Lamego, Bragança, Vila Real (5-6/06/2015)

I took the 10:35 bus from Coimbra and got in Lamego at around 1pm. As soon as I was out the heat was already unbearable and since the bus station was not far from the city center, I started heading in that direction. The first thing I encountered was the City Museum which was unfortunately closed because soon, on the 10th of June, the whole city would host Portugal's day. So I then asked for directions to get to the tourist office, once I got there however it was closed for lunch, so I decided to have myself. I walked around a bit until I found a place to my liking, Adega Matos. Once inside I was greeted and seated by the owners; the interior was pretty small and had only 4 long tables and I sat next to three soldiers (probably here for the military parade for Portugal's day). Then the owner, an old and nice lady, told me the menu from which I picked Bacalhau á Bras with potatoes. It was very good, though slightly too salty, and definitely plentiful since I was full after that. They asked two times if I wanted something else but I refused saying I was full, but I did talk with the old lady asking her how the bacalhau was cooked. The meal which included water, was 7,50€ so a good price. After eating I headed for the Cathedral, the front door was closed but going around it I found the cloister door open so I went though and passed some workers, probably renewing the place for the feast. After taking a few pictures I went though another door and into the cathedral, or Sé: the interior was very nice, even though the original structure, dating from the 12th century before Portugal was even a country, had been altered but the ceiling was nicely painted, rare in Portugal. While reading the panels detailing the church's history, the guardian came by and wondered how I got in since he told me the church was still closed and he was going to open it then; I explained I went in through the cloister but he didn't mind. Once out I headed for the tourist office which was now open: inside the lady gave me useful info on opening times and then asked me if I wanted to see the Capela do Desterro, I answered I did so she called the lady-guardian of the chapel and told me to head there. After a 5-10 minute walk I arrived at the chapel, an old lady arrived right after and opened the door for me. It was quite small, well it is a chapel, but the inside was wonderful, covered in talha dourada, or gilded wood, just like the Santa Clara church in Porto, and the ceiling had portraits of important figures. After thanking the lady and giving her 1€, the cost of the service, I left and headed back for the city center. It was time to climb the infinite stair of the Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios; it started all the way down right at the heart of the city center and as a Calvary it wounded up the hill, with 686 steps all the way to 500m. It was really hot and the climb took a while, along the way some parts of the stairs were blocked because workers and gardeners were fixing and cleaning the stairs and park for the 10th. Once on top I was drenched in sweat and my legs weren't happy, I entered the church itself Baroque in style, which from the outside was pretty while inside looked quite anonymous. I cooled down for a while and then went back out, I walked down the hill on the other side and passed by the Igreja Santa Cruz which was part of a military base so it could not be visited. Then further down I reached the city center again, and along the way I picked up a few cherries from some trees, they were pretty good but no as good as the ones from Marostica. It was time to head up towards the castle, and I had to climb another hill to reach it. I passed by the Igreja de São Francisco which was closed and then I eventually reached the top of the hill where the castle was located. The castle itself was just a small keep consisting of a single tower with walls around it. The lady inside was amazed I spoke portuguese after I had told I was italian and showed me the way inside the tower. Panel illustrated the history of the castle and the city, and after going out and climbing the walls for a nice view over the center, I headed out towards the cistern. The lady at the desk there was very informative and good at explaining without being boring. She said it was the only cistern of the 13th century in the whole Iberian Peninsula, used as a water source for the whole town, and also told me how Lamego was the city with the most monuments per square km in Portugal and the only non district city with a bishop of its own, After visiting the cistern I headed down the northern side of the hill and ended up in the Igreja de Santa Maria de Almacave, a nice example of romanesque but with not much left in the interior. After that I headed down to the Jardim da Republica to rest and read a little; I decided to have dinner in the park too after having gotten a few sandwiches from Continente. After relaxing it was time to head back to the train station; I took the 9pm bus and arrived in Vila Real where I switched bus immediately after and arrived in Bragança at 11:45pm, from where I walked towards the hostel. The hostel itself wasn't that good though: the bathrooms were quite old and being in a 6 people bed room, even though with only 2 people one of whom got in the room at 1am and turned the lights on without bothering and the other that came in at 4am...wasn't the best. After waking up at 8am and having breakfast, I left the hostel and headed towards the city center. Bragança is very small, most of it now has a more modern part, where my hostel was located, surrounding the old town; it didn't take me much to reach the center. I walked along the main street heading towards the castle which was located on top of a hill. I passed by and entered the Igreja de São Vicente, and then headed up the hill, through the walls and reached the castle keep. The castle built in the 12th century is very nice and fortified, I entered and paid the 2€ ticket which also included the interesting military museum hosted inside. I then climbed the walls, and the view from the top of the keep was really nice, with the town on one side and the fields and hills/mountains on the other. After visiting the castle I headed into the very nice Igreja de Santa Maria, which would have probably served as the castle's church, and had a nice painting ceiling and then the Domus Municipalis, the oldest example of city hall in all the Iberian Peninsula, built in the 12th century. Right in front of the castle was the Pelourinho: very interesting since it had at the base a statue of a pre-roman, surely Lusitanian, pig/boar. Next on was the Museu iberico da Mascara e do Traje; a small but beautiful museum showing the masks that are still used during carnival but mostly for winter solstice in villages in the northeastern part of Portugal and over the boarder in Spain (some looked scary but amazing). I then headed back to the city center and entered the cathedral, or the old one since they built a new one in 2001. It didn't have much in the inside but it was particular cause the bell tower had served as a defensive one too. After that I tried the local swee and got a sandwich before catching the 11:45 bus to Vila Real. At around 13:20 I reached the destination; I decided though to head directly to the main monument, the Mateus Palace which was located 40 minutes by foot from the city center. Though overly priced: 7,5€ for the outside and gardens and 11€ for the inside too, I just payed for the outside which had beautiful garden and cherry trees, from which I picked a whole bag to eat at home. The Palace built in the 18th century, probably from a design by famous italian, naturalized portuguese, architect Nicolau Nasoni, had a beautiful Baroque architecture and the gardens and pond around it were very nice. It is now also famous for producing a good and widely know Rosé wine called in fact Mateus. After the visit I headed back to the city center, which took me another 40 minutes, and walked around the city center for a bit, checking out the Igreja dos Clerigos, also designed by Nasoni, passed in front of the Capela da Misericordia which was closed, reached the Capela de São Bras, which was closed but particular since it was surrounded by a cemetery and finally reached the Cathedral. The Cathedral, or Igreja de São Domingos, built in the 15th century was open so I went in and looked around, it didn't have much but was still quite nice. After that it was time to head home, so I went to the the small bus station and took the 6:25pm bus but had to switch in Porto, from where I finally reached Coimbra at 10pm.

View of the side of the Cathedral of Lamego

The Sanctuary of Remedios in Lamego

The Façade of the Cathedral of Lamego

One of the streets in Lamego

The inside of the Chapel in Lamego

The Sacntuary of Remedios

View towards the castle of Lamego

The Castle's Keep in Lamego

One of the streets in Bragança with the castle in the back

The castle of Bragança

View from the castle's walls

The Domus Municipalis of Bragança

One of the costumes in the Museum of Bragança

Two other scary costumes

The Cathedral and main square in Bragança with the castle in the far back

The Mateus Palace in Vila Real

Close-up of the Palace

The Chapel annexed to the palace also built by Nasoni

The gardens of the Palace

Lousã (31/05/2015)

This day I decided to visit the really nice area near Coimbra called the Serra da Lousã. This area both historically and naturally interesting is filled with historical schist villages and nice hikes through forests in low mountains. I started my trip by taking the local bus, that is now replacing the metro line that will soon be built, from Coimbra to Lousã. The bus took nearly an hour because the road goes through small villages and up and down the hills. I eventually reached Lousã at 10 and started heading up towards the castle; 30 minutes later I reached the top of the hill and found the small schist castle probably built in the 12th century and surrounded by the forest. Close by was a sanctuary built on top of another hill and looking down towards the castle. I then decided to walk further inside the mountains and up towards the closest schist village: Talasnal. 45 minutes later I reached the top where Talasnal was located: a beautiful and small village where all the buildings and houses where built with schist stones. The village had many narrow streets passing between houses and the view from up there of the surrounding mountains was beautiful, the sunny day helped too. From there I walked another 20 minutes and reached another schist village: Casal Novo. Though smaller than Talasnal, the schist houses were as beautiful as in Talasnal however less touristy and thus less crowded since I was the only one there. Unfortunately like most of the interior of Portugal most houses, though renovated by a preservation society called the Aldeias do Xisto or villages of schist, were uninhabited and many were for sales since people prefer the coast. It was nonetheless great and nice to visit these beautiful and interesting villages hidden among the forests of the Serra da Lousã. It was time to go so I headed back down into Lousã. First I stopped at the castle again where I sunbathed while having lunch with the sandwhichesI brought, and after that I headed back into town where I took the bus back to Coimbra.

The Castle of Lousã

The Castle seen from the trail

Directions to the schist villages

The Forest and the village of Talasnal on the top

One of the streets in Talasnal

Another street in Talasnal

Street and schist houses in Talasnal

Schist houses

View of Talasnal from the trail

The village of Casal Novo

São Miguel, Azores (21-24/05/2015)

I left Coimbra with the 6:15 bus and arrived in Lisbon airport at 8:30. I didn't have much with me; I was planning to just sleep outside in the nature with only my sleeping bag and no tent, either under a tree or if things went bad at the fire station. So my plane left a really hot and sunny, though always windy, Lisbon at 10:30 and arrived in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel's main city at 12:10 local time which is 1 hour behind continental Portugal. As soon as I got out of the airport I started heading west towards Lagoa das Sete Cidades, however being it 4 hours walking distance I decided to stop and try to catch a hitchhike; after many cars and 40 minutes later a car of 2 spanish guys and 2 italian girls stopped to pick me up. Luisa, Serena, Sergio and Carlos; little did I know that they weren't just going to leave me at Sete Cidades but that they would be my companions for the whole trip. So after introductions I told them I was visiting alone, while they told me they were Erasmus students studying in Viana do Castelo. After 20 minutes and very close to Sete Cidades, we reached an abandoned hotel where we stopped and started exploring the ruined rooms and halls. Apart from it being totally destroyed with walls and ceilings crumbling, the view from it was amazing: right below us was the Miradouro da Vista do Rei, but from up here the view of the lakes was even better. Unfortunately it was very cloudy, apparently very common here, and a kind of fog/haze was covering most of the panorama, a kind of Silent Hill setting.. Still we could see the lakes and it was amazing, I can imagine with a cloudless and sunny day how it would've looked like! We got back in the car while it was starting to rain and headed down a winding road reaching the lakeside. The water looked green on both lakes, even though one is called Verde, or green, while the other one is Azul, or blue. They are divided by a nice looking bridge, and huge fish sometimes jump out of the water. We parked the car and started walking along the shore; first we took a few pictures from the bridge and the we headed around Lagoa Verde. The surroundings were beautiful and a great sense of peace lingered in the air, it felt great and the sides of the volcano all around gave it a sense of closed space.
After that we still had some time left so we decided to head towards the western coast and made a stop at the Ponta do Escalvado which had a great Miradouro overlooking the sea cliffs ad the village of Mosteiros. The sun was out and I decided to head down a little path running on top of a cliff, though as soon as I reached the edge a flock of seagulls rose up and started flying around, one came squawking really close and a second later I was covered in bird poop... apparently they had their nests there and I had disturbed them. So I went back to the car with stain all over the only sweater I had; having still some time we decided to head down to Ponta da Ferraria. We parked the car after a tremendously treacherous road and walked down to the ''sea pools''; on a board it said that since they were right above a volcanic spring on low tide the water temperature was 28 C while on high tide it was 18. Unfortunately it was high tide so the water was pretty cold, nonetheless I decided take a swim joined by the guys while the girls just stood outside. After drying out and changing back into our clothes we decided to find a place to sleep while there was still light. I told the others to just leave me in Sete Cidades but they kindly insisted I join them at least for that night. So we drove along the coast heading east to get closer to the places we would visit the next day. We reached a village called Capelas where, after looking around we found an amazing spot, right at the edge of a cliff under which huge waves crashed. After setting up the tent we headed to a local bar/café, the only one in the area, to have dinner and of course charge our phones. So we all got something to eat (I got hamburger with fries) and laughed when we heard the owner speak Portuguese with the funny azorean accent. Our phones were charged and it was time to go to sleep, when we reached the tent spot I told the others I would just set up my sleeping bag next to the tent but they told be I could fit between the tent and the tent cover that created a small area. So I set myself there deciding to keep my lower body sticking out; however a few hours later I woke up because it had started raining, so I pulled my legs back in and laid horizontally, covered by the tent cover. After a while the rain intensified and was much stronger, and I was sure I would end up drenched; however it stopped and after another light rain at around 9 we woke up. The sun was back out and I took a short walk along the cliff, with an amazing view of the coast. We dismantled the tent, put everything back in the car, and headed again towards the bar of the previous night, Bar Poços, where we had tea and sweets and charged our phones again. We then got back in the car and decided to head towards the eastern coast of the island; the drive was quite long and for most part it consisted of ups and downs and many turns. Along the road we decided to stop in the town of Ribeira Grande, where we bought bread, cheese and ham to make sandwiches for the day and where I also bought some shampoo and deodorant since I couldn't take them on the plane. Driving on we passed through the town center which looked pretty, and headed on, east. After a quick stop at the Miradouro de Santa Iria, we headed further east along the coast eventually reaching the town of Nordeste which as the name suggests lies on the north eastern part of the island. Following a road we reached a place called Moinho, where a watermill was located and where we found a small creek into which I decided to take a swim and shower. After that we got back into the car and drove south; at one point we reached Miradouro do Sossego, where we decided to have lunch. The view from there was more than amazing, my favorite spot in the whole island, It also helped that the sun was out and bright and the view of the cliffs and the blue water below was spectacular. Two cats also joined to have some of our leftovers, and after one last look of the amazing view, we got back into the car ready for the next stop. Not too far ahead, we turned left and drove down a really steep and treacherous road eventually reaching a beach we had seen from the Miradouro. The beach was empty and it had volcanic black sand which felt really nice and soft under the feet. Carlos was the only one who decided to take a while while we just walked around; when he got out of the water we noticed several jellyfish lying on the sand and saw that luckily he hadn't been stung. After hanging a while at the beach we decided it was time to head on to the next destination: Furnas. Once in the town we walked around smelling sulfur in the air and seeing all the geysers and hot springs in action, a really cool scene. We then headed on and parked the car near Lagoa das Furnas where we walked along the lakeside passing by a nice abandoned neo-gothic church and a pretty art exhibition among the trees and grass. It was getting late so we decided to look for a place to camp; luckily the town had a camping site so we went to check it out. We thought it was a good place so once inside, we set up the tent and then Carlos and I decided to eat hamburger again while the others just eat the leftover sandwiches. The next day after a hot shower (finally!) we had breakfast and went into town to Poça da Dona Beija, a really nice hot spring; the entrance was 3€, and ha 4 hot pools which were luckily quite empty of people. One also had a waterfall and the water was too hot, about 38 C, since outside wasn't too cold, between 15 and 18 degrees, and the sun would occasionally peak out from the clouds. However we really enjoyed it and since the walls were covered in sulfur we spread it on our faces. After staying and enjoying the hot water for a while we decided it was time to move on, we got back in the car and headed south and then west along the coast. After about half an hour I suggested we stop at a beach since the sun was out; so we went on towards Caloura beach. We were the only ones there apart from 2 fishermen that cough some beautiful fish and were leaving, and a couple of kids that were surfing. So we headed down the stairs towards the empty beach. The view was great and the color of the water was sapphire blue, there were many rocks in the water and as soon as I dropped my stuff on the sand I decided to climb these rocks and see if I could spot some fish. I managed to see only urchins, however Sergio suggested we jump inside a natural pool and then swim back to the beach. And so we did, even though the water was a bit cold. As soon as we got out though the sun dried us up quicky and it felt really great. We decided to explore around and walked to the beach which was right next to the one we were at. This other small beach had a cave which was  quite large and the water looked as nice as in the other beach. After hanging out for a while with some sadness we headed back to the car and moved on. We headed north and towards the inside of the island; it was sunny on the coast, but as soon as we started going up and inside, the clouds started appearing all around us. The road was crazy, with so many turns and a thick fog was falling in. When we reached the Miradouro overlooking the Lagoa do Fogo; when we got out it was quite cold with only our t shirt and swim suit still on. In addition we couldn't see much of the lake unfortunately. So we got back into the car and moved on towards the Caldeira Velha which wasn't far. Once there we paid the entrance which was 1€ for youth card holders (however the lady there at the desk let us pass with just our students card). Walking along a path towards the pools I couldn't help but think of Jurassic Park looking at all those ferns and palms and rain forest: it was amazing! We headed further up the path and reached a pool with a big waterfall. There was only a man inside while everyone else was out, we then discovered it was because the temperature was ''only'' 25 C. It was nice once we got in, and we had the pool all for ourselves. I noticed however that there were frogs all around, sitting on the sides of the pool. and probably inside too, and so the girls were scared of coming in. I then went directly under the fall which felt hotter than the pool's water itself, and was quite strong too. After getting out and feeling cold since it had started raining lightly we ran down to the other pool and past the bubbling pools that were forbidden due to the fact the temperature was at 61 C, definitely too much. This other pool which was at 38 C was full of people but we managed to find a spot and enjoy the water. After relaxing there for a while it was time to head towards Ponta Delgada and find a place to sleep. It took us a while, we went back and forth along the coast right below the airport without avail and also tried some of the villages around but all had private fields. So we decided to go eat first ad continue the search later. We went inside the mall, the Parque Atlantico, where we all had something different for dinner. I had a chicken and rice teriyaki from Walk to Wok, and then I bought bread, mortadella and cheese for some sandwiches for the next day. After dinner we searched for a camp site but it was late already and there wasn't much light. So we eventually found a public field lying right next to the Decathlon store and though it was the perfect spot. We decided to visit the city center before going to sleep, so after parking the car downtown we walked past the main square nad cathedral and ended up at the port where we sat at a bar and enjoyed a local beer. It was then time to go to sleep, so we went back to the field we had found and started setting up the tent next to a wall. However there were apartment buildings around the field and at one point we saw the figure of a man staring at us in the dark from his balcony. He said nothing and stared at us for a while, I told the other to hide; we were undecided to tell him or not we were setting up a tent afraid that he would call the police. In the end he just went back inside without a word. Once we were laid down we went to sleep but after a while I woke up because, obviously, it had started raining and the wind was blowing the rain inside the tent. After many times waking up during the night we eventually woke up at around 9 and found out we had set up tent in a field full of cows! We then decided to go have breakfast at the Parque Atlantico. It was then time for the others to leave since their flight left at 12. Right outside the mall we hugged goodbye and I thanked them immensely for saving my life, and how without them I probably wouldn't have survived the rainy nights and definitely wouldn't have seen so many things without their car. They in turn thanked me for all those places we saw since they said they had no idea what to see around the island. The night before I had also given them a few euros to cover the car gas at least saying it was the minimum I could do. So after saying goodbye I headed down walking towards the city center of Ponta Delgada. First I passed by the Iglesia do Colegio which was unfortunately closed, so I walked on and reached the Carlos Machado museum which was closed too (one part for restoration, the other until 2pm). I walked through the town streets and reached the eastern part of the city where the Ermida de Nossa Senhora Mae de Deus was located; from up there the view of the city was quite nice even though it had started raining again. Going back into town I headed to the Igreja de São Pedro which had a mass going on so I went out and walked to the Sé Catedral: the inside was very nice and a cool stop after the rain. Then onwards to the Praça do Municipio, the town's main square, passing by the Portas da Cidade. All around town it was interesting to note the architecture that was characterized by white and black stone. It was then time for lunch so I headed for the port where I stopped and ate at Burger King. After that the sun was out again, and walking on I reached the Campo São Francisco with the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança and the Igreja de São José, both closed but really nice from the outside. I then went inside the Fort where the guard asked me if I was a student and after showing him my student ID, he said I could go in for free even though I wasn't a student in the Azores. The fort was quite nice and had an interesting museum of the Portuguese Colonial War (1960-1970s). After the visit it was nearly time to go but first I enjoyed an ice cream and queijadinha overlooking the port. After a 40 minute walk I was back at the airport waiting for my plane. I left at 6:30pm and reached Lisbon around 10 where I then took a bus at midnight and arrived in Coimbra, finally home, at 2am.

View of Lagoa das Sete Cidades

The Lagoa Verde

View from the Ponta do Escalvado

The amazing view from the tent in Capelas

The Miradouro do Sossego

Another view from the Miradouro do Sossego

Sulfur springs in Furnas

Church in Lagoa das Furnas

The Poça da Dona Beijas

The beach in Caloura

Fish caught by local fishermen

The Lagoa do Fogo

The Caldeira Velha

Caldeira Velha looking a lot like Jurassic Park

One of the streets in Ponta Delgada

Another street in Ponta Delgada

The Praça do Municipio in Ponta Delgada

Torres Novas (11/04/2015)

Today I decided to visit the small town of Torres Novas, so I took a train from Coimbra and arrived in Entroncamento. From here I had to walk nearly 9km or 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach Torres Novas, passing through a nice countryside. I walked around for a bit and then visited a few churches, the only one I found open was the Igreja de Santiago while the main church Igreja da Misericordia had a wedding going on so I couln't see the inside. I then headed on to visit the main monument of the town; the Castle. Built on the highest point in the 12th century after the town's conquest from the Moors; it was part of the so called Linha do Tejo, or defensive line of the Tejo river. It now contains a small but pretty park in the inside and the walls can be walked on all around with nice views over the town and the surrounding countryside. After the visit I headed back down into town and reached the town's main square: Praça 5 de Outubro. From there I walked up another hill, and reached the Igreja do Salvador which was closed. Close by was the Museu Municipal Carlos Reis with paintings and objects from the medieval times to the 19th century; it was free and had some nice things. It was then time to go, so I walked some more around the town center and reached a well kept watermill and a medieval bridge next to it. From there I walked another 9km and reached Entroncamento where I finally took a train back to Coimbra.

The Castle of Torres Novas

View of the Praça 5 de Outubro

The Castle walls

The Igreja do Salvador and the museum on the right

Watermill