Barcelona

In Barcelona I am staying at a charming boutique hotel, the El Jardi, which is on the tiny Plaza Sant Josep Oriol, a peaceful haven off the heavily pedestrianised Las Ramblas Promenade. From my balcony I can look down on the square with its beech and olive trees and onto the imposing façade of the 14th century Basilica del Pi. I had a good look around Barcelona when I first arrived so, aftet settling in at the Jardi,  I took a local train to the beach resort of Sitges, some 40 minutes southwest of the city. This former fishing village was where Santiago Rusiñol, a late 19th century distinguished local painter, started the Modernisme Movement, which paved the way for Picasso and his peers. I took a stroll around the Old Town's narrow,  cobbled streets and made my way to the 17th century Baroque Iglesia Sant Bartomeu and from the terrace in front of the church I could look down on its series of beaches, separated by breakwaters, and onto the green waters of the Mediterranean Sea lapping the beaches. I next went to the Museu Cau Ferrat, the gorgeous 1890 former home of Santiago Rusiñol and full of his paintings as well as works by Picasso, a couple by El Greco and a wonderful collection of local glass, ironwork and ceramics. After returning to Barcelona I took a stroll down Las Ramblas for some people watching.

Girona - Day Two

My first stop this morning was Girona's second great church, the Basilica de Sant Feliu with its truncated Bell Tower. The Basilica has a majestic Gothic cross-ribbed vaulted ceiling and beautiful Baroque chapels ring the Nave. In one of them, St. Narcissus, the Patron of the city, is venerated with a marble and jasper statue lying on top of his tomb. From there I went to the Jewish Museum of Girona. The Jews lived in their Call or Ghetto for 600 years and greatly contributed to medieval astronomy and medicine. The museum shows their everyday life and rituals. However it all came to an end when the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel, signed a decree ordering Jews to convert to Christianity or leave Spain and in 1492 all Jews were expelled into the Diaspora. From there I went to the Banys Arabs, which was modeled on the earlier Roman and Muslim bathhouses. Depite its name the Banys Arabs was a 12th century Christian Romanesque styled bathhouse and contained a changing room, baths with cold and warm water and a sauna, heated by an underfloor furnace. Nearby the baths were stairs leading to the Passeig Arqueològic, where one could walk atop the ancient wall, which surrounded the Jewish Call, and admire the city landscape from above. Tonight I'll have a stroll around the Old Quarter and tomorrow I take the train to Barcelona.

Girona

Girona, on the banks of the Rio Onyar, is the largest town in the province of Catalonia and a very ancient and beautiful city. It lay on the Via Augusta, the highway from Rome to Cádiz and has Catalonia's best preserved Call or medieval Jewish Ghetto. I am staying in a lovely studio, which has a petite balcony with an iron railing and I can sit outside on it and watch the people amble up and down on the narrow cobbled street below, while enjoying a vino blanco. I arrived in Girona in mid afternoon and only had time to visit the nearby Santa Maria Cathedral, which dates from the 12th century. To reach the entrance one has to ascend a broad stairway of some 86 steps and can admire the majestic façade and twin towers on the way up. The Cathedral has the second widest Nave in Christendom at 23 metres, with Rome's St. Peter's Basilica number one. There is a wonderful gilt and silver Altarpiece with a similar Canopy over the Altar. Adjacent to the Nave is a striking double - columned 12th century Romanesque Cloister, around which the clergy would pray and meditate. However the piėce de résistance was the Tapestry of Creation.  This tapestry dates back to 975 and depicts God in its epicentre and in circular layers around Him are shown the creation of Adam and Eve, the animals and other elements such as the sky, light and darkness. I'll take a further look around the Old Quarter tomorrow.

Zaragoza - Day Two

This morning I headed to the 1903  Mercado Central, which was built on the same site as its 13th century counterpart. Apart from brick and stone the market was built with iron and glass and as such blends tradition and modernity together. It was fun to wander up and down the vegetable, dairy, fish and meat aisles, listening to the haggling. Zaragoza seems to have a church on every corner such as the Iglesia de San Nicolás and Monastery of the Resurrection with its 14th century Mudéjar façade and the 17th century Iglesia de Santa Isabel with its extraordinary front entrance depicting a variety of saints and cherubs. I next went to the Museo del Puerto Fluvial de Caesar Augusta, which showed the river-port installations of the Roman city linking the docks to the Forum and was called The Caesar Augusta Route. The nerve centre was the Forum and it was here that the local Senators would gather in the "Curia" to govern the city and pass laws and decrees. The River Ebro was navigable in those times right up to the port of Longroño and goods such as pottery, marble, amphorae of wine and salted products were brought in and traded. Cables were used to pull the boats upriver, but they could sail downstream. The Museum also showed the Public Baths, which were not only used for hygiene but also as a centre of cultural and social life. Adjacent to the Public Baths were the Latrines, which could seat 29 people at a time on benches with round holes around the wall. Underneath was a deep sewerage channel and in front of the benches at the feet of the users was a small channel providing clean water for ablutions. There was also a Theatre, which played a significant role in transmitting the cultural, political, and religious values of the Roman Empire. In the basement was a glass floor, which allowed one to look at the stone ruins from this 2,000 year old city. I followed my visit to the Caesar Augusta Museum by going to the Goya Art Museum to admire and absorb the Master's wonderful use of form and colour in his works. Goya not only rallied against the social injustice of those turbulent times, but he had a sense of humour to go with it and this is reflected in his prints and etchings. For example, in one of them he had two men bent ovet carrying donkeys on their backs. I finished the day by crossing the Ebro over the Puente de Piedra, an impressive stone bridge constructed in 1808, and strolling along the banks besides its gently flowing green waters. Tomorrow I take the train to Girona via Barcelona.

Zaragoza

Zaragoza, on the banks of the mighty Rio Ebro, is the capital of the province of Aragón and a vibrant and elegant city full of superb monuments from the previous Roman, Islamic and Christian eras. It was founded in BC 14 by the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augusta, hence its name. After checking in to my apartment in the old quarter I headed for the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. Legend says that it was on this spot in AD 40 that St. James the Apostle saw Mary descend from Heaven atop a marble pillar. Originally a chapel was built around the pillar, followed by a series of grandiose churches, culminating in the present enormous Basilica. Its splendid main dome is surrounded by 10 mini-domes with each covered in Byzantine blue, green , yellow and white tiles. I took the lift partially up to the top of its North Tower and then climbed the spiraling steps to its summit for a panoramic view of the domes and the city environs. The Basilica has beautiful Baroque chapels and behind one, the Capilla Santa, in a lateral passage, a tiny, oval shaped portion of the acclaimed pillar is exposed. The faithful line up to kiss this ancient, polished relic. The Basilica has a glorious,16th century alabaster Altarpiece and Zaragoza's favourite son, Goya, has painted a a striking work of Mary, which he called "La Reina de los Mártires". At the other end of the Plaza del Pilar is a Cathedral of extraordinary beauty, La Seo del Salvador, which was built berween the 12th and 17th centuries and consists of remarkable architectural styles, ranging from Romanesque to Baroque with gorgeous Mudéjar or Muslim elements of classic dark brickwork and colourful ceramic decorations in complex geometric patterns. There is an exquisite 15th century alabaster Altarpiece and the Nave is surrounded with 16 lovely Baroque chapels, which are lit up with the soft light filtering through the Cathedral's circular stained glass windows. The Cathedral  also has a Museum, displaying a wonderful collection of French and Flemish tapestries from  the 14th to the 17th centuries. Zaragoza has a reputation for fine tapas, so I'll try them out tonight and have a further look around the city tomorrow.

Longroño - Day Two

Today I visited a couple of churches,  the 15th century Cathedral de Santa María de Redondo with its superb twin towers and the 13th century Iglesia de San Bartolomé, which had a stunning, colonnaded portico. Next stop was the fabulous Museum of La Rioja, which was located in a former 18th century palace with a central tower. As well as taking one through the history and culture of La Rioja it had a wonderful collection of artifacts from the prehistoric age and the Roman era. In the evening I joined in with the noisy festivities of San Mateo. Various mini brass bands representing local wine districts would parade up and down the cobbled lanes and it was fun to wander around tasting tapas and enjoying a glass of vino. Tomorrow I take the bus to Zaragoza.

Longroño

On the hiking trail along the way from Pamplona to Longroño I could see modern day pilgrims of all ages, shapes and sizes by themselves or in pairs or groups making their determined way to Santiago de Compostela. Longroño is the capital of the province of La Rioja, the vinyards of which boast of Spain's premier vino tinto or red wine. In Longroño just now the Fiesta de San Mateo, which dates back to the 12th century, is going in full swing and I am determined to assiduously test the veracity of this claim along with the tasting of their renowned pintxos or tapas. San Mateo is the Patron Saint of Merchants. I am staying, as usual, in the Antigua Casca or Old Town, where all the action is but I am not entirely a Philistine and will have a look at the places of interest tomorrow. Tonight I had a most enjoyable time joining the flowing crowds wandering through the town's famous tapas streets of Calle Laurel and San Juan, stopping occasionally to have some interesting looking pintxos and excellent vino rioja and listening to the peripatetic minstrels and brass bands.

Pamplona - Day Two

I had one of the best days ever! I started out by visiting some of Pamploma's beautiful churches. The first was the 12th century Iglesia de San Nicolás, the thick walls of which acted as a fortress against attacks from the Moors during this turbulent time. It has a Latin cross floor plan with a barrel vault and a cross-ribbed ceiling over the central nave. The following two churches are especially important to pilgrims as they are both on the Camino de Santiago trail. The Neoclassical Iglesia de San Lorenzo was built in 1901 and contains a carved black reliquary of San Fermin with his Bishop's mitre and staff. On July 7 each year an enormous procession in honour of San Fermin,  who is the Patron Saint of Pamplona, parades from the church and heralds the Running of the Bulls. The other church is the 13th century Iglesia de San Saturnio, which is the most important pilgrim church in Pamplona and where the pilgrims can get their credentials stamped. Its Baroque altar is dedicated to the Virgen del Camino, whose silver image with its golden halo overlooks the church. For lunch I went to the Café Iruña, which means Pamplona in the Basque language, on the Plaza del Castillo, the massive Town central square. This is where Pamplona's favourite son, Ernest Hemingway, used to eat so I decided to follow in his footsteps. Hemingway came here regularly between 1923 and 1959 and was inspired by the spectacle of the Running of the Bulls.  He wrote about the event in his classic "The Sun Also Rises" and transformed Pamplona from a sleepy Spanish town into a mecca for adventurers. The food was delicious. I started with Gazpacho spiced with a pepper vinaigrette, then Cerrilleras de Cerdo de Porc (pig cheeks) in a delicate vegetable sauce and finished with a Flan al Caramel,  accompanied by a local rosado. The vast, art deco dining room was surrounded by huge gilt mirrors and in one corner nook is a little bar, where Hemingway used to drink and is called "El Rincón de Hemingway" or Hemingway's Corner. I took a look inside and there, propped at the bar, was the Great Man himself smiling at me in the form of a life-like bronze statue. I next visited the Museum of the Province of  Navarre, housed in a former 16th century hospital. It had fours floors of superb artifacts and paintings from prehistoric to modern, which celebrated the art of Navarre,  as well as a beautiful Baroque Chapel. I finished the day at the magnificent 13th century Cathedral of Pamplona, which has undergone significant change. To sum up it has a Gothic core with a Neoclassical façade.  The Altarpiece and side chapels are in a stunning Baroque style and in the centre of the Nave is the 15th century Royal Mausoleum,  where King Carlos 111 and Queen Leonor lie in state with wonderful life-like statues of the Royal pair wearing enormous crowns on top of the tomb. Tomorrow I take a bus to Longroño for its wine festival.

Pamplona

It was a very pleasant bus ride from Bilbao through the heavily forested Basque hills to Pamplona, situated at the foothills of the Pyrenees and on the Camino to Santiago Pilgrim Trail. Pamploma is of course famous for its Firsta de San Fermin or the Running of the Bulls festival from July 6 to 14. Saint  Fermin was the son of a Roman Senator in Pamplona, who was converted to Christianity and martyred in AD 303 by being dragged through the streets by a herd of angry bulls. So after settling in at my apartment, I set out to walk the notorious bull run thankfully without any angry toros chasing me. I started at the Bull Corral and followed the El Encierro signs, which mark the barricaded route the bulls take to the Bullring. The path took me past the 18th century Baroque Ayuntamiento or Town Hall. The order for the run to begin is given from its flag bedecked balcony and six bulls at a time are released. From the Corral the bulls have an uphill run, which allows them to use their powerful hind legs to gain momentum. They then start to run downhill and turn sharply into a narrow street called Calle Estafeta, where they lose their balance and crash into the barricades and where a gang of mostly sangria filled reckless daredevils take their chances by running in the path of the furious bulls. The men are called "mozos"and the females "mozas". They traditionally wear white with a red neckerchief and sash and carry a newspaper to cover the bull's eyes when they're ready to jump out of the way. At the finish of the run the bulls charge down a ramp and through a large red door into the Bullring, where the bullfights take place at 18.00. In the square outside the Bullring is a bust of Ernest Hemingway, who is celebrated in Pamploma like a native son. My apartment is in the Casa Antiguo or Old Town and in the evening I took a stroll around its narrow, cobbled lanes, having a glass of wine and some tapas at a couple of its bars. I'll explore Pamploma further tomorrow.

Bilbao - Day Two

This morning I headed straight to the Guggenheim Museum to beat the crowds. The Guggenheim is one of Europe's great modern art museums, designed by the renowned American architect, Frank Gehry, and opened in 1997. The first thing I saw outside the museum entrance was a 42 feet high floral sculpture by Jeff Koons  in the form of a puppy and called "West Highland Terrier". 60,000 plants and flowers grow through steel mesh in a kaleidoscope of colour. The Guggenheim is a massive construction of indeterminate shape comprising limestone, titanium and aluminum. The design is supposed to inspire a silvery fish and billowing sails heading out to sea. The Museum has been built on the banks of the Rio Bilbao and on its Terrace there is a "water garden", which lets the river symbolically lap at the base of the building. Also out on the Terrace was a giant 30 feet tall spider designed by the French artist, Louise Bourgeois, depicting her mother and indeed the work is called "Maman". Madame Bourgeois was a former weaver with an apparent voracious personality. There was no sign of "Papa". Perhaps "Maman" had gobbled him up! The Museum, along with its sister museums in New York and Venice, is one of the trio of Guggenheims and they rotate their exhibits. I won't try to explain the modern art on display here. I had an audio guide, which helped to some extent interpret the art. My main object was to see this acclaimed building by one of the world's leading architects and it is indeed a very impressive structure. After the Guggenheim I took a ride up to the top of Mount Artxanda on the 1915 Funicular and enjoyed some panoramic views of the city. In a park on the summit is a giant thumbprint sculpture dedicated to the Basque soldiers who fought against General Franco during the Civil War. Tomorrow I take the bus to Pamplona via San Sebastian.

Bilbao

The bus trip from Gijón over the lush, green countryside and along rhe jagged Bay of Biscay  coastline, past the occasional fishing village, was most enjoyable. Bilbao is a very beautiful city with classic architecture and, because of the countless number of tourists visiting the Guggenheim Museum, rather affluent. I will visit the Guggenheim tomorrow. I am staying in the Casco Viejo or Old Town with its narrow lanes and tapas bars. The 14th century Santiago Cathedral was nearby so I visited it. Mass was in progress so I was able to listen to some beautiful hymn singing. Night was settling in so I spent the rest of the evening wandering around the Old Town,  stopping for the occasional tapas, which are called pintxos in the Basque region, and a vino.

Gijón

Gijón, sitting on the Bay of Biscay, is the largest city in the province of Asturia and a major Spanish fishing port. I am staying in luxury overnight at the Casino Hotel Hernán Cortés. I booked it from Australia and they have given me a massive marble and wood suite with a hallway, a sitting room complete with a chaise-longue and a king sized bedroom. Gijón was founded by King Pelagius, the Visigothic nobleman in 718 who is credited with the beginning of the Christian Reconquista and thus reclaiming the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. First off I took myself up to the headland of Cimadevilla to have a look at its famous beach, the Playa San Lorenzo, and have a stroll along its promenade. I like cheese so for lunch I had a plate of Quesos Asturianos, a variety of the regional piquant cheeses and a glass of their excelkent vino tinto. I then visited the 19th century late Gothic Church of San Antonio de Pádua, a latin cross design with an ornately painted nave of the life of Christ. I finished off with a visit to the Ferrocarril or Train Museum of Asturia, which displayed about 50 locomotives and carriages covering the history of trains in Asturia. The oldest train there was a French built Corpet-Louvet Steam Locomotive constructed in 1891. Tomorrow I take a bus to Bilbao for the start of my Basque adventure.

Santiago de Compostela - Day Two

This morning I headed to the Mercado de Abastos, Santiago's 1920 old world market for breakfast and a wander around. It has fruit, vegetable and cheese stalls, but it mainly deals in fresh fish, some of them still twitching, such as  octopus, shrimp, crabs, lobster and its local speciality, percebes or barnacles. I spent the rest of the day just walking around Santiago's meandering stone streets and lanes, stopping at their lovely old plazas or looking through one of their many museums, such as the exhibits in the 14th century Monastery of Saint Martin with its wonderful ecclesiastical artifacts of altarpieces, paintings, holy jewellery and liturgical clothes. Tomorrow I take the early bus to Gijón for an overnight stay in this northern industrial town before heading on to the Basque country.

Santiago de Compostela

The train ride from Vigo along the Atlantic Coast and through the lush countryside of the northwestern province of Galicia was very pleasant. My apartment is just outside the historical centre of Santiago de Compostela ( St. James the Apostle) and to get there all I had to do was follow the backpacker pilgrims trickling into town after their hike along the Camino de Santiago. The highlight of Santiago is its mystical Cathedral built piecemeal over several centuries from 1075 and thus a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture. The outside is going through massive renovation, which won't be completed until about 2021, and is covered in scaffolding. The Cathedral sits on an enormous square called the Praza do Obradoiro. In its centre is a pavement stone with a scallop shell on it, where for over a thousand years millions of pilgrims have stood and gazed up at the Cathedral on the completion of their arduous trek. In the centre of the façade on top of the middle steeple St. James, in pilgrim attire, serenely surveys the square. The main entrance contains the Portico of Glory, which unfortunately was closed off for renovation,  but I was able to see a video of its 200 superb Romanesque sculptures completed around 1180 by the wonderful sculptor,  Maestro Mateo. St. James has three personas: 1. The Apostle,  2. The Pilgrim and 3. The Crusader or Moor Slayer. Centuries after his death Spain called on St. James for assistance in their battles against the Moors. According to legend he appeared from the heavens on a white horse and singlehandedly slaughtered these Muslim foes. The Moors were never to return. This is the most popular representation of St. James and is seen all over the Cathedral and Santiago itself. At first sight on entering the basilica the nave with its dark, Romanesque design has the appearance of a barrel vault. A huge silver Botafumeiro or incense burner weighing 120 pounds is suspended from the ceiling
and on Feast Days swings high over the centre of the cathedral, reaching an angle of 82 degrees from vertical. The big gold Baroque altar with St. James the Moor Slayer riding his white horse on top had a dome added in the 16th century to lighten the dark Gothic interior. Under the altar a narrow stairway leads to the level of the 10th century church, where the remains of St. James lie in an elaborate silver chest. There is a further pilgrim ritual to perform. Next to the exit from his tomb is a little door, which leads to a gilded stone statue of Santiago sculpted by Maestro Mateo in the 12th century and caked with precious stones. Tradition calls upon the visitor to embrace the Saint from behind while having a saintly view of the cathedral. I also visited the Cathedral Museum, which contained an impressive collection of religious art and the Treasury, which housed a magnificent, soild gold  monstrance and other priceless religious artifacts. I finished my Cathedral visit with a wander around the Crypt and the 16th century Gothic cloister.

Vigo -Day Two

I started my day with a wander around the verdant Parque do Castro  with its expanse of camelilia trees and continued up to the ancient Caslelo do Castro , which formed part of Vigo's defence, built under Felupe 1V. Directly across from Vigo's waterfront are the Illas Cies, three spectacular Islands that are both a bird sanctuary and a protection for the port from the fury of the Atlantic Ocean. Light misty rain was was falling so it was impractical for me to  hike around the Illas so I took a ferry across the bay to the twin town of Moaña, which is guaranteed, exxept for the occasional broken down seafarer, not to have tourists. This was pure joy for me as I could wander around and stop for a coffee or a vino blanco whenevever I needed refreshment before making  my wobbly way back home. In Spain whenever you have a drink the bar offers you some tapas, which makes one feel very welcome. My host, José, was a former seaman and lighthouse keeper so I was made especially welcome in Vigo. Manaña I take the train to Santiago de Compostela.

Vigo

I enjoyed my time in Portugal,  but I love Spain and it was a great feeling to be back on its soil. The port of Vigo on the Atlantic Ocean is the largest city in the municipality of Galicia and the home of Europe's largest fishing fleet. In 1589 Sir Francis Drake, probably in a bad mood after losing at lawn bowls, razed the port to the ground. Several decades later a Turkish fleet attacked the city and, as a result, King Philip 1V in 1656 fortified Vigo with a protective wall, parts of which remain today. I am staying in a gorgeous old house in the centre of the historic quarter of the city and Vigo is a wonderful place to wander around as there are few tourists here. They tend to bypass this city and head to Santiago de Compostela. I took a stroll around its cobbled medieval streets and elegant plazas, which are full of sculptures and monuments. One striking monument, 60 feet high and weighing 40 tons, depicted five horses ascending into the sky on a spiral waterfall and is called Los Caballos.This monument by the celebrated Spanish sculptor, José Oliveira, is a tribute to the wild horses, which used to roam the nearby Monte de Castro in the fashion of Banjo Patterson's Timor ponies of Snowy River fame. I'll look forward to exploring more of Vigo tomorrow.

Porto - Day Four

Today I took a ride on one of Porto's rickety old trams to where else but the Tram Museum. In 1872 Porto inaugurated its mule-drawn trams, which were replaced in 1895 by electric traction trams imported from America with the obvious name of "americanos". The museum is situated in a large warehouse and displays beautifully restored trams from different eras, including a brand new hydrogen powered bus. I continued along the banks of the Douro River through the affluent quarter of Foz de Douro, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, to the  Serralves Contemporary Art Museum and Park. The museum is housed in a huge 1930s Art Deco mansion, belonging to a former Count, and exhibits temporary works by Portuguese and International artists, some of which defy interpretation. I took a stroll around the peaceful park with its lovely lake and rose garden to its Casa de Serralves, a  pink Art Deco mansion with its own chapel and period furnishings, including a pink marble and mirrored bathroom overlooking the garden. I finished the day by visiting the Centre of Photographic Art, which has temporary works of a social nature by leading photographers on display. The building is in a former 18th century Courthouse which dispensed the harsh justice of those times. Below was a grim prison with huge iron bars and gates enclosing the stone cells. Unless my host recommends a restaurant he personally frequents I tend to avoid the ones in the main squares, which I mentally define as tourist traps, and wander around the back streets and lanes in search of  a busy family restaurant. On my last night in Portugal I wanted to enjoy such a setting and I found one close to my studio. Portuguese cuisine tends to be simple and full of flavour. Tonight I had a couple of traditional dishes. I started with Caldo Verde, a green soup made with potatoes, kale, onions, garlic and olive oil and for my main dish I had Bolinhos de Bacalhau, which was cod fish fritters with rice and salad. I finished with a café espresso and a port wine. Total cost with a small carafe of tinto or red house wine was 13 euros. Tomorrow I leave Portugal with fond memories of this historic country and take a bus north to the Spanish port of Vigo.

Porto - Day Three

This morning I returned to the Ribeira waterfront to have a look around the former Palácio da Bolsa or Stock Exchange Palace, It is now owned by the Commercial Association of Porto, who have transformed it into a building of great beauty comprising eight showrooms. There are complex patterned floors that have been painstakingly pieced together with Brazilian and African wood from Portugal's former colonies and rooms of finely carved woodwork and gold leaf. The sumptuous Grand Hall, with its Moorish themes, was inspired by the Alhambra Mesquita in Granada and took 18 years to complete. Nearby was the house where Prince Henry the Navigator was born in 1394. Henry was the son of King Joăo1 and Queen Philippa of Lancaster and planned the Voyages of Discovery, which brought great wealth to Portugal and made it the leading maritime nation of its time. I then crossed the Douro River by walking across the lower section of the double-decker Dom Luis Bridge to Vila Nova De Gaia, Porto's twin town on the other side of the river, to take a tour of the Port Wine Lodges located there. There are several wine lodges and after a little research I chose Taylor. It was a good choice as the estate, from its lofty hill position, has stunning views of Porto. The tour consisted of the history of the company, which dates back to 1692, and how the port is aged in the various wooden vats and concluded with a tasting of three of their vintages. From the waterfront I took a magic ride in a cable car, which soared over the port lodges, to the top section of the Ponte Dom Luis and walked back to Porto across this magnificent metal arch bridge.

Porto - Day Two

My day began at the Bolhão Market. Like its counterparts in Spain and France Bolhão is a scene of good humoured, bustling animation. I must be turning Portuguese because as soon as I got there I had an expresso coffee and a Porto Blanco, that ultra smooth liquor that starts your day off with a glow. The market stalls sell fresh produce and it was fun walking around and listening to the exchange of banter between the buyers and sellers. From there I went to the Clérigos Church and Tower adjacent to my studio. They took thirty years from 1731 to 1763 to construct by the great Italian architect, Nicolau Nasoni. The church façade is embellished with garlands and elaborate cornices. Inside is an oval shaped Baroque granite and marble nave and a high altar, which rather resembles a wedding cake with Mary at its summit and the tomb of Nasoni below as he asked to be buried there. The Tower is one of Porto's proudest icons. It stands 250 feet high and to get up there you have to ascend 225 steps up a narrow winding stairway. It is crowned with a dome and gives one a commanding view of the city. While I was up there the carillon in its bell tower pealed its melody. I next went to the 18th  century Baroque Saint Francis Church, a marvel with stunning chestnut wood carvings covered in gold leaf. One showed the Tree of Life of Christ with Jesus in a sleeping position and Mary lying in a boat as Our Lady of Good Voyage. In Portugal Mary is the Patron Saint of Navigators. I finished the day by taking the funicular down to the Ribeira Waterfront and strolling alongside Porto's stately Douro river. It was most enjoyable to walk past the hole-in-the-wall bars and the colourful villas and to see the water craft taking the tourists on mini-cruises under the150 feet above the river double-decker Ponte Dom Luis, designed by the formidable Gustave Eiffel in the 1880s.

Porto

It was worth coming to Porto just to see the azulejos - those vivid, centuries old decorative hand painted tiles - in the main entry hall at the São Bento railway station. One side depicted the medieval battles when Spain and Portugal were at war and the other showed the 1387 wedding of the angelic English princess, Philippa, to  King John 1. Porto is a metropolis in comparison with the smaller towns I have come from and initially is a little overwhelming as there are monuments and stately buildings in every direction one looks. But with the help of a map one soons orients oneself. I am staying in a penthouse studio apartment next to the awesome 18th century Clérigos Church and Tower about which I will tell you more after I visit it tomorrow. From my balcony I can see across the red tiled roofs of the surrounding villas to the twin towered Porto Cathedral and I decided to have a closer look at it. This 12th century Romanesque basilica with its fine granite stonework resembles a fortress on the outside, but inside it is all extravagant and exuberant Baroque. Outside in the Cathedral Square there is a Baroque spiral pillory upon which medieval justice was meted out to those deemed miscreants. I will take a stroll around this beautiful city tomorrow and tell you a little more about it then.

Coimbra - Day Two

Today I took a tour of the Velha Universidade, Portugal's most prestigious university,  which was founded in 1290. The original teachers were Jesuits and the students all wear black cloaks in their honour. I started with the Grand Hall, a regal red room, which was originally the throne room of the Royal Palace, but now is an examination room for the students. The fine, old painted ceiling featured "Indo-Portuguese" themes to reflect Portugal's voyages of discovery. Next was Saint Michael's Chapel with its Manueline architecture and which was added on in the 16th century. It has a stately 2,000 pipe German built organ. However the star of the University was the King John's Library, which displays its 60,000 tomes in 18th century Baroque splendor.The reading tables are inlaid with exotic South American woods and the gorgeous ceiling is a trompe l'oeil masterpiece. Nearby was Coimbra's 11th century Old Cathedral. This is not to be confused with the town's New Cathedral, which was built in 1598. The Romanesque Sé Velha or Old Cathedral was essentially a church fortress with a crenellated roof as the Moors, although defeated,  were still considered a risk. Inside there are three front altars. The main altar was in a Flamboyant Gothic style showing its gorgeous gilt lines. On the right was a Renaissance Chapel depicting Jesus preaching with his disciples in a semi-circle on either side devotedly looking up at him. The Chapel to the left showed Peter being crucified upside down. In the evening I listened to some Fado music at the Fado ao Centro, where an all male ensemble of current and former university students sang some rather mournful and haunting traditional songs in their unique local style. Tomorrow I take the train to Porto.

Coimbra

Coimbra has two parts, the lower or Baixa area and the upper or Alta. I am staying in a charming family hotel in the heart of Coimbra's old Arab flavoured lower town and I set out to explore its maze of narrow streets and stairways. I started off on the other side of the wide Rio Mondego and walked across the flag bedecked Ponte Santa Clara, which has been a link across the river since Roman times, to the Largo da Portagem. This old square has beautiful old buildings from the late 18th century surrounding it. Running off from the square is a delightful pedestrianised street  and I strolled down it until I got to the Church of Santa Cruz. This 18th century church with its grand exterior façade is lavishly decorated with enormous blue tiles that tell the story of the discovery of the Holy Cross by Saint Helen, who was the Roman Emperor Constantine's mother. Two other items stood out, a gorgeous Renaissance pulpit and a wonderful red and gold organ with striking black pipes. There is a combination elevator and funicular which takes one to the Alta area and saves an exhausting steep climb up its narrow lanes. Up on the Alta I visited the superb Machado de Castro Museum, which had statues from the 14th to the 16th century, including the Cristo Negro, a dramatic wooden statue of a black Christ. Also included in this former Bishop's Palace were northern European paintings, tapestries, ceramics including intricate tiles and ecclesiastical treasures. But the best was yet to come! Below is the two-storey Criptoportico, the vast , barren understructure of the 2,000 year old Roman forum upon which the palace was built consisting of galleries and arched corridors. It was wonderful to walk along these ancient cobbled paths and see the Roman brick work.  In one of the galleries was a striking bust of the of the Roman Emperor Trajan, which was sculpted during his lifetime. I'll explore more of Coimbra tomorrow.

Nazaré - Day Two

I had a full on but most enjoyable day visiting three towns in the vicinity of Nazaré of particular historic interest, Batalha, Alcobaça and Óbidos. I took an early bus to Batalha to see the 14th century Monastery of Santa Maria, which King John 1 built after routing the besieging Spanish invaders in a battle to decide the future of Portugal, either its independence or rule by Spanish kings. The exterior is a late Gothic structure with stained glass windows, fierce gargoyles and pointed spires. The interior is classic Gothic with tall pillars leading to pointed arches over the altar, resembling "praying hands". Light from the stained glass windows coloured the floors and pillars and gave the nave a feeling of warmth. Off the nave was the Founders' Chapel, which featured statues of past Portuguese kings. In the centre of the Chapel was a double sarcophagus of King John 1 and his English Queen, Philippa, holding hands for eternity. Next was the really beautiful Royal Cloister with its pointed arches and Manueline decorations (elaborate carved stonework originating with the artistic King Manuel 1) surrounding an elegant courtyard. Located in the Monastery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with soldiers from the Portuguese Army standing guard on either side. While I was there I was fortunate to see the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. After Batalha I headed to Alcobaça to have a look at an abbey church there, the 13th century Cistercian Monastery of Santa Maria. A long and narrow nave led to a pair of finely carved Gothic tombs, belonging to King Peter 1 and his mistress, Dona Inês de Castro,  which have been lying there since1360. They rest feet to feet in facing  transepts so that on Judgement Day they'll rise and simultaneously see each other. Here too is a Hall featuring terra-cotta statues of most of Portugal's kings. Adjacent to the nave was a cloister around which the Cistercian monks, dedicated to total silence, would walk, meditate and pray.  From Alcobaça I headed to the ancient walled town of Óbidos. This town has a checkered past as it was founded by the Celts in 300 BC,  ruled by the Romans, then the nomadic German Visigoths, followed by the Moors and finally the Spanish kings took over. The wall was built as a fortification in the 14th century and after wandering around the town's cobbled lanes I walked along its high parapet,  peering through its defensive battlements at the countryside below. On the Town Square there was a 16th century pillory around which those who committed misdemeanours were flogged. I finished my visit at the Church of St. Mary of Óbidos with its classic 17th century blue wall tiles and finely painted wooden ceiling over the central nave. Tomorrow I take a bus to the university town of Coimbra, which is reputed to be Portugal's most enjoyable town.

Nazaré

Last night I took a stroll up to the Roman Temple in Évora. Soft floodlights lit up the Corinthian columns and their capitals (the embellished crown at the top of the columns). It was absolutely magic to gaze up at this Roman forum which heralded Caesar some 2,000 years ago. Nazaré was, and still is, a Portuguese fishing village on the Atlantic coast. However the fishing boats have moved further south along the beach front to their new harbour and the town is now primarily a beach resort,  but on the sand there are still a few colourful traditional fishing boats with their high, tapered prows to cut through the surf. It was very pleasant to stroll along the promenade. The beach has rows of beach tents, which you can hire for the day for 6 euros and there is a section where Portuguese ladies, dressed in black, sun-dry their mackerel and sardines on racks ready for the market. At the northern end of the beach there is a funicular, which takes one up to Sitio, the hill top capping the old part of town. The funicular was originally built in 1889 by Eiffel but today has a very modern trolley and it was fun being hauled up the steep track backwards giving a wonderful view of the beach and town. Sitio is steeped in history and I made my way to its main square and promontory. The 16th century Church of Our Lady of Nazaré, the town's main church, is located on the square and has a remarkable story. In the 7th century two fishermen brought the Black Madonna, a small ebony statue of Mary, here from Nazareth (where the town's name, Nazaré, springs from). During the occupation and rule by the Muslim Moors the Madonna was hidden in nearby rocks and was rediscovered during the Christian Reconquista in the 12th century, when interest in the relic led to the establishment of Nazaré. Today the Black Madonna stands on the High Altar of this beautiful church with its gilded Baroque Neoclassical interior and each year the faithful along with visiting pilgrims venerate her in a procession. Also on the square is a viewing area known as the Belvedere,  from where one can get a panoramic vista of the town and the beach. Next to it is a tiny chapel with steps leading down to a small cave, where the Black Madonna lay hidden for400 years waiting for the Moors to depart and the Christians to return. Tomorrow I'm off to explore some towns in the vicinity of Nazaré which are of particular historic interest.

Évora - Day Two

I started my walk this morning from the Praça do Giraldo past some remnants of a Roman wall, which used to surround what is now the inner core of the city. However, most of the wall that currently encircles Évora is from the 14th century. Further on I came across a granite-columned end of the former town's aqueduct from the 16th century followed by the Porta de Donna Isabel, the Roman Arch which was once the main gate in the Roman wall. Remarkably, some of the original Roman pavement stones with their large and irregular shapes were still there. Next was probably the most stunning sight in Évora, the first century AD Roman Temple with its 14 Corinthian columns. I then took a tour of the Museum of Évora with its superb mix of Roman artifacts,  medieval statuary and 16th century Portuguese paintings from the Flemish School. I next visited the X111 century Romanesque Gothic Cathedral, which was erected on the site of a mosque. Inside, halfway down the Nave is a sumptuous Baroque Chapel with a 15th century marble statue of a pregnant Mary. At the time in this region, the Alentejo, there was a deeply felt affinity for fertility. The gorgeous Neoclassical High Altar had a Royal Box to one side. One of the highlights of the visit was climbing the Tower, which led up to the roof. It was quite an experience to wander at will on top of an 800 year old roof peering over the side between its massive battlements. The Cathedral had its own museum displaying ornaments and artifacts used over the centuries. Two which stood out were a sparkling reliquary laden with a thousand gems, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires and supposedly containing pieces of the True Cross and an intricate French made ivory statue of Mary from the 14th century holding the Infant Jesus, which opened up to reveal scences of Mary's life. Tomorrow I head off to the port of Nazaré, north of Lisbon.

Évora

The bus trip to Évora, two hours south-east of Lisbon, along the freeway on one of Portugal's modern coaches was very pleasant. Leaving Lisbon we immediately crossed over the mighty Rio Tejo by the 25th of April Bridge, a twin to San Francisco's Golden Gate, and, at over 3,000 feet between the towers, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The bridge name stems from the date of Portugal's 1974 revolution and liberation from autocratic rule. My apartment is situated in the old town which is surrounded by a medieval wall, complete with battlements. Évora is steeped in history being occupied from Romans to Moors to Portuguese kings. Its uniform whitewashed houses have a yellow trim around their doors and windows, giving a very pleasant outlook. After settling in I headed for the Praça do Giraldo, the town's central square.The Square gets its name from Giraldo the Fearless, the Christian knight who reclaimed Évora from the Moors in 1165. The buildings around the square still contain wrougt-iron balconies from the Moorish period. Located in the Square is the 16th century Church of Santo Antão with its tall Baroque altarpiece and narrow nave supported by eight round columns. In front of the church is a 16th century marble fountain, which served as an important water source for the town.  King John 111 lived in Évora for three decades and was a fervent proponent of the Inquisition. He had its first victims burned as heretics on this square in 1543. Tomorrow I'll explore this gorgeous town  a little further.

Lisbon - Day Five

I began the day with a visit to the superb Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. Portugal granted Gulbenkian political asylum during World War 11 and in return the Armenian oil tycoon bequeathed his formidable art collection, which spans over 5,000 years of history, to the State. The museum is housed in an ultra-modern building and it is a joy to stroll around the select and exquisite art works from each epoch. I started with Egypt from 2,500 to 500 BC.  The ancient Egyptians believed that life really began after death and carved statues such as images of the family's pet cat to preserve the memory of the deceased. Next was the Greek and Rome period from 500 BC to 500 AD, which had a wonderful coin collection.  One coin had an image of Alexander the Great. It also covered Mesopotamia, today's Iraq, where writing was invented some 5,000 years ago. The other sections were the Islamic World from 700 to 1500. The culture of Moorish Iberia was among Europe's most sophisticated after the Fall of Rome. The Far East followed from 1368 to 1644. The Ming dynasty ruled China for nearly 300 years and Portuguese traders brought back beautiful blue and white ceramics from the Orient. Medieval Europe from 500 to 1500 followed and displayed some laboriously copied tomes in exquisite script penned by monks in monasteries, which are virtual time capsules preserving the knowledge of the ancient cililizations of Greece and Rome. The last section was devoted to European Art and covered Renaissance and Baroque paintings from 1500 to 1700 followed by Romantic and Impressionist Works from 1700 to 2000. The collection concluded with stunning Art Nouveau glasswork and jewelry from the French designer, René Lalique. After Gulbenkian I headed to the Museum and School of Portuguese Decorative Arts, quite a mouthful. In 1947 Ricado do Espirito Santo Silver restored this former palace to house his collection of 15th to 18th century fine art and then willed it to the State. This gorgeous residence, with its grand stairway leading past 18th century glazed wall tiles, allows the visitor to experience the feeling of living in an aristocratic home during Lisbon's glory days. In the evening I had a most entertaining and amazing experience at the Corrida Portuguesa or Portuguese Bullfight, which is entirely different from the Spanish variety. Here is a chance for the bull to get Toro's Revenge and he does it in a very determined manner. Act 1 starts with a wonderfully skilled horseman, called a cavaleiro, planting several beribboned barbs into the bull's back while trying to avoid the bull's thrusting horns. In Act 11 a colourful eight-man suicide squad called forçados enters the arena and line up in single file facing the bull.The lead man then taunts the bull, slapping his knees and yelling out "Touro! Touro!" The bull starts pawing the ground and charges. The forçado braces himself for the inevitable collision and wraps his arms around the horns and hangs on while he is lifted in the air on the bull's head as el toro continues his charge. His mates join the melèe and wrestle the bull to the ground. Finally one of the forçado hangs on to the bull's tail and does wheelies. Quite a night! Tomorrow I take the bus to Évora.

Lisbon -Day Four

Today I headed off to Belém, a little west of downtown Lisbon. Belém survived the 1755 earthquake virtually intact and thus a visit here is a wonderful opportunity to experience the grandeur of pre-earthquake Lisbon. I had a great ride there trundling along on one of the old trolley trams. Lisbon has a most remarkable traffic system based on cooperation that works brilliantly. Apart from the grand avenues most of the streets are quite narrow and as a result every type of vehicle uses them. Trams, buses , trollies, cars, trucks, bikes, skateboarders, you name it, all race along flatstrap following and missing each other by inches while pedestrians scamper across from one side to the other. It's quite a sight! My first stop was the National Coach Museum, which contains a dazzling collection of carriages from around 1600 until the late 19th century. There was one used by Philip 11, king of Spain and Portugal, to shuttle between Madrid and Lisbon. Another was the ornate and long Ocean Coach, with its gold figures symbolizing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans clasping hands, a reminder of Portugal's mastery of the sea. I then went to the incredible Monastery of Jerónimos, a giant, white limestone combination church and monastery that was erected by King Manuel in the 15th century and stretches 300 yards along the waterfront. One enters the church through a Manueline portal with its elaborate carved stonework and walks between slender, palm like columns up to the massive Renaissance Altar. In a side chapel is the tomb of Portugal's heroic navigator, Vasco da Gama, whose voyages of discovery brought great wealth and power to Portugal. Next to the church was the rwo storey cloister with its lacy arcades and gargoyles. In the west wing of the Monastery there is a Maritime Museum,  which contained a superb collection of models of Caravel vessels. These were the fast, easily manoeuvrable trading vessels with three triangular sails favoured by Portugal. At that time Belém was the port where the seafarers sailed out of Lisbon and the harbour was protected with a striking white Manueline tower, built between 1515 and 1520. This tower was the last sight sailors saw as they left the port and the first on their return loaded with gold and spices. In the evening I went to the Bairro Alto to listen to some Fado at a restaurant there. Fado is folk music unique to Portugal that originated in the mid-1800s and its mournfully beautiful and haunting ballads reflecting the pining for a loved one are a joy to listen to. The singer, usually a woman, is accompanied by a 12 string Portuguese guitarra, a round bodied instrument similar to a mandolin.

Lisbon - Day Three

Today I set out to explore the Bairro Alto district and started by taking the wonderful old funicular named Elevador da Glória up a very steep slope to the San Pedro Belvedere Viewpoint. From here I had great views of some of Lisbon's iconic sights such as the twin towers of the Cathedral Sé and the São Jorge Castle, which I would visit later in the day. The Bairro Alto or High Town with its 16th century grid-plan layout is one of the most charming and characteristic districts in Lisbon. Nearby was the São Roque Church, one of Portugal's first Jesuit churches. It has a beautifully painted wood, false-domed ceiling, which, while giving a concave appearance, is perfectly flat. One of its highlights is the Chapel of St. John the Baptist with its gold and lapis lazuli columns and "three paintings" that in reality are intricate, beautiful mosaics. After the church I took a look inside the Cervejaria da Trindade, the oldest beer hall in Lisbon. It was once a monastery and its beautifully blue tiled refectory or monks' dining hall still contains a pulpit from which the Bible was read as the monks ate. I next came to the headquarters of the National Guard, where Portugal's authoritarian Prime Minister, Marcelo Caetano, took refuge following the successful revolution of 1974. This uprising was called the Carnation Revolution because the revolutionaries placed flowers in the guns of the soldiers. On the next square to the National Guard was the ruins of the Convent do Carmo, which was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. The Marquês de Pombal directed that the delicate Gothic arches of its church, supporting nothing but open sky, be left standing as a permanent reminder of that disastrous event. About a block away from the Convent I stopped for a coffee break and one of Lisbon's pastry specials, a pastel de nata or custard tart, at the 100 year old Café A Brasiliera with its Art Nouveau décor. In the 1920s and 1930s this coffee house was the literary and creative soul of Lisbon. I then headed up to the São Jorge Castle, the ancient fortification built on the highest hill in Lisbon and giving commanding views of the city in all directions. The castle dates back to the 11th century when the Moors built it as a garrison for their soldiers and to provide a safe haven in which to retreat in times of siege. In 1147 the Christian army defeated the Moors and Portugal's royalty lived here for several centuries. In the Castle grounds are some remarkable archeological ruins covering the Iron Age from the 7th to 3rd centuries BC, the 11th and 12th centuries Moorish period and the Christian era up to the 18th century. A most enjoyable day.

Lisbon - Day Two

Today was Monday and most of the museums were closed so I took a local train to Sintra, some 15 miles northwest of Lisbon. Sintra was the former summer escape of Portugal's kings and is a mix of natural and man-made beauty with its fantasy castles and lush parks. From the train station I took a bus to the thousand year old ruins of the Castelo dos Mouros or Moorish Castle. The Castle was built as a military fortress by the Moors and acted as a watchtower over the Atlantic coast. In 1840 King Ferdinand 11, a monarch with great artistic taste, restored these romantic ruins as part of the landscape of the Park of  Pena. It was a fabulous experience to clamber up and down the sandstone steps along the battlements and ascend the towers of this ancient edifice. From the Castle the bus took me up a steep, serpentine road to the Palácio de Pena or Pena Palace. This magical hilltop palace sitting high above Sintra was the inspiration of the flamboyant Ferdinand, who commissioned a German architect to build a fantasy castle mixing elements of both German and Portuguese styles. The result was a bizarre but wonderful mélange of Gothic towers, Renaissance domes, Moorish minarets and Manueline carvings. Manueline is the sumptuous 16th century composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation incorporating martime elements. From the courtyard, which was the cloister of the 16th century monastery on which the palace was built, I wandered through the Royal Dining Room and Pantry, decked out with the Royal Family's finest tableware and ceiling tiles, the King's Art Nouveau Bedroom, the Queen's Bedroom and Dressing Room,  which amazingly contained what was state-of-the-art conveniences, the very first flush toilets and hot showers in Portugal. From the Queen's balcony one could enjoy sweeping views of Lisbon. On leaving the Palace I walked through the lush Pena Park with its lakes, giant sequoia trees and exotic plants back to Sintra. In Sintra I made my way to the Palácio Nacional, which dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest surviving royal palace in Portugal. The palace is of great beauty and wonderfully maintained. Some of its outstanding features were the Swan Room, the ceiling of which is decorated with graceful swans. Apparently,  the king's daughter, who loved swans, married a Belgian prince and the king missed her so much he had swans painted above. Another was the Magpie Room. In this case the ceiling is covered in magpies. The story goes the king was caught kissing a lady-in-waiting and was so frustrated with the court gossip he had the ceiling painted with magpies. The King's bedroom was astonishing with an Italian Renaissance headboard in ebony, silver and painted copper and gorgeous Manueline tiles on the walls. The most striking room was probably the Stag Room, lined with trophies from successful hunts below a richly decorated ceiling with the King's Coat of Arms at the top surrounded by the coats of arms of his chilren. I ended my tour around the palace in the abundant kitchen  with its amazing conical twin chimneys, which rise above the palace and can be seen from afar. A delightful excursion.