Merrans travels

Bilbao

Wow Bilbao is a stunning wee city; the largest in northern Spain, home to a million people, surrounded by mountains, forests, beaches and rugged coastlines. It also has a Guggenheim museum (one of eight around the world), which has become a massive tourist drawcard since it opened in 1997. I went this morning and it was amazing, as much for the titanium, stone and glass building and the art installations around it as for the work inside. It’s only 10 euro for a ticket, or there are a lot of sculptures outside that you can experience for free. Inside, the exhibits are quite interactive and you’re encouraged to walk through and touch several (but not to take photos). My favourite was a giant maze of long thin translucent plastic ribbons that you can walk through, using your hands to part them as you slip between them. Outside is a giant puppy made of flowers, a fire fountain that in the evening shoots flames from the water (I’ll go back to see this later), a giant spider called Maman (which means mother in French), and (my favourite) a fog sculpture that fills the pond on the river side of the museum with thick swirling fog every hour. It would be well worth coming to Bilbao just to go there, plus the city is really lovely, it’s flat and easy to walk around, the pintxos bars are full of tasty things, and the high today was 18 degrees 🙂 So nice.

The rain in Spain

Today the sky alternated between constant drizzle and torrential rain, and Santiago looked pretty miserable. At least the streets are not marble 🙂 and everyone has an umbrella, even babies in strollers. I had a late flight so walked around as much of the city as I could without getting too wet and found a cool photo exhibition in the park with amazing pictures that capture the feeling of the people and this place. I took photos of the photos (below, covered in spots of rain 🙂 ). Not many hikers around today that I could see, and any out on the camino will be pretty wet. At siesta time (when things close for 2-3 hours), I retreated to a restaurant to read my book and have a slow lunch, then toured the cathedral museum which has a collection of religious relics dating back to the 1200s, before collecting my bags and heading for the airport. If I return here again it will be at the end of a long walk 🙂 Hasta luego Santiago.

The camino

The weather was not great today so, rather than risk being caught in a downpour on a 9 hour round trip to Finisterre, I decided to hike part of the camino that heads in that direction. It’s a 90km hike from Santiago, which people usually do over 3 or 4 days. I tackled the first 7km, then returned on the same path when the clouds started to darken, and just made it back to the city as the skies opened and I got thoroughly soaked. It was worth it though, what a gorgeous path. Winding through back lanes, past small villages, over streams and through forests, this part of the camino is lovely. It is a very peaceful thing to wander about like this and I think I would enjoy doing the full 700km hike in warmer weather, as you’d only need a change of clothes and it would be better if they could dry overnight. This part of Spain has quite high rainfall; at least 13 days per month at this time of year, and the forecast looks wet wet wet for the next 10 days. Not much fun for the few hikers I saw on the path today in their plastic ponchos. Luckily there are plenty of pintxos bars here in Santiago, so if it’s wet you can pop yourself down for some good food, good wine, and good company. Tomorrow evening I’m flying to Bilbao for a few days before heading to San Sebastian and some more beach time. It’ll be nice to explore that part of northern Spain and I have to admit I’m looking forward to being warm again 🙂

Move that bus

Being a small town the bus depot in Braga is easy to locate, but finding your bus is like spotting a white cloth in a snowstorm. There are 23 bays for buses to arrive in, the numbers and destinations on them bear no resemblance to the detail on your ticket, and the drivers get off and wander the crowds asking people (in Portugese) if they want to go where they’re driving, while the passengers also wander around waving their tickets in the air. Madness 🙂 A friendly older man saw my confusion and wandered over. Unfortunately he was deaf and spoke no English, but he took a look at my ticket and tapped his watch, and wandered into the crowd of drivers and passengers to see if he could find my bus. I wasn’t too worried as I was early, but he was on a mission and enjoying himself, returning every now and then to shrug a bit and tap his watch and then he’d do a little mime to update me on his progress. Hilarious. After a while he waved his hand at the people and said ‘pah’, patted me on the shoulder, and stayed to chat. I only know a few words in Portugese so I threw a few of those into the conversation with a few hand gestures even though I didn’t know what he’d said, but he seemed very happy. Hopefully I haven’t agreed to marry him 🙂 🙂 When my bus finally arrived he spoke with the driver and did a little dance, and then waved to me from the window while we drove off. It’s the small things that make your day 🙂 The temperature in Santiago de Compostela is quite a bit cooler so I’ve dragged the woollen things back out of the bag. Being a Sunday nothing except a few restaurants are open, so I took myself to one of them and sat at a long shared table with loads of families and had a fabulous meal. Santiago de Compostela is the final destination for anyone walking the Camino de Santiago (from France, Spain or Portugal), and a few people arrived at the cathedral while I was admiring it. They marched to the middle of the square, put down their bags, lay on the ground and looked at the sky, before taking smiling selfies and celebrating their 600-800km trek (depending which route they took). I’m keen to do the walk one day (when it’s warmer), and it is cool to see where it ends. If the weather is good tomorrow I might go and check out Finisterre, which means end of the earth, and marks the spot where the Romans believed the earth ended because of the vast expanse of ocean they could see that surely nothing lay beyond. Buenos noches x

Mad for the ball

I didn’t realise the Portugal football cup final was being played in Braga today, but there have been a lot of clues around if only my Portugese was better. Turns out the locals were not just out yesterday enjoying their Saturday, they were gearing up for a big game 🙂 with Braga playing in the final against Porto. Everyone I have met in Portugal has told me football comes (only just) second to church, and everyone has a favourite team. I watched last night’s game on the TV with the other hotel guests, and it was nail-biting ! No goals were scored until the final minutes of penalty time when Braga pulled off a spectacular play and shot one into the net. Even though the football stadium is a few kilometers away I could hear the shouting from here, and the excitement was contagious 🙂 Then it was final whistle time, and the celebrating, singing, honking of car horns and cheering lasted well into the night. How cool.

Muito lindo

There was nothing on the agenda today other than wandering around Braga. The sun was out, the scent of oranges was in the air, and being a Saturday everyone else was out doing the same thing. What a beautiful place to spend time. A quick Google search will show you the best things to see here, and I did have a look at the places that were recommended, but this is a compact place, so even if you just followed your nose and stopped when you found something interesting you would have a great day. This guide is pretty comprehensive if you are stuck for plans – https://porto-north-portugal.com/braga-portugal-guide.html. First stop for me though was the pastel de nata store which is just around the corner from my hotel. These are the best I have tasted so far in Portugal, the custard is still warm, and the pastry is flaky and fresh from the oven. Breakfast of champions 🙂 Tomorrow I am heading north into Spain to stay in Santiago de Compostela, so will turn off my basic Portugese and switch back into Spanish. Muy bien 🙂

Braga

Braga is only 75 minutes from Porto by train and it costs 3 euro 20 to get here, and it is gorgeous. Not touristy at all, gorgeous architecture, 19 degrees when I arrived, old men blow kisses at you when you walk by 🙂 and it has a nice bustly vibe. I like it 🙂 I felt like stretching my legs so walked 5km out of the city and uphill to the Bom Jesus do Monte (which means good Jesus of the mount), and the stairway that climbs 116 meters to a cathedral said to be the final resting place of one of the 12 disciples, with many many many stairs. Like a stairway to heaven. It is a highlight in Braga, a UNESCO protected site, and well worth a walk (or you can catch a bus there) for awesome views across the city, and lots of photo opportunities. Plus you’ll see how the town is expanding, with new developments rising amongst the traditional old casitas with their tiled exteriors and vegetable plots. I don’t often mention my accommodation, but I have to give the Hotel Moon and Sun a special mention because their customer service is the best I have ever experienced. It’s not an expensive hotel, but their attention to detail and making sure you are enjoying yourself is amazing. I have just been delivered a slice of banana caramel pie (didn’t order it, came to my room) in case I want something before dinner. When I checked in a bit early, my room wasn’t ready but I was given a glass of port and a comfortable seat, and nothing has been a problem. You can come to Braga on a daytrip from Porto, but I’m looking forward to spending a couple of days here and not rushing.

Decisions decisions

Tomorrow morning I am checking out of my Porto apartment, but until late this morning I still had not decided where I was heading. I think bringing my return date forward created a raft of decisions I hadn’t had to think too much about; what countries could I squeeze in, should I return to France, maybe the Greek Islands would be an exotic diversion, or the Scottish highlands, or back to London…..too many decisions 🙂 and none of them bad. In the end I decided not to decide, and to stay in this area where it is lovely and relaxing 🙂 so in the morning I’ll catch a train 75 minutes north to Braga and will slowly wind my way across the top of Spain. Perfecto. No need to hurtle around on planes or try to cram things in when there is a long long long journey soon enough. I went out to buy a train ticket for the morning, and to celebrate I collected another pair of earrings to add to my ever-growing collection 🙂 and then on to lunch at the Majestic Café which I have been walking past but had not gone into. Opened in 1921, the Majestic is a beautiful art nouveau cafe, dubbed one of the most impressive in Europe, that has retained all its glamour and sparkle. There is someone whose only job is to open and close the door, carefully managing the flow of customers (there is always a line outside), and greeting everyone with a nod and a tiny smile. Inside, waiters in crisp white and gold uniforms take your order and make everything just so. Specialities include a delicious French toast with an egg custard, dried fruit and cinnamon which is what I ordered, paired with a 10 year tawny port 🙂 and a small plate of local cheese and pumpkin jam. Yum. If pumpkin was the only thing left on earth to eat I would die because I hate it (tastes like feet), but in a jam it is transformed and I love it. JK Rowling apparently sat in one of these leather booths to write her famous stories, and it would absolutely be an inspiring place to sit and write. For my last night in Porto I am going to listen to Fado in a 16th century chapel. Fado is traditional Portuguese singing, quite moving in a melancholic way, a bit similar to Flamenco (but don’t say that out loud here). Check out Amalia Rodrigues online, she is apparently Portugal’s best of the best Fado performers.

Douro valley

Upstream from Porto (50 mins by car) is the stunning Douro Valley, spread across 61,000 acres of mountains and rivers, and home to Portugal’s most famous port and table wines. I had booked a daytrip through Air BnB for a small group tour and it was amazing. You must do this if you come here, I guarantee you will have the best day. Our guide Manuel picked us up early this morning, apologising profusely for the traffic jam (a bus was blocking the road…..not what I would call a jam 🙂 ), and we headed out of the city. Manuel created this experience after the global financial crisis in 2008 resulted in losing his job, and he needed to create a new income. ‘Well you know I believe that if you put good things out in the world, good things come back to you, so I love to meet people and I love to show off our beautiful country, so it was the perfect thing to do, and people seem to love it. Already I have hosted 3500 people, and I have a 5 star rating and everyone is happy so I think I am doing ok’. I think he is doing more than ok! and he is a wonderful example of creating opportunity from difficulty, and following your passion. The tour he has created also employs his three sons, his cousin, several nephews, and some of his best friends. And it was the best day. As we wound our way through the mountains I could see terraced vineyards in every direction, planted on such steep terrain that everything has to be done by hand as no machines could manage. The harvest finished in October, so now it is winter the vines are being pruned (by hand). After a cruise on the river (sipping vintage port and tasting local tapas), Manuel took us to the oldest vineyard in the valley to taste their special port, before driving to a village at the summit of a mountain for an incredible lunch with local wines, and a wander through the town. Describing it now it sounds very simple, but the attention to detail Manuel has put into this experience is outstanding, and the feeling of satisfaction and happiness we all had as we headed back to Porto can only be compared to the post Christmas lunch feeling of total relaxation, when you’re full with good food and wine, and feeling you have had the best day with lovely people. Please give Manuel my regards when you come, and call him Papa which will make him laugh 🙂

Cold today, two jerseys and a coat needed

Where the heart is

Life is pretty good when the biggest decision is what to do today, and I am loving it. Such is the lifestyle of a wanderlust gypsy 🙂 The only cloud on my horizon has been poodle-shaped, as my best buddy Max (who is so happy and well looked after at home) has had some fluctuating health. After much deliberation and discussion with the team at home it seems the best course of action is a surgical procedure which will mean some round the clock nursing for a few weeks. So merranstravels.com will be heading to NZ (a bit earlier than planned) to catch some of our beautiful summer in late Feb, and I can be on tap for my furry friend while he recovers. The UK/Ireland/Wales exploring I had earmarked can wait for another time. Some things are just more important. In the meantime, I will keep soaking up experiences and sharing them 🙂 I did a tally this morning of all the countries I have visited on this trip, and counted seventeen! Four I have been to before, so thirteen have been brand new. I haven’t quite decided where I’ll go after I check out of my apartment on Friday, but that’s days away so I’ll keep mulling it over. Bom dia (good day in Portugese) x