Good Morning!
I saw this beautiful mural painted at the entrance of a garage on my way to the trail.
One of the most famous legends associated with Viana do Castelo is the legend of the Princess of Viana. According to the legend, in the 15th century, a beautiful princess named Joana was in love with a knight from Castile. However, her father, the king of Portugal, forbade the relationship and arranged for Joana to marry a Portuguese nobleman. The princess was so heartbroken that she fell ill and died soon after her wedding. The legend says that her ghost still haunts the castle where she lived, and that she appears to lovers who come to the castle seeking her blessing.
When I visit cities in Europe, I expect statues like this one to be a war memorial, but I seldom, if at all see WWII Statues. Portugal stayed somewhat neutral during World War II. Many European Jews fled to Portugal, which was one of the last countries accepting people fleeing the Nazi Regime. However, it was also a country where high-ranking Nazis loved to go. Portugal was not quite as neutral as it aspired to be. This statue is dedicated to the seafaring men of Castelo.
The other side of the statue shows the women and children left behind when ships didn’t return. It was a most hazardous occupation.
According to Around the World, "During the Middle Ages, Viana do Castelo grew in importance as a port town, and it played a crucial role in Portugal’s Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. Many of the town’s historic buildings date back to this period, including the Cathedral of St. Mary the Great (Viana do Castelo Cathedral), which was built in the 15th century, and the Renaissance-style Town Hall, which was built in the 16th century."
Facing the sea that was responsible for Viana’s history, a baroque church guards the image of Nossa Senhora da Agonia, the patron saint of fishermen. She is taken out every year on 20 August to bless the sea in one of the most colorful festivals in Portugal, where the beauty and richness of the costumes that are paraded during the festivities are notable.
I hesitated to walk up the long flight of stairs to see another church, but I am glad I did. This smallish church was magnificent and a rich part of Castelo’s history.
Looking up at the ceiling of the church.
Portugal has cool children’s playgrounds. The ship in the background is also for children to play in.
Today’s walk had plenty of boardwalk, and it was full of people walking and biking. According to the signage, Vinha Fort, also known as the Areosa fortalice or the Old Castle, is located in the place of Rego de Fontes, to the south of the Vinha cove, and was one of the four forts built on the coast between Caminha and Viana do Castelo at the end of the Portuguese Restauration War (1640-1668) to suppress the frequent Algerian and Salentino pirate raids on the Portuguese coast.
There was no information on these structures, but they dotted the coast at equidistant intervals. This was the only one painted.
In a photo, it is difficult to gauge the size of the waves. They were impressive. I assume surfers pick areas where the waves don’t crash into big boulders.
A long part of the walk was along the ocean on a wide dirt path.
The Coastal Ecovia is a 214 km (133-mile) route from Cape St Vincent to Vila Real de Santo António, part of EuroVelo, with access to beaches and scenic views. I saw large groups of cyclists, primarily men, on a multi-day journey.
There were lots of these pretty fuchsia flowers, never in a bunch, just lone blooms.
I stopped here for a bite of lunch and the opportunity to use the facilities.
I ordered a tosta mista, which is a crunchy grilled cheese. It was great.
The clouds were gathering, but I made it to my hotel without any rain. I read a great story today that actually took place in Spain. It seems there was a wedding, and at weddings in this area, the men played a game where the man throws a spear and rides like hell to catch the spear before it hits the ground. Just as the groom threw his spear, a gust of wind caught the spear, and over the cliff it went with the groom and his horse into the turbulent sea, both drowning. At that exact moment, the boat carrying the remains of Saint James happened to be passing. As the wedding guests were about to give up, the man and his horse arose from the sea, covered in scallop shells. So in memory of the miracle, pilgrims use the scallop shell.
When I looked inland, there were mountains. Not as big as the Alps and no glaciers.
These panels were across from the entrance to my hotel. I love to tease Dennis about the six free
accordion lessons he won as a kid. He could have been famous.
I upgraded my hotels when I booked this trip. It wasn’t very much more. I may have made a mistake. This was the first night in a standard hotel with an included meal. I have enjoyed the beautiful upgraded rooms, but this hotel is also lovely, and I am so glad to be back in local restaurants where it feels more authentic. My buffet meals were good, but tonight’s meal was outstanding. I ate at Restaurante Lagoa Azul.
In my bread basket were these two strange-looking pieces of bread. They were very moist, almost cake-like but not at all sweet, maybe pumpernickel without any strong rye flavor. Wonderful. Different from anything I have ever had.
The first course was a cream of vegetable soup called "sopa de legumes,” with the flavors of many different vegetables. I could identify bits of kale and cabbage. It was packed with flavor and reputed to be very healthy.
My main course was massive. I hardly touched the fries or the rice. I first went for the salad, which featured fresh lettuce and fennel. I love fennel. The chicken was grilled, but not on a gas or charcoal grill; instead, it was cooked on a flat-top. It was a little crisp on the outside and topped with a mushroom white sauce that made me want to lick the plate. I now have lunch for tomorrow, two pieces of chicken on a home-baked roll.
Dessert was flan. As flan goes, this was good. I always remember why I prefer creme brûlée over flan. It is the texture.
So all in all, today was a great day to be on the Camino.
Goodnight and God bless.
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