Playlist
Goose - Everything Must Go
Rodrigo Leao O Rapaz da Montanha
Hideyuki Hashimoto - Time
Sensible Soccers - Manoel
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Variations on Brian Eno’s “On Land”
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Shostavovich
Up before 7 and, once again writing this…
Writing it before uploading the pictures does seem to encourage more detail than has been the case for a long time - or maybe it’s just that we’re on holiday and more is happening…
But before getting down to writing, some time spent researching the best way to get us to Braga and back today, determining that that should be by bus…
Nothing booked just yet…
And to writing…
At 8, I announced the official release of my “On Land” LP and, over the next 24 hours, I had a very good day on Bandcamp…
Also around 8, Anne arose and we agreed bus rather than train, partly due to cost, partly due to almost zero time difference and partly due to possible effects of a rail strike…
Booked to leave at 10:35, giving us good time to get to the departure venue and to return at 6:55, giving us 7.5 hours or so in Braga…
We left the house just before 9...
...and walked a more direct route than usual to the station at Sao Bento…
There, two journeys on the Metro each were purchased, followed by a half hour two leg trip via Trindade to Campanha, from where the bus would leave…
We found the departure point and, with that all achieved, only then was it breakfast time…
We’d ended up giving ourselves an hour of slack but that was better than cutting it fine…
All went smoothly with the arrival of the bus, the boarding and the departure and at 10:35 on the button, we were heading North to Braga…
We arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule...
...and walked to the historic old town, noting what looked at first sight like a real horse…
To the main square, Praca da Republica...
...and popped into Tourist Information to get our bearings…
Into the old town, along the Rua do Souto...
...past the University...
...we soon found the oldest cathedral in Portugal...
...and bought tickets to enter…
Hats off…
We were soundtracked by the organist practising on the spectacular organ, as we gazed upon the opulence on show…
Cathedrals eh?
We emerged into the sun at midday...
...and after a further walk around the old town, including the Arco da Porta Nova...
...found a spot for lunch opposite the university…
At 1:15, we were at the requisite bus stop for the 15 minute journey out of town to the Bom Jesus monument and gardens…
We took the funicular up the hill, intending to walk back down the pilgrims’ steps later…
The buildings at and views afforded from the top were spectacular and their own wildlife too…
Cats and turtles…
We entered the church for more opulence and idolatry…
One of the best altars we’ve seen - not often, if at all, the Romans’ presence is so physically acknowledged…
An entire display of “relics” above the strangest ever (apart from that time we saw a pickled Pope in a small town in Italy) - those of San Cemente, a 3rd Century martyred Roman Soldier, whose remains are in a box, encased in wax…
As we emerged from the church, the forecast rain had started…
It eased slightly, allowing for the enjoyment of ice cream…
However, as we walked down the steps, the heavens well and truly opened…
By the time we got to the bus terminus, I was soaked to the skin...
...while Anne was suffering from trenchfoot!
On arriving back in Braga, we avoided some of the rain in a shopping arcade and then, with precipitation easing somewhat, spent almost an hour looking for a bar...
...and ended up back at Praca da Republica, in Cafe Vianna, where beers were enjoyed, as I dripped, sat in a sodden shirt, jeans and shoes…
An hour later, only slightly drier, into nearby Caffé Italy, for more beer...
...and top notch pizzas…
With the rain finally off, we walked back to the bus station, overseen by Augustus,,,
and found the stance…
All went according to plan…
By 7:50 we were back at Campanha...
...and took the Metro...
...back to Trindade...
...from where we made the walk to the apartment, which we were going to do on our initial arrival had we not alighted early…
Home at 8:30, for coffees and biscuits and listening to the CD from yesterday and watching my numbers blow up on Bandcamp…
A couple of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and it was almost midnight on another packed day…
Highlight of the Day : Braga and Bom Jesus…
Today's New Music
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