Europe 2026 - A Film Set and a Weekend in Porto

Friday 20th March

We slept well as the church clock was silent during the night, though we did wake up to rain. We were due to visit Guimaraes but couldn’t see the point in the rain.

I had read in reviews on the site that the showers were good and hot, so I treated myself! It was nice to be under a continuous flow of water! I went back and told Richard how good it was so he went over. He came back saying that the water was cold - had I used all the hot water ☹️

The rain stopped so we decided to revert to plan A and go to Guimaraes, but first we had to find someone to pay for our pitch. We started walking up the drive to the house and came across Senhor who we duly paid. He was quite insistent that we go up to the house and see it and the gardens. The only problem was that a film crew were there with lots of equipment, but we didn’t see a soul!

Guimaraes was only a stone’s throw away. We parked up and headed for the old town. It was certainly charming. We had lunch in one of the squares which was very tasty. We both had shrimp risotto and it was full of pieces of shrimp.

We wandered back to Kiwi and set off for Porto. If you are a regular reader you may remember that last year we went to Porto to meet up with my second cousin, Kathy. We had two days of rain but this year the forecast was looking good, so we were hopeful of seeing Porto in the dry.

We arrived at our site for the next three nights. We stayed at Istas Garden last year too. It is a little haven in the built up area of Gaia, on the south side of the Douro River.

Here is a bit of history on Guimaraes. It is widely known as the "Cradle of the Portuguese Nation" (Berço da Nação). Its history is the story of Portugal’s transition from a small county to an independent kingdom.

Before it was a kingdom, the area was a small settlement called Vimaranes. In 959 AD, the powerful Countess Mumadona Dias founded a monastery. To protect the monks and the local population from Viking and Moorish raids, she ordered the construction of the Guimarães Castle on the "Sacred Hill" (Monte Latito). In the late 11th century, the Burgundian knight Henry of Burgundy was granted the County of Portugal by the King of León. He made Guimarães his seat of government, setting the stage for independence. However, the most pivotal moment in the city’s history occurred just outside its walls. 1128, the young Afonso Henriques (son of Henry) led a revolt against his own mother, Countess Teresa, and her Galician lover. Afonso wanted total independence from the Kingdom of León. After winning the battle, Afonso Henriques declared himself Prince of Portugal. By 1139, he was acclaimed as the first King of Portugal, and Guimarães served as the fledgling nation's first capital. As the "Reconquista" (the push to reclaim land from the Moors) moved south, the capital eventually shifted to Coimbra and then Lisbon. However, Guimarães remained a religious and aristocratic hub.

In 2001, the historic center was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famous for its "taipa" (timber-frame) construction and exceptionally well-preserved medieval street plan.

Saturday 21^st March

There was a cockerel quite close to us which decided that dawn was about 3am!  It then proceeded to crow hourly about 8am, when it stopped! 

We got an Uber into Gaia, which is on the south side of the River Duoro (Porto is on the north side).  I hadn’t done my research properly and the taxi dropped us off in entirely the wrong place to where we wanted to be, in fact 2 miles away.  Not realising quite how far it was we set off walking along a wooden boardwalk which was built over the sea.  It was a highway for joggers who held no regard for walkers at all and were super annoying.  

The plan had been to get a trip boat and do the 6 Bridges cruise, but the queues were quite long, so we gave it up as a lost cause.  Anyway it was almost lunch time and we chose a pizza restaurant. The pizzas weren’t brilliant, soggy bottoms, but we got talking to two American couples on the next table who were very interesting and who took the edge off the, not so brilliant, pizzas! 

We met up with Kathy and took the cable car up to the upper deck of the Luís I bridge and walked over the river, peering 148 feet down to the river and houses below.   We walked up to the Cathedral Square but didn’t go into the cathedral, it didn’t look very inspiring. From there we went to the Church of Santa Clara but they wanted cash and we hadn’t got enough.  At that point we decided that sangria sounded a much better option than sightseeing, so wandered off to a cafe that served a mean sangria 🤣.  

While we were at the cafe we could hear drums and then Police seemed to descend. There were a crowd of people waving flags of the  Portuguese Communist Party (PCP – Partido Comunista Português).  From the other direction came a march by people with pro-life banners but they turned off in a different direction. Next minute the PCP crowd had moved off along with the police.  I had wanted to go to the Mercardo de Bolhao and on our way we came across a huge march (to which our little crowd of PCP people were heading), and that was where all the police had gone to as well. 

We finally made it to the market and left Richard just inside the door while Kathy and I had a quick look round. I got a phone call from Richard saying he had been chucked out as it was no dogs - we couldn’t find a sign that said that and as it is semi open air it was dubious as to whether it was dog friendly or not. 

It was then home time. The march had caused traffic chaos so we walked to the Praça do General Humberto Delgado where the City Hall is and got an Uber back to the campsite.

We were exhausted - we had walked 4.7 miles, which is a long way for two people who don’t really walk very far!

More tomorrow!

I discovered later that the big march had been organized by the "Casa para Viver" platform, and was part of a coordinated protest across 16 Portuguese cities to demand government intervention regarding the cost of living and housing rights.  The PCP were just gate crashing the event!  

Sunday 22^nd March

Either the cockerel has a lie in on a Sunday, or I didn’t hear him until 7am.  

It was an early start for me as I had a washing machine booked for 9am. Last year when we were here it was a free for all with the free washing machine and tumble drier. This year they are charging and you have to book it. I guess it is a better idea.

Once the washing was finished, I called an Uber and we set off to visit the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) where we to meet Kathy.  I had bought tickets online so went in to book our guided tour.  I had to queue up with people who hadn’t got tickets which was annoying.  I was almost at the front of the queue when a booth opened for online tickets!  Our tour was booked for 1.30pm so we had an hour to kill.  Kathy suggested that we go to the Church of Saint Francis which was just round the corner. 

The Church of Saint Francis (Igreja de São Francisco) is a spectacular Gothic church renowned for having one of the most extraordinary gold-leaf interiors in Europe. While its exterior reflects a sober 14th-century Gothic style, the interior was transformed during the 17th and 18th centuries into a masterpiece of Baroque "talha dourada" (gilded woodcarving).  Almost every surface of the church—including columns, altars, and the ceiling—is covered in intricate gilded woodcarvings, using an estimated 300 to 400 kilograms of gold leaf.  Below the church lies an extensive ossuary and cemetery where Franciscan friars and noble families were buried.  There is also a "bone pit" which you can see through a glass floor, but we missed it! The church is amazing but sadly there is a no photographing rule, so I borrowed a photo from the internet.

We stopped for a drink and some chips, then Richard and I went for our guided tour of the Palacio da Bolsa.  The building was started in 1842 with money from Queen Maria II and it took nearly 70 years to complete, with Maria’s great grandson, King Manuel II.  Maria was the first monarch of Portugal and Manuel was the last.  The building is widely considered one of the most beautiful 19th-century buildings in Portugal. It serves as the headquarters of the Porto Commercial Association and is a centerpiece of the city's UNESCO World Heritage.  The undisputed star of the palace. Inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, this room took 18 years to complete. It is covered in intricate Moorish-style carvings and over 18 kg of gold leaf.  The Nations' Courtyard (Pátio das Nações): This is the grand entrance hall, The Nations’ Coirtyard (Pátio das Nações) features a massive glass-and-iron dome that floods the space with light, surrounded by the painted coats of arms of the nation’s Portugal traded within the 19th century.  The Portrait Room is famousfor its "floating" table—a masterpiece of wood marquetry that creates an optical illusion (sadly I couldn’t get near it to take a photo).  There is also a monumental granite staircase (The Gold Staircase) decorated with ornate sculptures and chandeliers, which weigh over a ton each.

Kathy very kindly dog sat Rio so that Richard and I could do the two visits.

We took an Uber across the city to the The Church of Santa Clara (Igreja de Santa Clara) which is often called the "Golden Churchl.  It is one of the most stunning examples of Portuguese Baroque, specifically the style known as Talha Dourada (gilded woodwork).  The church was founded in 1416 during the reign of King John I. At the request of Queen Philippa of Lancaster, a community of nuns from the Order of Saint Clare (the Poor Clares) was relocated to this site within Porto's city walls.  There is also church was completed in 1457 when the original Gothic-style church and the adjoining convent were completed. In the 17th and 18th centuries was the time of the Golden Transformation when the church became what it is today.  Following the Liberal Wars in Portugal in 1834, religious orders were abolished. The convent was eventually closed, but the church remained a place of worship and was later designated a National Monument in 1910.  In 2021 a €12 million restoration project was completed, cleaning centuries of dust and grime from the gold leaf and restoring the vibrant colors of the statues.  Today it is a real wow church.

From the Church of Santa Clara, we just happened to pass the cafe where we had had a sangria the day before, so we had another one!  Well, it would have been rude not to have done really 😂

Michal was waiting for us back at his and Kathy’s apartment, so we wandered down.  It was lovely to see him again and, as last year, he had made a lovely table of tapas.  We sat and talked about all sorts and before we knew where we were it was time to get an Uber and send our way back to Kiwi.  We were both shattered when we got back so both has an early night.

We had had a wonderful time in Porto.  We enjoyed it last year even in the rain but this year, in the sunshine, it was a whole different place.  Of course, the company made it even more special.  Kathy is my 3rd cousin on my mother’s side but not only is she a cousin she is now a special friend.  Thank you Kathy and Michal for making our time in Porto so special.

Europe 2026 - 2 Basilicas, a Roman Bridge and some Cockle Pickers

Tuesday 17th March

Hardly anything to write after Monday.

We left Santiago de Compostela in lovely sunshine and drove 60 miles to Combarro. The plan had been to park up alongside the road and walk into the village but it all got too complicated (don’t ask) so we drove on to our Aire for the night.

Rio loved our park up as we were right beside a park and we kept taking him out for a run. Sadly this was an aire and not a site we couldn’t get the chairs out but we had all the windows and door open and we were lovely and cool.

I spent the afternoon trying to get to grips with my crochet. I haven’t done any for a couple of years and have forgotten everything ☹️ I must do it just so that Richard can’t say, again, that my crochet has been on holiday for no reason!

About 9pm we heard a car pull in front of us and then the music started - loud music. It went on for about 30 minutes then stopped and it all went quiet. We were worried that he was part of a group who were gathering but he was on his own and slept in his car all night.


Wednesday 18th March

We were woken about 7am by a crowd of people chatting opposite us. Gradually they moved away. When Richard took Rio out he saw a line of people on the tide line and realised that they were cockle pickers.

We were away by 10am, which is unusual and, as we didn’t have far to go, was a bit daft really.

We had planned to go to a site in Vigo, but it was going to be too early for us to get there, so I changed our plans and we headed to Vigo castle which stands in the middle of the city on a hill. Bad choice! If there is one thing that Richard doesn’t like it is cities, and driving in cities is even worse, add to that in a 7.5 motorhome and, well ….. I have to say he was very calm and there was little or no huffing and puffing! What made it worse was that we got up to the castle and there wasn’t a parking place to be seen. We guessed that office workers must park up there and walk into work. This meant that we had to go back down into the city and find our site. I made a suggestion, to which Richard readily agreed, to get out of Vigo as both of us felt we were done with the city. In hindsight I’m sure once we had calmed down everything would have been fine, but the decision had been made. I set Mrs Google up to take us back to Combarro while I worked out where we would go. In the end I decided to go on to Viana do Castelo, our first point of call for Thursday. It was another 60 miles but all on motorways.

We crossed the border into Portugal, but forgot all about the change of time to GMT until later in the afternoon.

We needed milk so stopped at a Lidl, but they didn’t sell fresh milk! I just don’t like long life milk. Has anyone any idea why all Lidl shops seem to smell the same? The one we used to go to in Mojacar had exactly the same smell.

Our park up for the night was 650 feet above the town of Viana do Castelo where there is a beautiful Basilica. We were the only motorhome up there and once the Basilica closed, we were alone.

We walked round the outside of the Basilica and admired the wonderful view, and the lovely building. The Santuário de Santa Luzia (The Basilica of Viana do Castelo) is officially called the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it is the most iconic landmark in the city. Perched on top of Mount Santa Luzia, this 20th-century Basilica is a stunning blend of Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Gothic styles. The styling of the Santa Luzia suggests a longer history than it actually has, as it was only commissioned in 1904 and fully completed in 1943. Interestingly, the first religious service held in the church was seventeen years earlier than the final completion. The actual floor area church is surprisingly small and unlike many traditional gothic religious buildings, it is light and bright. The large amount of natural light flows through the two huge rose windows (these are largest Rose windows in the Iberian Peninsula). The amazing altar is made from marble and granite - the building was built from granite but has some lovely colours in it.

We had hoped to use the funicular to go down into Viana do Castelo but sadly the track had been damaged in one of the storms that hit Portugal earlier this year, so it was closed.

We knew we wouldn’t be lonely up at the Basilica as there is a huge hotel which loomed over us. The Pousada de Viana do Castelo (a 4 star establishment) officially opened in 1979, but was originally built as the Hotel de Santa Luzia in 1921. It has 51 rooms consisting of 32 Superior Rooms, 3 Suites and 16 Standard Rooms. Room rates vary from £98 to £160 a night. We decided to stay in Kiwi!

Thursday 19th March

We had a very quiet night, though a breeze must have got up about 4am as I could hear a tree rubbing on the roof of the van. I put my Snoozeband on (no music or story) and it drowned out the noise.

We set off for Ponte de Lima, which was only about 22 miles. The one thing the town is not short of is parking, there were three large ones. But Ponte de Lima isn’t known for its parking, it has a Roman bridge which is one of the most iconic landmarks in Portugal, essentially acting as a living timeline of engineering. While often called "the Roman bridge," what you see today is actually a composite of two distinct eras. The original bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Augustus to serve the Via XIX, a vital Roman road connecting Braga (Bracara Augusta) to Astorga. As the town grew and the river changed, the bridge needed a massive upgrade. Under King Pedro I (around 1359–1370), the bridge was extended to its current length to reach the town's new fortified walls. I could tell you a lot more history about the bridge but I’m sure you might fall asleep! I will tell you a little story though. One of the most famous stories in Portuguese history took place right here. In 138 BC, Roman soldiers reached the banks of the Lima and refused to cross. They believed it was the mythical River Lethe, which would wipe the memory of anyone who touched its waters. To prove them wrong, their commander, Decimus Junius Brutus, rode his horse across alone. Once on the other side, he called each soldier by name to prove he still remembered them. You can see statues on both sides of the river—a legion of nervous soldiers on one bank and their general triumphantly calling to them from the other.

The pretty town of Ponte de Lima is widely recognized as the oldest town in Portugal, characterized by its deep historical roots and well-preserved medieval architecture. Situated along the banks of the Lima River in the Minho region, it serves as a major cultural hub and a key stop for pilgrims on the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela.

We were still on the hunt for fresh milk and I found an Intermarche on the other side of town and managed to get some though there were only a few cartons of it.

We also needed lpg/gpl but neither Richard nor the attendant could make the pump work, so we gave up and continued on, finding another a bit further on which worked.

Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga was next on the itinerary. This is a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Portugal's most iconic religious landmarks. The sanctuary is most famous for its dramatic zigzagging staircase, which serves as a symbolic pilgrimage route. The journey is divided into sections that lead visitors through a narrative of faith and purification. Needless to say we didn’t climb the steps. We took the funicular which was built in 1882, and is the oldest water-balanced funicular in the world still in operation.

Between the years of 1373 to 1722 the first record of a religious presence was a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross in 1373. Over the next few centuries, several modest chapels and a pilgrim house were built, but the site remained relatively simple until the early 18th century.

Between 1722 to 1789 under Archbishop Rodrigo de Moura Telles, the grand vision for the sanctuary began. He commissioned the first zig-zagging stairways and the chapels of the Via Crucis. The architecture from this era is distinctly Baroque, characterized by its dramatic perspective and ornamental stonework.

The completion of the Basilica between 1784 to1857 was done under Archbishop Gaspar de Bragança later decided to replace the old Baroque church with a larger, modern structure. Architect Carlos Amarante designed the current Neoclassical basilica, which became one of the first of its style in Portugal.

Back in Kiwi we set off for our overnight stop which was a motorhome site in a village called Tabuadelo. We were the only ones there! There was a church overlooking the site which struck the quarter hour, I hoped it would stop overnight as it was very loud!

About 8pm the church bells started to peel out a tune, then fireworks started, then drums. Research showed that it may well have been Las Fallas, one of Spain’s most spectacular and chaotic festivals, held annually from March 1st to 19th to celebrate St. Joseph (San José), the patron saint of carpenters. Fallas are structures made of wood, papier-mâché, and polystyrene. They feature ninots (lifesize puppets or dolls). Each neighborhood has two fallas: a Falla Infantil (for children) and a larger Falla Grande. On the night of March 19, the festival ends with the burning of all the monuments starting around 8:00 PM for the children's fallas and midnight for the main ones. Only one ninot—the Ninot Indultat (Pardoned Ninot)—is saved from the fire each year by popular vote and placed in the Fallas Museum. The ritual started again at 9pm then all went quiet, and, thank goodness, there wasn’t a midnight ritual! In 2016, UNESCO added Las Fallas to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.