The Firecloud Report: Lost in a Strange Land

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Lost in a Strange Land

Guimaraes, Montalegre and Chaves

We left Porto on the coast and drove East to places less travelled. The day ended being totally lost (and slightly drunk) in the twisted alleys of a darkened and deserted medieval city.

Our first stop is the ancient city of Guimaraes. A blob about this city from Wiki is offered below.

"The city is often referred to as the "birthplace of the Portuguese nationality" or "the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese). This might be because the administrative seat of the County of Portugal was established there by Henry of Burgundy, or that it might also been the birthplace of Afonso I of Portugal, the first Portuguese king or because of the historical role of the city in the Battle of São Mamede (June 24, 1128), which had a tremendous importance in the formation of Portugal and was fought in the vicinity of the city."

The church above is in the center of Guimaraes. The church below was on the road to Montelegre in a small town we passed though. We fooled the GPS into taking back roads by setting it on "shortest distance" rather than "fastest time".

We ate what was left of yesterday's croissants, ham and cheese in a square in Montelegre.

This building had log roof timbers. At some point someone ran electric into it.

The castle at Montelegre is next to the cemetery.

After hours of back road exploring w.e end up in the old city of Chaves. Our hotel is inside this fort, which is called the Forte Sao Francisco

A tree in downtown Chaves. Portugal has more flowers in the Spring than Florida.

Another castle in Chaves.

We find a very Portuguese restaurant for dinner. The front room is full of grizzled Portuguese men smoking and watching soccer. We are ushered to a more elegant but empty back room. She has the octopus. I have the salted cod.