Lisbon

We leave Porto on a nice sunny day.

The view from our hotel.

Our next stop on the way to Lisbon is Fatima.  Fatima is home to the Sanctuary of Fatima, a Catholic pilgrimage site.  Here we saw people crawling on their knees towards the festivities.  Apparently back in 1917 apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary appeared to three shepherd children.

The town consists of lots of shops selling all the same thing related to the Sanctuary of Fatima.

Then we arrive in Lisbon at our hotel.

Day Two in Porto

Sightseeing in Porto

The main plaza

The Palacio da Bolsa

Depending on the occasion sometimes there are red carpets on the stairs.

Beautiful tile work

Going for a tasting of port.



Very smooth but too early in the day to knock this back!

A lovely market with lots of choices for lunch.

Castle of Guimaraes 

We board the venicular…

At the top is Sanctuary of Born Jesus do Monte

We then go to dinner.  It is really raining this evening.  We head to Lisbon tomorrow.

Heading to Porto

It’s beautiful and green as we make our way west to Porto.

They grow grains for livestock.

We stop at Mateus Palace.

The reflecting pool.

Beautiful manicured gardens

We arrive in to Porto.  Unfortunately the weather is cool with periods of rain.  

We are taking a cruise on the Duomo River.

Cruising down the Duomo is colourful.  They are adding more color to the buildings to brighten up the city as the use of stone can make it appear very dark especially in winter.



Another boat with tourists.  Years ago these boats were used to transport kegs of port.

The use of tile is common.  Due to high humidity some surfaces are easily damaged.  The tile is a good option.

Hospital

Church of the Clerics

Palacio da Bolsa

Segovia, Avila and Salamanca

After breakfast we head out to Segovia travelling across the rugged Sierra de Guadarrama.

Alcazar of Segovia.  This medieval castle was destroyed by fire however the outside remained intact.

We enter Segovia.  Church of Segovia.



This 1st century Roman aqueduct system is still intact.  No mortar was used in it’s construction.  It’s now UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gothic cathedral that took 200 years to complete.

Then we drive to Avila which has these amazing city walls.  They are in incredible condition.



Then we drive to Salamanca where we will spend the night.  This is our hotel which used to be a nun’s residence.

Salamanca is a famous town known for its university.

This is a private residence. I wonder if they might require a housesitter?

Another beautiful door.

Beautiful ceiling at University of Salamanca

A stork has built a huge nest on this bell tower.

The view from our room at night!