhau a bras (with onions and thinly sliced fried potatoes in scrambled egg) and bacalhau com todos (boiled with vegetables and hard boiled egg).


However, if you are not a big fan of seafood, do not despair. Porto has something to cater for each taste, from mouthwatering pastelerias (bakeries), with sweets the size of your head, and extremely cheap, to arguably, the world's best sandwich, Francesinha.

Bakeries

Francesinha is layers of steak, choricao (chorizo), ham, linguica (a type of pork sausage) between two layers of bread, all covered in melted cheese and topped up with a fried egg, sunny side up. All this beauty comes in a spicy tomatoey beer sauce with a side of chips. It's a gorgeous heart attack on a plate. Be aware that the francesinha is huge, and we had one split between the two of us and we left the table absolutely full. However, this is something that cannot be missed when visiting Porto. I mean who would want to miss that anyway?

Francesinha

Francesinha

All in all, we really enjoyed Porto and we were happy to return to it in a week's time or so, in time for Festa de Sao Joao, but more about that in a few post's time. Tchau!

P.S. If you are like us and wondering why on the plane ticket it's written Oporto and not Porto, it's because when the English businessmen arrived they heard the locals say stuff like 'Vamonos no Porto' which means we are going to Porto, and because of the pronunciation they thought the city name was Oporto. For some reason that stuck, and in English the city name is still Oporto, but in any other language (including Portuguese) it's Porto!

P.P.S. We had a bit of action going on one day, when a house caught fire and we were witnesses to firefighters and locals putting it out. Luckily they succeeded quite quickly and we do not think there were any casualties.

The fire in Porto

Cerbere - A short visit to France

After visiting Dali in Figueres we decided to make a slight detour and head onto foreign soil across the Pyrenees into a small town called Cerbere in France. Cerbere is only a small place and is literally located just the other side of the Pyrenees from Spain. It is situated on the coast and has some amazing views out over the Mediterranean Sea.

The amazing views from the coast of Cerbere

Me admiring the view over Cerbere

When we arrived it was the evening and we went looking for the campsite we had seen on google maps. Unfortunately google maps must have been wrong because there was definitely not a campsite where it said there was. So that meant I had to use my very bad French to ask a local lady where I could find a campsite. She gave me directions (in French) to one just a few kilometres away around the coast.

We followed the coast as we went in search of the campsite and met a nice French guy along the way who was holidaying in Cerbere and he told us that we could use the campsite for free as the reception was not open. So we headed on over to the campsite and set up and had two nights for free - and we had working toilets and even hot showers!

The really nice thing about camping where we did was the views. You were woken up in the morning by a lovely sunrise happening literally just outside the tent overlooking the sea, it was great.

The lovely view from the tent

Cerbere was nice to have a wander around and relax for a day, they had a nice looking marina and lots of great views from the cliffs along the coast. As well as the lovely views, free camping and relaxing walk around town, whilst in France we thought we had better eat how the French do, so we treated ourselves to some "proper" French croissants (definitely better than the shop bought ones).

The view over the marina with the cliffs covered in clouds (very ominous)

Carmen with our "proper" French croissants

Cerbere is only a very small town, so there is not many things to do or see, plus it did not have much of a beach and was quite windy, so we decided to head back into Spain (smuggling ourselves across the border without paying for the train) to kill a bit of time before our flight to Portugal. We decided to spend a few days at the beach in a place called Lloret de Mar, where we found a nice beach to crash out on as you will be able to see below.

Carmen overlooking the beautiful bay

Me crashed out on the beach