75. Portugal - Welcome to the North

Welcome to Portugal.

We are currently spending a week in several small towns in northern Portugal, travelling south along the coast. The plan is to spend a week in Porto, capital of the north; a week in Lisbon and a week on the Algarve in the south, with a few two-night stops at places of interest in between.  Well, that's the plan - let's see what happens.  

We only need to book two days in advance now as the main holiday period has finished and school has resumed.

We began our Portuguese sojourn in Viana do Castelo on the very far north coast. On the map above it appears as a tiny red dot, well north of Porto.  Viana is an historic maritime town at the mouth of the Minho River.

'The settlement of Viana do Castelo was issued its charter in 1258 by King Afonso III of Portugal. Three hundred years later, in the 16th century, her port gained great importance as one of the entry-points for Portuguese explorers and traders, involved in the Portuguese discoveries. Many of the historical buildings originated during this period although unfortunately, not too many remain.

The prosperity that continued developed from the town's role as a port, protected by defensive structures to repel pirates from Galicia and north Africa. The port's ties to northern Europe came primarily from exports of wine, fruits and salt, and imports of tile, textiles and glass.

After the maritime discoveries and trade, the commercial life of Viana reached its greatest proportions during the reign of Queen Maria II of Portugal. The queen, in order to reward the loyalty of its citizens, who did not surrender to the Count of Antas in a conflict, elevated the town to the status of city in1848.'

'In 2010, Viana do Castelo started to implement a project of rehabilitation of the city which aims to attract more residents to a city where, during the last 500 years, many people around the world arrived to trade and where Viana was the second centre of commerce of Portugal.  In addition, some researchers are now recognising that fado music was born based on the typical songs of this Minho region.'

I took these almost ariel photographs of Viana from the church on the hill. I read somewhere that Galicia (the Spanish region to the north, including Santiago de Compostela) was called the land of granite and moss.  So too for the Minho area.

This restaurant was among the prettiest buildings in town with its handsome arched windows and tiled facade. 

Our first night in town happened to coincide with the opening night of the Folkloric Festival in the town square, celebrating the fado music of the Minho region and incorporating the cultural music and dance of many Portuguese immigrants.

By far our most interesting discovery in Viana was the Gil Eannes hospital ship, built to support the Portuguese fishing fleet that operated in the northern Atlantic, off Newfoundland and Greenland at the end of the 20th century. 

Captain Paul on the bridge. I'm hoping I have enough information for a separate post on the Gil Eannes.

Our next stop was Braga, another old town that had abandoned itself and its city centre to the car.

Which is sad, because it has some lovely old buildings. The Portuguese style is a little different to that of Spain, possibly because of a cooler climate that includes the ever-present wind from the Atlantic.

Braga has one of the oldest coffee shops in Portugal, still proudly clad in its traditional blue tiles.

I have to admit that in the 2 hours we spent in Braga, rather than touring all of the city centre, I shopped - for a hairdresser that sold my brand of shampoo and conditioner and for a little black top to wear over my multicoloured Desigual dress, purchased in Marseille when the temperature was 36,° and not yet worn. But I am ever hopeful.

From Braga we headed a little further inland to the historic city of Guimaraes. 

Guimarães is one of the country's most important historical cities. Its historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it one of the largest tourist centers in the region.

'The city of Guimarães is historically associated with the foundation and identity of the Portuguese nationality. Guimarães, among other settlements, precedes the foundation of Portugal and because of its role in the foundation of the country it is known as the "cradle of the Portuguese nationality". In 1128, major political and military events that would lead to the independence and the birth of a new nation took place in Guimarães.'

This castle originated in the 10th century as a monastery  It was fortified and then became the palace of King Alfonso Henriques in about 1150, originally consisting only of a keep with high surrounding walls.

It was was remodelled in the 12th and 13th centuries to incorporate the defensive innovations of the time, towers that protected curtain walls and flanked the entrances.  So it's a very modern ancient fortress castle.  The term "Conquistadores" (the Conquerors) was initiated in Guimarães in the 12th century.

One hundred metres down the hill is the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, a much more recent building.

Originally begun in the 15th century, it fell into ruin until 1952 when an upsurge of patriotic and religious fervour envisaged Portugal taking a much greater position in the world and it was transformed into an official residence for the President of the Republic.

King Afonso Henriques looking resplendent in bronze upon limestone. Paul Savi, sartorial in navy cotton and thongs.

Narrow, hilly streets in the old town.

We didn't go into the museum because, like many businesses except the cafes and restaurants, it closes between noon and 3.00pm. Some establishments, often retailers, close between 2.00 and 5.00pm and then re-open until 10.00pm or later.

Vila Flora next to the museum.

And no matter where you find yourself on a Friday evening in the first week of autumn,  there is nothing better than to relax with your book and a drink and take in the view.