The Road is Long

For the 350,000 annual pilgrims to Santiago de Compostello, the road is not easy. In order to get the certification for the completion of the pilgrimage, one must walk a minimum of 70 miles or ride a bike 140 miles. You can also ride a horse should you choose and the distance for that is also 70 miles. For us the bus will suffice, and our certification will have to wait for another day. Many will stop in at the Bom Jesus church. Renowned for the illusion of the hidden staircase this shrine sits high above the town of Braga and this too has been a pilgrimage destination for many of the faithful. Beautiful gardens and a very strong spiritual presence. However, the holy grail is Santiago. The magnificence of the cathedral, the surrounding old town with narrow streets and hidden alleyways along with the influx of 1200 to 1400 pilgrims a day makes it a constant beehive of activity. The draw to the cathedral is also enhanced by those wishing to pay homage to the Apostle James who is buried in the crypt. The tapa bars are both enticing and fun and the buskers in the streets are world class. We particularly enjoyed an opera singer who was singing beneath a stone covered passage and the acoustics were amazing. Click on my video at

Well that’s it for another Blog. For those of you who have tagged along, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it. Watch for the next one which should be coming from the Danube later next month. VIAGEM FELIZES!!

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Picturesque Porto

At the mouth of the Douro River sits the picturesque and bustling tourist town of Porto, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and 200 km south of the Spanish border. It’s iconic railway bridge inspired by Gustav Eiffel (yes, the same guy who built a tower in Paris) connects north and south Portugal. It is the gateway for pilgrims to make their way to Santiago de Compostello. You can find sea scalloped shaped directional arrows around the cathedral square to get you on your way for the pilgrimage. Though today we have chosen to do a walk about on the boardwalks on either side of the river and do some people watching and sangria sampling instead. It is a Sunday and local families along with the throngs of tourists are out in full force as the weather is perfect and our guide and waiter say they have never seen the crowds like this since the beginning of the pandemic. Shoppers, lovers, diners, acrobats and street vendors are a mosaic unto themselves as everyone is embracing this picture-perfect day. We had sailed in the previous night under the skies of a pale blue/pink sunset. Particularly ominous considering some sad news from back home just an hour previously. It was nice to be out on our own, making our own itinerary and keeping to our own time schedule rather than being herded around not being able to take the time to reflect at our own pace. The city was undamaged by the earthquake of 1755 and remained intact to preserve the historical significance of both the church and the nobility. VIAGEM FELIZES!!

Pilgrimage Through the Douro Valley

I was anticipating more terraced vineyards than churches and castles but the route to Santiago de Compostela also goes through the Douro region. After a stop at the palace of Mateus which is featured on the label of the bottle of the famous rosé wine, we are onto the historical village of Rodrigo. This was a stop off point on a pilgrimage enroute to Santiago which was set up by the Order of Christ. There is a long history, and the ruins of the Castelo Rodrigo will never be rebuilt because of superstition and legend, as its destruction is a symbol of the independence from Spanish oppression. The town of Salamanaca with its dual cathedrals is truly a walk back in time to medieval 1500. It is amazing how the construction and the magnificence of the tributes to God were able to be completed by primitive building methods. This town was a jumping off point to the Douro Valley with the ultimate goal of pilgrims reaching Santiago. I must confess that I probably had never heard of Douro Valley a year ago. It is dwarfed in size by the Rhine and Danube but it stands tall when comparing to the magnitude of its scenic grandeur, terraced vineyards, and olive trees. The diversity of the wine products from table wines to Port to Muscadel is unparalleled. I have been convinced, if there was ever any doubt, that Portuguese wine is definitively a world class leader. We have been to a few of the more notable ones, including Sandman and Quinta Avessada. The region is also known for its four-corner bread and a trip to one of the local bakeries serving up freshly baked loafs with butter and quinze marmalade tops off any morning of touring. VIAGEM FELIZES!!

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