Masks, Meseta, and Misericords

 It was a little frosty yesterday morning so we took the opportunity to lie in - to around 815am (yes, the fluffy one thinks that this is lying in).

Our morning sky

The Iberian Museum of the Mask and the Costume within the walls of the castelo opened at 9 so we strolled up the steep path to discover that dogs aren’t allowed in - sigh. I went in first and paid the 2 euro 26 cents (weird pricing) for both of us. It’s a fabulous collection of costumes worn in winter festivals in several villages around the region of Tras-Os-Montes and into Spain. According to the information sheet they are known in English as the Feasts of the Boys (Festas dos Rapazes).They are ancient pagan celebrations that have been integrated into the Christian religious calendar. Unfortunately the lighting and the glass cases did not make for great photos and it’s a shame there were no videos of the events but the collection itself is very interesting. Some are very similar to traditional British folk costumes, particularly the paper tatters and te straw man. They have a folk dance tradition called Pauliteiras which is very similar to morris Dancing. You can find videos on YouTube if you want to check it out.

Familiar face

Paper tatters

Straw chap

Cute smile

Having had our fill of demons and skeletons we popped into the supermarket to stock up on fabulous Douro and Alentejo wines then bid farewell to Portugal. The route took us across the dry, flat meseta to our next stop Léon in Spain where we parked by the river and walked into the old town to peruse the grand cathedral and find a restaurant. It’s one of the main waypoints on the Compostela and we’d been before several years ago. It’s an impressive cathedral but we both found it strangely devoid of atmosphere - maybe it’s just us. There’s an impressive altar of course and some amazing carvings and stained glass windows. The old town was buzzing with bars and cafes but, as we were eating early (around 730 and most kitchens didn’t open till 830), the only place we found to eat was a pizza joint. Very good it was too.

Understated altar

Cute green man

Mermaid misericord

 We’re now still on the Compostela in Carrion De Los Condes. Just about every restaurant is closed but we found one with a menu del dia for 14 euros - three courses with wine. Excellent.

Our overnight stop

Waymarkers on the footpaths

Child Bride and Perky Duke

Around 800 years ago a Spanish princess, Isabella of Aragon, married a much older King Dinis of Spain just near where we were parked at Trancoso in the mountains of Portugal. She was later canonised for putting up with her husband’s affairs, looking after the children he had with his many mistresses, and turning bread into flowers. I’m sure there was more to it than that but you get the gist. There is a lovely pair of statues of them both outside the walls of the fortified city - apparently the woman is smaller than the man as she was only a child when they married. The town had a very chilled vibe, mainly because it was Sunday and everything was shut but we managed to catch another castelo (yes, with washing hanging on the walls) and a small Jewish centre. 

More washing on the castle walls

Rather like chess pieces, we thought

Our night in the car park was uneventful but for Graham waking up to a strange light show outside. Was it someone checking out the van in an attempt to break in, or was it the spirit of Isabella paying us a visit? It turned out to be the full moon making an appearance through a slit in our skylight, much to the fluffy one’s relief. (In case you’re wondering, I have no idea why this paragraph is sitting in this position on the page)

The drive today took us through the high Douro River regions with vast stretches of vineyards, a few goats, and yet more olive groves along the route. At one point we were driving through clouds and could barely see the road ahead but Graham’s masterful driving got us through unscathed and we arrived in Bragança just in time for a yummy lunch at a restaurant we’d visited many years ago just inside the castle walls.

Unfortunate angle of Duke Fernando

Our last Portuguese castelo

Tasca Do Zé Tuga is a traditional (but slightly overpriced due to its location) Portuguese restaurant with an old fashioned interior, very nice jazz music, and the best chocolate ice cream we’ve ever tasted. Our waiter was very friendly even after Hugo tried to bite him for giving him a pat on the head. We later strolled around town and learned that all the museums were closed (of course) but we hope to see the Mask Museum in the morning before we head to Spain.

Perfection 

Loving this cute interior

A Chilly Dickie

 A touch of colour on a grey morning

What a shocker to wake up to zero degrees this morning. I suppose that’s what comes from parking by a lake in the middle of nowhere. We’ve had days of sunshine parked up by a sparkly fairytale church

Sparkly church 

(where the fluffy one reversed into a tree), a pootling river, and a sanctuary of the virgin -

Sanctuary at Oliveira de Azeméis 

of course.

A Snuggly Dickie

A chilly lake

A place for water nymphs

We are in Bragança in the Trás-os-Montes area of Portugal today and the fog is well and truly coming down from the mountains. Last night we were alone by the Baragem (dam) Azibo. It was quiet and, not surprisingly, watery. When we arrived in Bragança today we were the first ones here. Now there are about a dozen other vans but we don’t care as we have had yet another of our most fabulous meals on the trip so far just inside the walls of the old city.

Castle walls

Supposedly Iron Age boar with 15th century pillory

If you ever find yourself here go to Tasca Do Ze Tuga for a traditional Portuguese meal of octopus, pork, or (as our French neighbours had) wild boar stew.

More dragon/octopus

Who knew olive pie could be so yummy

Tomorrow - back to Spain.