Portugal! 🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹

Our plan after Spain was to head to Porto for a week of sightseeing and relaxation – but first- we needed to get there! We had a long drive from Biescas to the border – so, we decided to stop in Braga – a city in northern Portugal famous for its churches. It was hot and beautiful.

Braga – city of churches

We had to scramble for a hotel, which was a first- but found an ok one in Braga and ordered pizza in our room. Not our best night – but grateful for a clean bed after a long drive!

The next day was brighter and we headed out to explore the city – which proved to be a wonderful experience. Braga was having a military show in the main square and we sidestepped most of that and explored the cathedral and pedestrian walkways. Chris loved the organ in the cathedral.

The most visited tourist site in Braga is the cathedral of Bom do Jesus – built on a hilltop and reached either by a spectacular set of staircases or a funicular/tram run by gravity and water built in the 1890’s. We tried it out! Fun.

Viana do Castelo

Viana do Castelo is a lovely city in the north of Portugal. We used it as a stop before heading down the coast to Porto. Great “bacalhau” (codfish) lunch and a stroll along the river made for a nice visit. We also visited the impressive cathedral on the hillside for a great view of the coast.

Vila do Conde – beach town!

We asked around for a recommendation for a good beach town for a swim and lunch and this is the one we chose. Glad we did! A beautiful beach, excellent lunch and a bracing swim was the best way to settle into the Portuguese way of life! It was also the last sunny day for a while. Even Chris went in the bracing Atlantic!