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 |
