Paling Around in Portugal: North to South to North

I never imagined that I'd ever visit Portugal, a place seemingly tinged with exotic culture and an air of unknown. I thought if I ever ventured to that part of the world, it’d be a trip to Spain, a more typical tourist destination. But then I met one of my flatmates and Portugal became a reality.

I lived with Catia all year at Cheney Student Village, along with a fantastic group of others from around the world. So once my postgraduate coursework was complete, I figured a trip was necessary to celebrate the finale of my time abroad. She offered a free bed and entertainment in Braga and so, my journey began.

My friend Miriam decided to splurge and join me on the vacation, which was much needed after the stress of moving, job hunting, and finishing up major projects. We found flights from Birmingham to Porto on the dreaded RyanAir for a measly £37 and pre-booked train tickets from Oxford. Only an hour away, Birmingham is a great alternative to London as a departure city. However, be sure to get to the station early in order to avoid getting in a physical brawl with a ticket machine, as Miriam so gracefully did—but we’ll skip over the part where some elderly ladies were befuddled by our abusive tactics. PS: If you order tickets early, you’ll need a confirmation number and/or a credit card number to access your information.

It was a quick jaunt to southern Europe and we arrived in Portugal’s second largest city within two hours. From the airport, Catia and her sister Dina picked us up and we hit the highway American style to get to Braga. This northern city has plenty to see and is a good place to get an initial taste of Portugal. Start out in the center of the city near Idol’s Fountain, where on a breezy day you’ll feel the spray of the water as you sit with a coffee in a nearby café. Drink your espresso Portuguese style by stirring it with a cinnamon stick.

Wander through the wide boulevards and take in the gothic

architecture, especially at the Braga Cathedral. Find the church pictured to the right and then try to find the roosters… the number of minutes if takes you to find them is the number of years you will wait until you’re married. Santa BarbaraPortugal. garden is near and ideal for a photo-op, plus on your way there you’ll pass the narrowest house in northern

Invest in a rental car or hitchhike* your way up the tree laden hills toward the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. The magnificent vista before you includes Braga and the beaches of Esposende and Viana do Castelo. The Sacred Way, the impressive baroque granite staircase, is a workout, but considering pilgrims climbed it on their knees, I won’t grumble. The area is full of gardens and grottoes, sculptures and fountains. One could easily spend a day here and be fulfilled. In the area, you’ll also discover the Sameiro Sanctuary, a 19^th century domed church with more spectacular views.

*not really.

It’d almost be a sin to go all the way to sunny Portugal from dreary England without soaking up the rays on a glistening beach, and thus we headed 45 minutes west toward the Atlantic. At the sight of water, Miriam sprinted toward it with glee and we spread out our towels several meters from the shore. I’m usually not one to lounge while on a trip, especially on sand, but this was a welcomed respite (until the sunburn set in, then it was entirely regrettable). We hit the water and swam to our heart’s content; it had been years since I splashed around in the ocean. The area was clean and calm, with the Mediterranean sun blazing on our backs.

Our time in Portugal was not spent entirely up north, we also ventured south by train. An early morning departure to Lisbon landed Miriam and I there in three hours flat. We maneuvered the metro and got from Oriente Station to old town in several stops and one switch. If traveling from the north, ride the train all the way to Santa Apolonia Station to avoid the metro (whoops!).

We had the city center all to ourselves once we arrived—the streets of Lisbon are eerily quiet on Sunday mornings. Following the directions scribbled on my piece of paper led us to a narrow door, leading to one of my favorite hostels yet. We were greeted like royalty at Goodnight Backpacker's, Rua dos Correeiros 113. They gave us coffee and breakfast, stored our luggage, and allowed us to relax in their chic lounge … all before the official check-in time. For €20 a night each, this pick proved to be stellar (94% satisfaction on hostelworld.com) especially considering we were located in Baixa, the city center.

With only a day to explore this historic city, we set out to find some sights. Following the tradition of figuring things out upon arrival, we decided to simply use our internal compasses, which led us to the Castle of São Jorge. Towering above the city, this spot has been privy to human occupation since the 6^th century BC. Once you huff and puff your way up the narrow streets, pay the €3 fee to get into the castle so you can enjoy the absolutely breathtaking views. Take note of the indigenous cork trees once you make it to the top. Our eyes seemed to be playing tricks on us as we looked out and saw what was reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge. Later on, our research concluded that the 25 de Abril Bridge was built by the same construction company.

Flip flop wearers beware as you descend, for the detailed cobblestone streets are not kind to the soles of your feet. If you head toward the side with the water, you’ll inevitably pass the Lisbon Cathedral within Alfama, the oldest city district. Once we were back on level ground, we found a bustling African market on Augusta Street… Lisbon seemed to wake up while we were at the castle. We took in a late Italian lunch in an outdoor bistro and then set out toward the northern part of the city.

The Estrela Basilica was certainly impressive, but perhaps not worth the long walk... try taking one of the famous Lisbon trams if you’re feeling adventurous or know a little Portuguese. We sat in a busy park mere steps away from the historical landmark and wrote postcards to home, although here’s a pertinent warning: don’t mail anything from a Portuguese mailbox! It took months for these cards to emerge in the US (I made it back before they did). Spare the authenticity and mail them when you

get home.

On our way back to the city center, we passed the Assembly of the Republic building, large in size and in splendor. But splendor soon turned to seedy as dusk happened to sneak up on us and we got lost. With a newfound spring in our step, we tried to retrace our route to no avail. At that point we discovered the other side of Lisbon, a poorer, unsavory district unmentioned by tour books. We finally figured a way toward the water and followed it back toward Augusta Street; the unplanned quest was a good reminder to carry a proper map.

Walking throughout Baixa that evening, we were bombarded by restaurant owners trying to entice us in for dinner. This was unexpected and unappreciated, so we went to the first place that didn’t try to lure us in. A decent and traditional Portuguese meal was had, along with some vinho verde, a refreshing young wine that is only available in Portugal.

The next morning we hurried out of our bunk beds to catch a 5:30 train and we journeyed back up to Braga to spend our last day with Catia and her family. The next morning we had another early wake up call to get on a bus toward Spain. Although this acted as my first official trip to Spain, it was not an extended one as we were just flying out of Vigo. However, the ride to this small, rural airport was enjoyable with rolling hills of green. Keep in mind the time difference between Portugal and Spain while traveling, we almost had another Dublin experience on our hands if we had been late.

Portugal was altogether unexpected and enjoyable. It exposed me to another unique region of the world and I was thankful to have a resident tour guide along for the ride (many thanks, Catia!). So check one hometown off the list of flatmate tours. What’s next? Maybe a spree to Seychelles to visit Jessica? Or perhaps a jaunt to Jordan, an itinerary in India, or a caravan to Canada? Oh, how I love going to school abroad!