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  • Day 10

    Braga

    May 23, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    So today the plan was to go to Braga. But I was also hoping to get some rest for the weary body. Had a relaxed morning and then breakfast at around 8.30, wrote my journal for the previous day caught up on NZ etc. I had got the bus time table, but had glanced at it saw that buses left each hour So went off to catch a bus at 10.00am. Well surprise surprise the buses left each hour till 9.00 in the morning. After that the next bus was at 12.45. Ha ha should have read the entire time table properly. But no stress back to the hotel, and caught up on my writing.

    Then off to catch the bus. One and 3 quarter hours later in Braga. This is one of the oldest cities in the Iberian peninsula. The Romans fortified it long long years ago. Both in Spain and Portugal when you see something old, you apparently say “it's as old as the Braga Cathedral”. The city of Braga was set up in 3rd century AD. The cathedral was built around the year 1089. Mmm cathedral old, me young.

    In the city they were enacting a Roman camp and days of old. With Roman music etc. The choir loft and the piped organ flutes were gob stopping. How on earth did people do these marvelous feats in the last hundreds of years. As usual when travelling in Europe you need to get some tape to stop your jaw dropping down and dragging on the ground.

    I had also wanted to go and visit Bom Jesus. Meaning Good Jesus. It is on top of a hill, and you can get there from Braga and either go in a water powered tram or climb 116 stairs. Other than the beautiful location on top of the hill, the sanctuary and the gardens, it is the Baroque Stairway that is so unusual. I think I gave Speedy Gonzales and Road Runner a run for their money. The last bus back to my hotel was going to be at 6.15 from Braga. So I wiped around Braga and Bom Jesus in 3 hours. Would have been nice to have more time. But it was not to be.

    All through this walk so far what I have noticed is the vegetable gardens people have in their homes. Some have flowers and veggies. But it is more that they seem to grow their vegetables rather than flowers if it came to a choice. Every little bit of garden space seems to be used by the industrious folk who are into that kind of life style. Very nicely done too.

    Back at the hotel by 8.00, the restaurant was closed, but the receptionist sent me to a local. Well you had to wait in a que to get in. And the food was par excellent. The prawns were fresh, you forget what true prawns should taste like in NZ. These were more like those you find in SL.
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