North Portugal

Coimbra - Porto - Braga - Guimaraes - Viana do Castello - Ponte de Lima

You know what I love about Portugal? I arrive in Coimbra from Salamanca (through some really nice mountainous countryside) with no accommodation, maps or any idea where I am late in the afternoon, and everyone I ask for directions is exceptionally friendly and helpful - even the bus driver didn’t want to charge me when he saw I had no change for the bus!

Anyway, Coimbra is a pleasant university town on the top of a hill, but that’s all there really is in the town. But I did learn something - having done a comparative study of the young female population of Salamanca (Spanish university town) and Coimbra (Portuguese university town), I can easily say that Portuguese girls are prettier and nicer than Spanish girls.

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, but like all places in Portugal, they are more like big towns than cities. Porto is famous for its Port wine, which I indulged myself to as much as I could. There is a lot of construction work going on at the moment due to the fact that Porto will be hosting the Eurocup 2004 next month!

Another example of how nice Portuguese people are: I asked a girl if she knew where the bus stop for the bus I wanted to catch was, and she didn’t know. She runs back to me 10 minutes later to tell me she’s asked around and found out where it is!

I’ve expressed to some people how I am getting tired of looking at churches, so where do I end up going to next? Braga. What is Braga known for? Being the religious capital of Portugal and the City of Churches! However I did enjoy being in Braga, sitting in a cafe in the middle of the main plaza, watching an old woman yell at her husband for about an hour. I did go see a church, the famous Bom Jesus, where pilgrims would walk up the many many many steps up the baroque decorated staircase to the church at the top. However, since I am not a pilgrim (and just plain lazy), I just took the old funicular tramway up the mountain instead. (But I did walk down the steps back at least!)

Guimaraes is considered the birthplace of Portugal. Why that is I’m still not sure, but the historic area and castle ruins are nice, but nothing particularly special at that place.

Viana do Castello is a city by the river and ocean, known as a city of folktales. Though I didn’t really hear any. They do seem to have heaps of shops selling traditional folk clothes though, brightly coloured and decorated red and black dresses with head/neck scarves, aprons and shoes. There is also a cool church called Santa Luiz which is inspired by the Sacre Coeur church in Paris. This church is high up a very big mountain that the city is at the foot of. The views up the top are spectacular and rival the views in Sintra.

More for novelty value rather than comfort, for two nights I chose to sleep on the "Gil Eannes" hospital ship on the river that they converted into a youth hostel and museum. It was alright except I was the only person staying in the hostel, so no one really to say "Ahoy me matey!" to. I was quite disappointed!

My last day in Portugal started with a day trip to Ponte de lima, a beautiful peaceful town, with pretty gardens and an old long roman bridge spanning the river lima, with some mountains in the background. Muito bonito!

Went back to Viana do Castello for a big traditional Portuguese dinner and watched the UEFA Champions League Final to see Porto happily beat Monaco 3-0. As soon as the game was over EVERYONE in the town came out to the main street cheering, singing and chanting football songs and waving Portugal and Porto scarves and flags! Cars came driving through the street honking and flashing the lights and people were rocking the cars - it was an awesome party atmosphere and a great way to end my last day in Portugal, with a street party! Am I lucky or what?


Portugal in a Nutshell

I love Portugal, it is my favourite country (so far), and I will seriously consider settling in the country one day in the future....

Favourite place: Sintra (views, palace, ruins, village, gardens)

Worst place: Portalegre (due to rain and boredom)

Place with best views: Sintra, Ponte de Piade (Lagos), Santa Luiz (Viana do Castello)

Best meal: Nazare fish Casserole (Nazare)

Worst meal: Breakfasts at YHA's

Best nightlife: Lagos, Bairro Alto (Lisbon)

Best beach: Lagos

Best building/monument: Pena Palace (Sintra), Jeronimos Monastery (Lisbon)

Overrated tourist attraction: Belem Tower (Lisbon), Nations Park (Lisbon), Capo de St Vincent (Sagres)

Underrated Gem: Castle gardens (Abrantes), Ponte de Piade coast (Lagos), Castle chapel (Tomar).

Funniest moment(s):
-Enduring "Museum Appariticoes 1917" terrible light and sound show (Fatima).
-Note passed to Jasmine by love-lorn Brazilian guy during Fado performance (Lisbon)
-Watching a Portuguese old guy put on my "Aussie" hat and trying to act Australian. (Portalegre)

Unusual moment(s):
-Watching guy water a park bench (Lisbon).
-Being escorted by group of old people to YHA (Abrantes)
-Sign in cafe: "We have snails" (Viana do Castello)

Scary moment(s):
-Almost losing my luggage on arrival to Lisbon airport.
-Getting a haircut from someone who only speaks Portuguese (Porto)

Foods tried: bacalhau (dried cod fish served in a thousand different ways), Pastel de Natas (and similar custard cream pastries), Caldo Verde (cabbage soup), fish cakes

Beverages tried: Sagres beer, Superbock beer, port wines

Other cultural experiences: Fado performance (Lisbon), Impromptu Football Street Party (Viana do Castello)

Architecture: Manueline. Acelejos tiled walls. Mosaic patterned cobbled pavements, the pattern being
different in each town. Yellow, blue and white painted walls, window frames and doors.

Cool people met:
Erik (Spanish Johnny Depp look-alike)
Jasmine (Eccentric English girl)
David and Kirsten (Americans studying in Granada)
David (Lagos YHA worker)

Biggest rip off:
Handful of dried bananas - 3 euros (Nazare)

Best deal(s):
-3 Monkeys "All day breakfast" cocktail - A cocktail in a pint glass with 6 shots of white spirits - for 2
euros! (Lagos)

Best thing about Portugal: The friendly people, the peaceful beautiful towns and villages...

Worst thing about Portugal: Too far from home back in Australia to visit often.

Anyway, that’s all about Portugal *sob* back into Spain....