Backroads of Portugal

Our Frommer's has never heard of any of the hilltop towns in Eastern Portugal that we've been exploring. First we hit Trancoso. It's a medieval walled city with this castle inside.
 

This picture is on the wall of a cafe.

This is the same cafe as the one in the picture.

This is the picture on the wall of the cafe. It all makes my head swim.

We track down the old Jewish Quarters of Trancoso.

This is the Lion of Judah on the wall of a Transcoso residence. Inside a black cat is carved on a lintel so the building is called the Gato Predo building..

Goodbye Trancoso.

A view of Trancoso going away....

Next we headed for Guarda, Portugal. Mrs. Phred wants to find the old Jewish Barrio. We split a salmon and some potato soup with a heavy dose of kale.

This is a foam rubber ski slope that they water so the kids can ski and waterboard all summer. It's next to Mantiegas where we spend the night. Mantiegas is the highest village in Portugal.

The young lady who meets us at the door tells us that the mansion has been in her family for 600 years.It became a summer vacation place when her grandfather went to Brazil and found gold. Now they run the place as a chic hotel.  It's called the Casa das Obras.

They left the 15th century lathe from the old lathe and plaster wall construction.