Guimaraes
We left Porto in rainy weather to drive inland and north to the town of Guimaraes. We had no rain for the rest of the day. We were met in Guimaraes by the statue of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal (1139–85).
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
The Castelo de Guimaraes, built in the 10th century to ward off invasions by the Moors and the Normans. When Afonso Henriques became king, he named Guimaraes as his capital. Hence, Guimaraes is known as the “Birthplace of the Nation” or as the “Cradle of Portugal.”
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Afonso Henriques was born in this castle and legend has it that he was baptized in the Chapel of Sao Miguel on the castle grounds, pictured here.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
At the back of the chapel is the burial font that he was supposed to be baptized in.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
The Paco dos Duques on the castle grounds, built in the 15th century. It fell into disrepair and in 1933 was renovated under Salazar and became the official resident of the president. It is now a museum.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
View through one of its arches.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
A square outside the castle grounds.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Souvenir store on the square.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Tile mural on one of the houses on the square.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
A cutout you can stand behind to get your photo taken to look like a crusader.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Largo da Oliveira and my tour group. Why are they all looking at me? I think I was supposed to there listening to Rui, not taking photos.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
The Largo da Oliveira had four very interesting sides: on one side, the building from where I had taken the last photo.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Close–up of the statue on top of the building.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Buildings across from the building with the arches at its bottom.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Buildings to the right of the previous buildings.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
And across from the last buildings, the Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, a former monastery founded by King Afonso Henrique and restored by King Joao I in thanks to Our Lady of the Olive Tree for his victory at Ajubarrota against the Castilians. The tower is from 1515.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
In front of the monastery is the 14th–century Gothic shrine of Padrao do Salado. Legend says that an olive tree was replanted in the middle of it to supply oil for the altar lamp but the tree withered. A cross was placed where the tree was and then the tree flourished. The olive tree here today was planted in 1985.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Inside the monastery.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Also inside the monastery.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
An advertisement for a monastery exhibit, I believe.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
The Stations of the Cross of the Nossa Senhora da Oliveira are displayed in various areas in the town rather than in the monastery itself. One of the Stations of the Cross.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Another of the Stations of the Cross.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
I walked on a street off the opposite side of the square from the monastery. Part of the old city wall incorporated into more modern buildings.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
A church.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Tiled building.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Modern Crusader statue.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
I backtracked to the monastery to another opening in the square to view the Gothic Church of Sao Francisco, built in 1400 and reconstructed in the 18th century. It is a beautiful view from the top of the street but the sun was right behind it and it was difficult to get a good photo of it.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
The best photo I could get of the church.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Inside the church.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Inside the church.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Stained–glass windows.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
Looking up the hill from the steps of the church.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes
A vineyard outside the town. Here the grape vines grow up the trees. Rui said that he had a group of Italians on a tour and they said they had never seen grapes grown this way.
Guimaraes
On the Road
We are now heading east and south to Amarante.
On the Road
Amarante
We stopped in Amarante to eat lunch. One thing I particulary liked about the Globus tour was eating our lunch in small towns rather than in a road cafe. Photo of buildings reflected in the Tamega River.
Amarante
Amarante
House and the cathedral reflected in the river.
Amarante
Amarante
Most of my tour group followed Rui down this street to have a restaurant meal.
Amarante
Amarante
Instead, I walked over the Ponte de Sao Goncalo to the 16th–century Igreja de Sao Goncalo.
Amarante
Amarante
A different Madonna and Child on the side of the church.
Amarante
Amarante
Inside the church.
Amarante
Amarante
Inside the church.
Amarante
Amarante
Columns inside the church.
Amarante
Amarante
Inside the church.
Amarante
Amarante
Also inside the church.
Amarante
Amarante
I ate lunch at a cafe in front of the building on the left: delicious tuna sandwich, okay empandas, two coffees with milk served in a glass, and regional cake that was almost all sugar but still good, and a bottle of water––10 euros with tip. Before eating, I looked for a store that sold tape and bubble wrap that I could put around the bottles of port that I had bought. I should have asked Rui how to say these words in Portuguese because my sign language for bubble wrap was not understood. But I did find tape on a shelf, so bought several rolls of it.
Amarante
Amarante
While I was eating, I watched hundreds of pigeons flying from the church…
Amarante
Amarante
Across the square…
Amarante
Amarante
To the buildings across the square and then back across the square to the church over and over again.
Amarante
Amarante
Seen on my way back to the bus.
Amarante
On the Road
We are back on the road, heading to Vila Real.
On the Road
Palacio de Mateus
We stopped next at the Palacio de Mateus, outside Vila Real, a Baroque manor house built in the early 18th century by Antonio Mourao. His descendants still live in it and offer residencies to new artists. We were “accosted” here by very loud popping noises, sounding like shots. Were these to greet us, frighten us, or something else? Actually, they were dud fireworks being set off in practice for some next–day town event.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
You might recognize the Palacio de Mateus as it appears on the label of the Mateus rose wine––on the label, the house appears without the tree on the right of the last photo.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
Close–up of the statue in the water. If the water level were higher, it wouldn’t be noticed that she is missing the bottom of her legs, so I don’t think she is supposed to have them.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
One side of the palacio.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
The middle of the palacio.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
Staircase.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
The back of the palacio and its gardens.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
More of its gardens.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
The gardeners.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
The Cedar Tunnel from cedars planted in 1941. I didn’t walk through all of the cedars, but the tunnel is supposed to be 115 feet long and 25 feet high.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
The biggest camellia I have ever seen.
Palacio de Mateus
Palacio de Mateus
Looking at the palacio through a cedar arch.
Palacio de Mateus
Duoro Valley
We are on the road again, traveling south to Viseu, through the Duoro Valley. This is the major grape–growing region in Portugal. The best way to see the valley is on a riverboat.
Duoro Valley
Duoro Valley
More of the Duoro Valley.
Duoro Valley
Duoro Valley
More of the Duoro Valley.
Duoro Valley
Viseu
We have arrived at our hotel, the Grao Vasco, in Viseu, our last stop of the day. The hotel was plain on the outside but nice inside.
Viseu
Viseu
We had enough free time before dinner at our hotel to do some exploring. We could walk from our hotel up the hill to these two churches facing each other––photo taken from the bus coming into Viseu.
Viseu
Viseu
Buildings seen on my walk to the two churches.
Viseu
Viseu
More interesting buildings.
Viseu
Viseu
Still climbing up the hill.
Viseu
Viseu
A tiled building.
Viseu
Viseu
More buildings.
Viseu
Viseu
More tiled buildings.
Viseu
Viseu
At the top of the hill is the majestic 18th–century Rococo facaded Igreja da Misericordia.
Viseu
Viseu
Front view.
Viseu
Viseu
Inside the church.
Viseu
Viseu
Also inside the church.
Viseu
Viseu
Right across the square from the Igreja da Misericordia is the Se (cathedral) of Viseu, here seen through the door of the Igreja da Misericordia.
Viseu
Viseu
Wider view of the Se.
Viseu
Viseu
Its clock has the correct time.
Viseu
Viseu
Inside the Se.
Viseu
Viseu
Decorative ceiling.
Viseu
Viseu
The Se’s Chapter House.
Viseu
Viseu
Tile murals on its walls.
Viseu
Viseu
An old door and archway.
Viseu
Viseu
I walked back down the hill to the square near the hotel. Look at the left bottom of the photo for the tiles lining the roadway.
Viseu
Viseu
Close–up of the tiles.
Viseu
Viseu
More of the tiles.
Viseu
Viseu
A church next to our hotel––many, many stairs up to it.
Viseu
Viseu
I think the woman in the photo is congratulating herself for making it up all those stairs. We had dinner at our hotel after another very interesting day.
