• Moosecorn

Spain & Portugal 2023

A 13-day adventure by Moosecorn Read more
  • Alcázar de Segovia

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    》The castle is on a rocky perch that looks out over the countryside in all directions. It is a perfect location for defensive fortifications and has been used over history by the Romans, Moors, and then the Christians after the reconquesta.

    The current castle was built in the mid-1400’s by the monarchs of Castile, becoming their primary residence. It served not only as a fortress but also as a royal palace. It had a major role in the rise of Queen Isabella I who was crowned here as Queen of Castile and León. Isabella and Ferdinand II of Aragon are known for being the first monarchs to be referred to as “Queen of Spain” and “King of Spain” because of their part in reconquering Spain from the Moors.

    Later, the Alcazar served as a prison (from the mid-1500’s to mid-1700’s) and a Royal Artillery School (mid-1700’s to 1862 when parts of the castle burned in a fire). In 1896 the Alcazar served as a military college. Today part of the castle serves as a military museum.
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  • Alcázar de Segovia

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    》All of the halls and rooms have a mix of Christian and Mudéjar (Moorish) aspects including azulejos, carved arches and incredibly decorated ceilings. The Sala de los Reyes (The Hall of the Kings) stands out, a room depicting sculptures of the 52 kings who’ve ruled here.

    》Continuing through the castle you find yourself in the Armory which highlights various weapons and armour from the ages. From there you step outside at the back end of the castle on the Patio del Pozo where there are great views looking straight down the walls and cliffs on which the Alcázar is situated.

    There is also a military museum which includes a lot of weapons, maps and depictions of battles.
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  • Catedral de Segovia

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    》Segovia Cathedral (Catedral de Segovia)

    An impressive Gothic cathedral which looms over the town of Segovia, Castile-Leon Spain. Today, Segovia Cathedral is part of the Old Town of Segovia and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Segovia Cathedral built between 1525 and 1577 during the reign of Charles V, was the last cathedral of the late Gothic style in Spain, elsewhere outdated in Europe. The cathedral was constructed after the city’s former cathedral was destroyed during the battles between the Castilian royal armies and Communeros, who took the cathedral to protect its holy relics and its defensive position on the walls of the Alcazar. After a seige lasting months, the cathedral was ruined.

    The new cathedral was relocated and designed by Juan Gil de Hontanon, featuring three tall vaults, with fine tracery windows and stained glass. The interior was late Gothic style, yet the dome was later added in 1630. The stone spire was also an addition from 1614 following a fire during a thunderstorm that destroyed the original Gothic spire built of American mahogany, a symbol of the Iberian presence in the Americas, once the tallest tower in Spain.

    The cathedral was consecrated when an Italian marble and bronze altarpiece was completed in 1768, as Spain underwent an Enlightenment 
    period encouraged by Benedictine monk, Benito Feijoo, despite later being suppressed in the 1770s by censorship and an Inquisition.

    Not only can you marvel at the 90 metre tall tower, but you can view the exquisite religious artworks and interior designs of the impressive Gothic cathedral. Including artworks such as the Crying over the Dead Christ by Juan de Juni (1571), the triptych by the Flemish painter Ambrosius Benson (c.1532-36) and the altarpiece by José de Churriguera.

    Inside the cloister you can visit the Chapter House, designed by García de Cubillas. It has a fantastic coffered ceiling carved in 1559 and a collection of Flemish tapestries narrating scenes of Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. In the Chapter House you can see the gilded silver monstrance that processes on Corpus Christi, and a small museum room also displays one of the first printed books in Spain.
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  • El Acueducto de Segovia

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    》The Aqueduct of Segovia

    It was built during the second half of the 1st century A.D. under the rule of the Roman Empire and supplied water from the Frío River to the city into the 20th century. The remaining portion of the structure stands 28.5 meters tall at its maximum height and nearly 6 additional meters deep in the main section. Along 14 kilometers of rolling landscape, the aqueduct adjusts to the contours of the valley, hills, and city and creates a sense of grandeur and monumentality. The pillars and arches of its tall, two-story arcades are made of solid blocks of stone fit closely together with little or no mortar, and the lower arches alternate in height according to the structure’s adaptation to the contours of the land. It is made of 167 arches fashioned from the granite stone of the Guadarrama Mountains.

    Detrimental reconstruction occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries, and not until the 1970s and 1990s was there urgent conservation intervention. The aqueduct was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1985 and stands prominently in the urban landscape of Segovia. The Aqueduct of Segovia remains one of the most intact Roman aqueducts in Europe.

    》Perhaps the least known story surrounding this magnum opus of the 1st or 2nd century is the legend of the serving girl who used to climb, every day, to the very top of the mountain and return with her pitcher full of water. One day, fed up of this daily toil, she made a wish to the Devil, whom she asked to build some means by which she would no longer need to go up and down every morning with her pitcher. One night Lucifer granted her wish, asking for her soul in return if he managed to finish the aqueduct before the cockerel crowed.

    The girl agreed and the Devil began to build the aqueduct but the girl regretted her decision. Just as he was about to lay the last stone, the cockerel crowed, meaning the Devil lost his wager and the girl kept her soul. In the gap that remained, the statue of the Virgin of Fuencisla, patroness of the city, stands today.
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  • Walking in Segovia

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    》Iglesia de San Andrés

    The church is a mix of different architectural styles. On the one hand, Gothic architecture dominates, on the other, however, the influence of baroque and eclecticism can be observed. Noteworthy is the distinctive entrance portal. There are about 60 mummies of high-ranking personalities in the church.Read more

  • Estación Madrid - Puerta de Atocha

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    》Estación Madrid - Puerta de Atocha

    If there is one place in the capital of Spain that best symbolises the city’s eternal welcoming spirit, it is Atocha station. The iron heart of Madrid was the first train station to be built in the city in 1851. All of Spain’s railway lines were developed around the infrastructure, the destination of all the routes along which over 100 million passengers per year on average now travel. Its huge central nave, an excellent example of late-nineteenth-century iron architecture, has become an icon of the capital.

    ^The origins of Atocha

    On 9 February 1851, Queen Isabella II and her entourage departed for the first time by train to Aranjuez, thus opening the second railway line to be built in Spain. They left from the Embarcadero de Atocha, a simple building with wooden platforms that was the precursor to the current station. Initially built as a private luxury for the royals, the station—then known as the Central Station of Madrid—had to gradually expand and adapt to burgeoning passenger travel, until it was partially consumed by a fire in 1864. The event was a turning point that led to growing use of iron—a safer material than wood—for projects in order to respond to the great demand for rail travel, making a station in line with a great capital such as Madrid a reality. In 1883, the winning project to design the station’s main nave was that of the architect Alberto de Palacio y Elissague, a collaborator of Gustave Eiffel. Its characteristic canopy, however, is the work of the French engineer Henri Saint-James, who built this rail architecture artwork inspired by the iron architecture he had seen at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1867. What had previously been known as the Estación del Mediodía—which, during the twentieth century with the development of rail on the Iberian Peninsula, would become the most important transport hub and the starting point of Spain’s modern-day rail network—was eventually inaugurated in 1892.

    ^The tropical garden of Atocha

    One of Rafael Moneo’s great ideas was to make the most of the main central nave—spanning a length of 152 metres and a height of 27 metres—covered with iron and glass like an enormous greenhouse and thus a perfect place for tropical plants. The result is a lush garden extending over 4,000 square metres on the site of the old tracks and platforms, which houses over 7,200 plants of 260 species from five continents. Palm trees, banana trees, coconut trees and breadfruit trees grow under the natural light that shines through the translucent glass canopy with near jungle-like conditions.
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  • Reina Sofía

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    》Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

    An important landmark on Madrid’s famous Art Walk, the Reina Sofía Museum is home to a large collection of modern and contemporary Spanish art renowned throughout the world. Inside find works by Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris, alongside the museum’s masterpiece, Guernica. One of Malaga-born sculptor and painter Pablo Picasso’s most significant works of art, it was painted in memory of the suffering experienced during the bombing of Guernica on 27 April 1937 in the Spanish Civil War.

    Founded in 1992, the Reina Sofía covers the periods that are not examined in the Prado Museum. The earliest work of art is from 1881, the same year Pablo Picasso was born.

    The building where the museum is currently housed was previously used as a hospital, Hospital de San Carlos, constructed at the end of the 18th century.

    ^The Weeping Woman with Handkerchief - Pablo Picasso, 1937
    ^Cabeza de caballo. Boceto para Guernica (Horse Head. Sketch for "Guernica") - Pablo Picasso, 1937
    ^Le gitan The Gypsy - Robert Delaunay, 1915
    ^The Great Masturbator - Salvador Dalí, 1929
    ^Les oiseaux morts (Dead Birds) - Pablo Picasso, 1912
    ^Woman dressed in blue - Pablo Picasso, 1901
    ^Back of Girl - Salvador Dali, 1926
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  • Reina Sofía

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    》Probably Picasso's most famous work, Guernica is certainly his most powerful political statement, painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi's devastating casual bombing practice on the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

    Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace. On completion Guernica was displayed around the world in a brief tour, becoming famous and widely acclaimed. This tour helped bring the Spanish Civil War to the world's attention.

    This work is seen as an amalgamation of pastoral and epic styles. The discarding of color intensifies the drama, producing a reportage quality as in a photographic record. Guernica is blue, black and white, 3.5 meters (11 ft) tall and 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) wide, a mural-size canvas painted in oil. This painting can be seen in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.

    ^A Few Interesting Facts of Guernica:

    1. Guernica, Picasso's most important political painting, has remained relevant as a work of art and as a symbol of protest, and it kept the memory of the Basque town's nightmare alive. While Picasso was living in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II, one German officer allegedly asked him, upon seeing a photo of Guernica in his apartment, "Did you do that?" Picasso responded, "No, you did."

    2. Picasso's patriotism and sense of justice outweighed physical location. He had not been to Spain, the country of his birth, for several years when the Nazis bombed the Spanish town of Guernica in 1937. He was living in Paris at the time, and never returned to his birthplace to live. Nevertheless, the attack, which killed mainly women and children, shook the artist to the core.

    3. During his creation of "Guernica," Picasso allowed a photographer to chronicle its progress. Historians believe that the resulting black and white photos inspired the artist to revise his earlier colored versions of the artwork to a starker, more impactful palette.

    4. Not only did the artist use lack of color to express the starkness of the aftermath of the bombing, he also specially ordered house paint that had a minimum amount of gloss. The matte finish, in addition to the shades of grey, white and blue-black, set an outspoken yet unadorned tone for the artwork.

    5. The mural contains some hidden images. One of them is a skull, which is superimposed over the horse's body. Another is a bull formed from the horse's bent leg. Three daggers replace tongues in the mouths of the horse, the bull and the screaming woman.

    6. Two of the artist's signature images, the Minotaur and the Harlequin, figure in Guernica. The Minotaur, which symbolizes irrational power, dominates the left side of the work. The harlequin, a partially hidden component just off-center to the left, cries a diamond-shaped tear. The harlequin traditionally symbolizes duality. In the iconography of Picasso's art, it is a mystical symbol with power over life and death. Perhaps the artist inserted the harlequin to counterbalance the deaths he depicted in the mural.
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  • Last dinner in Madrid - Cafestic

    September 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    》Club Sandwich
    》Caipirinha

    ^Caipirinha, pronouced kai-pee-reen-ya, is Brazil’s national cocktail! It’s made with limes, sugar, ice and cachaça, a Brazilian distilled liquor made from the fermentation of raw sugarcane juice.

    5 whole limes
    3 tbsp sugar
    3/4 cup cachaça
    ice to taste

    Juice 3 of the limes and set aside - you'll want about a 1/3 of a cup of juice, give or take.
    Cut the other 2 limes in 8 pieces each.
    Add the sugar and the lime pieces to a cup and muddle until you've juiced all the little pieces and they're nicely combined with the sugar.
    Add the lime juice and the cachaça to the muddled limes and stir gently to dissolve the sugar - approx. 2 minutes.
    Fill 2 cups with ice, and top them with caipirinha.

    ^Now, story time!! Some time around 1918, the Portuguese were mixing strong liquor with garlic, lemon and honey as a home remedy to treat colds. Same thing was being done in Brazil, where the liquor of choice was the cachaça. At some point, the honey was replaced with sugar because of the abundance of sugarcane plantations, and the garlic just stopped being added. The drink became so popular that people started to drink it at parties for fun, rather than just to treat sickness. And just like that, meus amigos, the classic caipirinha was born!

    Legend also says that the adaptation from “remedy” to cocktail took place in the rural area of the state of São Paulo, where people are known as caipira, inspiring the name of the drink. The name caipirinha, which basically means hillbilly, is the word caipira in the diminutive form.

    Saúde!!
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  • Heading to Porto, Portugal

    September 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    》Leaving Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport heading to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport

    》Madrid Airport’s official name is Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas, so people refer to it as “Barajas” to make it shorter.

    Contrary to other European capitals, Madrid has a unique airport serving all the routes arriving to and departing from the city.

    Madrid Airport is Spain’s biggest and most important airport. It currently has five terminals (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T4S) and three control towers. Each year 40+ million of passengers use it. 
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  • Made it to Portugal

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 63 °F

    》Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport

    It is located 11 km (6.8 mi) northwest of the Clérigos Tower (in the centre of Porto). Its location is split between the municipalities of Maia, Matosinhos 
    and Vila do Conde. The airport is the second-busiest in the country, based on aircraft operations; and the second-busiest in passengers, based on Aeroportos de Portugal traffic statistic

    The airport opened in 1945 and was initially known as Pedras Rubras Airport, after the name for the locality where the airport is located: Pedras Rubras ("red rocks"). It is still known by this name in the region. The land on which the airport was built was originally agricultural, characterised by rich soils that permitted the cultivation of various cereals.

    It was renamed in 1990 after former Portuguese prime minister, Francisco de Sá Carneiro, who died in a plane crash when he was traveling to this airport on 4 December 1980.

    》Porto, Portuguese Oporto, city and port, northern Portugal

    The city lies along the Douro River, 2 miles (3 km) from the river’s mouth on the Atlantic Ocean and 175 miles (280 km) north of Lisbon. World-famous for its port wine, Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and is the commercial and industrial centre for the zone north of the Mondego River.

    Porto was called Portus Cale in Roman times and was earlier a flourishing settlement on the Douro’s south bank; the nomadic Alani tribe later founded the city of Castrum Novum on the north bank. The Visigoths took possession of the site about 540 CE but yielded in 716 to the Moors. In 997 Christian forces recaptured Porto, which for a time became the capital of the counts of Portucalense (northern Portugal) during Moorish rule in the southern part of the kingdom. The Moors again held the city briefly, but in 1092 it was brought finally under Christian domination. In the 14th century the city became an important port, and Prince Henry the Navigator was born there in 1394. During the Peninsular War, British forces under Arthur Wellesley (later the duke of Wellington) there crossed the Douro, routed the French, and captured the city on May 12, 1809.

    The present-day city lies chiefly on the Douro’s north (right) bank, sprawling outward from the older riverside district known as the Ribeira. The red-tiled warehouses of the town of Vila Nova de Gaia, where vast quantities of port wine are blended and stored, are on the south bank of the Douro; other suburbs include Matosinhos, Leça da Palmeira, and Aguas Santas to the north and Gondomar and Oliveira do Douro to the southeast.
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  • Wandering Porto

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    》Praça da Ribeira

    This is one of the oldest squares in the city, situated on the bank of the Douro River on the Porto side.

    It is of mediaeval origin and has always been a very busy area, due to the significant economic activity and its proximity to the port, a few kilometres away. That is why it was an important point of entry and exit for people and goods.

    Over time it underwent various urban alterations, when Rua de São João was created and when the sculpture of José Rodrigues was erected, 'the cube of Ribeira', which can still be seen today, practically in the middle of the square. Excavations that took place during the 1980s revealed the existence of a 17th century fountain.

    In 2000, a statue of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of the city, was inaugurated in Ribeira and in 2001, new urban works were carried out to remodel the paving and it was fitted out with new urban furniture.

    If you want to get to know the award-winning Historical Centre of Porto, then make sure that Praça da Ribeira is on your list of places to visit. The picture postcard buildings right next to the river and the fantastic view of the Douro River, Vila Nova de Gaia and the two bridges that cross the river, make it without a doubt a uniquely beautiful spot.

    》Rio Douro River

    The Douro is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta Central in Castile and León into northern Portugal.
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  • Lunch by the water at Terra Nova

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    》Couvert: Bread, House Butter & Olives
    》Flamed Shrimps
    》Portuguese Cheese Board & Pumpkin Jam
    》10-Year Old Port

    》Terra Nova

    Intimate spot serving traditional seafood plates in a bi-level setup featuring Douro River views.Read more

  • Wandering Porto

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    》The Palácio da Bolsa/Associação Comercial do Porto

    Located in a neoclassical style building, whose construction started on the 6th October 1842, the day where the first stone was put to place, due to the closure of the stock exchange which was was built to impress potential European investors.

    》Museu da Misericórdia has a painted iron sculpture by Rui Chafes...

    It starts next to the entrance door of Casa do Despacho, on the left side, and extends outwards, towards the street, in the form of a jet of blood ending in a drop, perpetually dripping onto the ground. You only get a full reading of this work when you leave the street and enter the museum, walk through its rooms and, in the last one, move from admiring the Fons Vitae to contemplating the sculpture. Because this piece, according to the author himself, will be a “vein of blood between Jesus Christ and Men, between Jesus Christ and the Earth. It will be a vein that unites all of this.” Therefore, a vein of blood that springs from the Source of Life that is Jesus, and projects outwards, towards men, towards the world.
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  • Wandering Porto

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    》Mercado Ferreira Borge

    Iconic market building built in the 1880s of iron & glass, now hosting a nightclub & restaurant. It was named after a famous politician from Porto that supported the liberal troops during our civil war in the XIX century. It is a remarkable representation of the iron period in Europe, from which only a few buildings survive.

    From being used as a warehouse for military equipment to holding a community kitchen for the needy population of Porto, Mercado Ferreira Borges has seen it all.

    》Jardim do Infante Dom Henrique Park

    Presided over by the late-19th-century market hall Mercado Ferreira Borges and neoclassical Palácio da Bolsa, these gardens are named after the centrepiece statue. Lifted high on a pedestal, the monument depicts Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) – a catalyst in the Age of Discoveries and pioneer of the caravel (a small, fast ship), who braved the battering Atlantic in search of colonies for Portugal's collection.

    》Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator

    The statue of Prince Henry the Navigator, was first installed in Porto in 1894. The creation of sculptor Tomás Costa, it celebrates the life of this 14th century prince who is famous for his many maritime discoveries. The prince was the fifth son of King John I who was the founder of the Dynasty of Avis.

    Born in 1394, Prince Henry was a master seaman whose expeditions and military exploits are famous. He was credited with securing significant trade routes for Portugal, making the country the world's major economic power of the time. It was under the leadership of Prince Henry that Portugal sent expeditions around the Ivory Coast of Africa, which gave Portugal access to the vast riches of Africa, including gold. He was rewarded for his discoveries with many titles, including appointment as the leader of the Order of Christ.

    The monument is located near the Ribeira section of Porto. It has a very tall pedestal with the sculpture of the Prince who is turned toward the ocean and points authoritatively, as if giving orders to his men. The pedestal has relief sculptures encrusted thereupon, depicting scenes from the life of Prince Henry.
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  • Dinner at the flat

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    》Picked up pizza & salad from Pizzeria Bella Mia!

    ^Despensa Salad
    Mixed Greens, Rocket Salad, Grana Padano PDO, Cherry Tomatoes,
    Smoked Scamorza, Walnuts, Sundried Tomatoes, Crispy Fried Onion, Balsamic Vinegar Cream

    ^Campania Pizza
    Grana Padano Cheese and Fresh Basil Leaves
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  • Just wow...

    September 17, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 64 °F

    》Sé do Porto aka Porto Cathedral

    The Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto in Portuguese) is the most important religious edifice in the city and has been declared a National Monument. It is situated in the upper part of Porto.

    The Cathedral is in Batalha, very close to the walls that once protected the city. The building looks a bit like a fortress with crenels from the outside.
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  • Breakfast of Champions

    September 18, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    》Green apple
    》Favaito

    An aperitif made from Galego muscat grapes from the Favaios region. After ageing for 18 months, it is clear and has shades of gold, an intense palate and a refined bouquet with hints of lime and almonds.Read more

  • Starting the Porto Scavenger Hunt

    September 18, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    》Get to know Porto at your own pace on this interactive scavenger hunt walking tour. You'll explore the city on foot and get points for solving different types of tasks:

    - Find sights:
    You will use hints to find the best sights and hidden gems throughout the city. The map function in the app will help you get there.

    - Solve questions:
    Once you’ve arrived at the place you’re looking for, you’ll be asked questions about the sight. Most of the time, the answers are hidden in signs, pictures, etc. A great and fun way to learn new things about the city.

    - Have fun:
    During the adventure you can also expect exciting photo tasks that require a lot of creativity. If you master the snapshots, you will be rewarded with points.

    Along the way, you’ll reach amazing places like the “Lello Bookshop”, “Clérigos Tower”, “São Bento Station” and many more!

    After you book the game, you’ll get a game code via email with instructions on how to play. Head to the “Jardim da Cordoaria” and use the code to unlock the game in the app. The tour ends at the “Porto Ribeira”.

    The experience is not limited in time. You can explore the city at your own pace and take breaks.
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  • Porto Scavenger Hunt - Stop 1

    September 18, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    》Igrеjа dо Саrmо

    Igrеjа dо Саrmо is оnе оf thе must-sее сhurсhеs in thе Роrtuguеsе сity Роrtо, fаmоus fоr its саthоliс аrсhitесturе. Саrmо Сhurсh is situаtеd оn thе соrnеr оf Рrаçа dе Саrlоs Аlbеrtо аnd Ruа Саrmа.

    Аt first glаnсе, it sееms likе оnе building, but thе саtсh is thаt thеsе аrе twо diffеrеnt сhurсhеs - Igrеjа dоs Саrmеlitаs аnd Igrеjа dо Саrmо itsеlf. Тhе сhurсhеs аrе еvеn sераrаtеd by thе thinnеst hоusе in thе wоrld whiсh is оnly оnе mеtеr widе! Оf соursе, thеrе аrе vаriоus rumоrs аnd lеgеnds surrоunding thе rеаsоn fоr its соnstruсtiоn. Оnе оf thе mоst рорulаr оnеs is thаt thе twо сhurсhеs аrе nоt аllоwеd tо shаrе thе sаmе wаll аnd thе bоrdеr hеlреd tо рrеvеnt thе соmmuniсаtiоn bеtwееn mоnks аnd nuns оf bоth сhurсhеs. Igrеjа dоs Саrmеlitаs fеаturеs а сlаssiсаl fасаdе аnd а bеll tоwеr. Its еrесtiоn dаtеs bасk tо thе 17th сеntury whеn it wаs а раrt оf thе соnvеnt fоr thе Саrmеlitе оrdеr оf thе Rоmаn Саthоliс сhurсh.

    Igrеjа dо Саrmо wаs built in thе 18th сеntury, hаs а nеосlаssiсаl fасаdе with thе figurе оf Sаint Аnnе, whо is rеfеrrеd tо аs Nоssа Sеnhоrа аnd wаs tоld tо арреаr in frоnt оf Саrmеlitеs. Тhе lаyоut bеlоngs tо thе hаnd оf Niсоlаu Nаsоni, аn аrсhitесt whо раrtiсiраtеd in сrеаting sundry Роrtо's rеligiоus buildings. Аnоthеr еssеntiаl dеtаil оf Саrmо Сhurсh's ехtеriоr is а brеаthtаking mоsаiс, аddеd tо its sidе in 1912. Маdе оf сlаssiсаl Роrtuguеsе whitе-аnd-bluе аzulеjо tilеs, thе аrtwоrk dеmоnstrаtеs thе sсеnе оf Саrmеlitе оrdеr's fоunding. Тhе sсеnе wаs dеsignеd by Silvеstrо Silvеstri, раintеd by Саrlоs Вrаnса аnd сrаftеd аt thе fасtоry in Vilа Nоvа dе Gаiа. Тhе intеriоr оf bоth сhurсhеs is thе реrfесt ехаmрlе оf rососо аnd bаrоquе аrсhitесturаl stylеs with gildеd wооdсаrvings аnd riсh dесоrаtiоns. Тhе оldеr раrt оf thе сhurсh, built with а singlе nаvе, соntаins sеvеn аltаrs, mаdе by Frаnсisсо Реrеirа Саmраnhã.
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