Day 173 - Ouro Preto

(Ursula) This morning we reached the picturesque town of Ouro Preto.

It is situated on a hillside with cobble-stone streets and Portuguese-style buildings. The old town was particularly nice. We took our time to explore various soapstone shops. They had an array of items for sale, from little statues to ashtrays, plates, cups, you name it. Luckily they were not as expensive as the ones we saw in Canada. I purchased only four small bowls, although I would have liked to buy several other things.

A little bit later, we stopped in Congonhas and visited the Basílica Bom Jesus de Matosinhos and admired the famous 12 prophets of Aleijadinho. The sculptures were crafted in soapstone. The style and artistry of the sculptures were tasteful, but I thought the execution was horrible.

A few miles passed the town of Barbacena; we found a gas station where we stayed overnight. It was beginning to rain.

Stats: Miles 190, Expenses $3.65Read more