Monday,
the next day, after our trip to the Douro Valley, we decided to go
back to Barcelos, the town we visited on our first day after arrival
for the market which turned out to be the weekend for one of their
most important religious festivals, Festa das Cruzes, for a little
more wandering around and some shopping.
decorations
left over from the festival
We
didn't go in the Church of Bom Jesus de Cruz on that day but we did
on this subsequent visit. The unassuming exterior holds unbelievable
grandeur. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the ornate interior
so these are from the internet.
Tuesday,
our last day in rural Portugal, we returned to Vila do Conde to explore the docks and piers where the fishing boats come in
and leave from.
murals
depicting the history and industry of Vila do Conde lined this
retaining wall along the beachfront
making
nets just like in the mural above
and
of course, lunch!
Our
last night at the Villa, Denise got in the kitchen and prepared all
the left overs and odds and ends into a beautifully displayed and
delicious dinner.
Wednesday morning we once again crammed our luggage and ourselves in the car and drove to the Lisbon airport, turned in the car, and then caught cabs to the apartment within walking distance of the waterfront where Jane would spend one night and then head home, Denise would spend 5 nights and head home, and I would spend a week before heading home. Catharine and Vicki would stay the whole two weeks with another friend coming in for a few days the same day I left.
Grandeur indeed! Where did those riches come from? It boggles the mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the significance (if any?) of the lady with the chickens on her head?
Fishing villages are the same all over the world, aren't they? Mending nets, tending boats.
These pictures are all so lovely.
there's a stylized rooster that is an iconic symbol of Portugal. you could buy statues of it from about an inch and a half to two feet but I didn't get one. the lady with the chickens on her head is a popular folk art figure, could buy these is different sizes too, though she carries various things on her head.
DeleteI love the tile murals! It's amazing what the Portuguese do with tile. And yes, I remember all the chicken/rooster imagery from my own trip to Lisbon. It's interesting how prominently chickens figure in the national identity!
ReplyDeleteThose blue and white tiles were stunning. Wonder how they keep vandals from painting on them? It seems like a very old culture that prides itself in the past.
ReplyDeleteFourth floor walk up's--reminds me of my first apartment in Cleveland's Little Italy.
ReplyDeletehow'd you guess? fifth floor actually and there was a little elevator in Lisbon.
DeleteWhat treasures! The Portuguese really know how to stage a festival! And the food - oh, the food. I think one of the best things about this trip is that you spent it in the company of such a nice group of women. That really makes it even better. I did most of my traveling through Europe on my own and I missed being able to share the joys and wonder with a traveling companion. Can't wait to 'visit' Lisbon!
ReplyDeletesuch a laid back trip, you took it at a nice pace
ReplyDelete