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Hi everyone - we are now in Portugal and today is Jud's birthday and we couldn't have picked a better spot. This place is stunning - we are right on the River Duoro - the heart of the wine growing region for port. Our accommodation is amazing - we have a house to ourselves - it is huge, modern and the living area is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass sliding doors with the most amazing views of the river and villages. Huge deck all around to sit and drink local wine. Once again I wish we could post some photos to show you - hopefully our next stop. We don't have access to wi-fi all that often and have had no access to a computer yet. I am doing all of this on my little ipod touch.
Now that we are here we are having a really quiet relaxing time after the full on madness of Tui. We literally didn't stop - it was exhausting but exciting.
A brief rundown of our time in Tui - the day after the wedding should have been spent resting but no not in Spain. These people really know how to live - they'd planned a huge family fiesta at a local restaurant. It was fantastic and once again a huge assortment of tapas and wines. I've never eaten so much in my life. After lunch our group went for a walk around Tui - we followed the river along the bank which was dotted with kid's playgrounds and exercise equipment. Then the walk up through the old town to the impressive Tui Cathedral. So beautiful, lovely narrow winding cobblestoned streets with cute little narrow houses. The cathedral was spectacular. Beautiful inner courtyard with topiary and garden maze. Climbed up to the top turret which had the most amazing views over Tui, the River and Valenca.
Then the next few days were spent exploring Galicia - the region we are in. Galicia has a strong Celtic background and these influences are everywhere, from the bagpipes to local ruins and the music. They are very proud and independent from the rest of Spain.
So we did a day trip to Caminha which has beautiful beaches where the river meets the Atlantic. Wandered around the old village - so much cheap handcrafted linen. Then up to the Moledo do Minho which is high atop a mountain that overlooks Caminha and A Guarda and up the Atlantic coast - really spectacular. It is covered in Celtic ruins and the remains of the villages from 2nd century AD. The kids crawled all over it and got right into the feel of life in those times.
Next stop was the quaint fishing village of A Guarda - like stepping back in time - untouched by tourism - very special. Wonder how long it will stay that way?? We then drove along the Atlantic coastline to Baiona - spectacular drive not unlike the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Gorgeous stretch of coast with many unfinished houses and projects along the way. The recession in Spain has hit the building industry hard. You could pick up some prime real estate for a song. Baiona itself is the most beautiful place - much more upmarket and touristy than the other spots. Huge walled fort around the head - supposedly where Christopher Columbus set sail - although many towns claim the same. We watched the sun set over the Atlantic from high up on the wall and headed back to the town for tapas and beers on the waterfront. Life here is truly awful - it is going to be hard going home!!
Next day trip was to Santiago de Compostela. The final stop of many Catholic pilgrimages - supposedly has some of the remains of St James. It is awe inspiring - massive cathedral and breathtaking inside. Quite a sight seeing various pilgrims from around the world dressed in all sorts of strange garb carrying their wooden walking sticks with a shell tied to it. Some would arrive and cry, others would cheer - obviously very emotional journey for them. Ned, Molly and Ava thought it was a bit strange. But they were very quiet and respectful inside the cathedral and quite blown away by it.
Our last day in Tui was Glenn's birthday and the celebrations started again. We had a huge barbecue lunch at Maria's brother Marcos' and his wife Yoli's house. Another mega amount of food - so much meat and very little else. Then that evening it was a celebration evening at the aunty and uncles farm. They have a small winery on site and we were set up there for the night. Every relative we'd met was there to say their farewells to all of us - it was quite emotional and everyone was a little teary. So hard to say goodbye and leave this wonderful community. They finished the night with a traditional Galician fire ceremony. it was very Celtic - Marcos led and had an enormous bowl which he poured various substances into and he mixed it all up like a witches brew. Meanwhile they had some odd music - bit spooky playing - and Maria and others chanted something with a white cloth swathed over them. It was all very witchy and primal. Then Marcos added something to the brew and it caught alight and he poured it in and out of the bowl so it looked like an amazing stream of blue liquid and the whole bowl was on fire. All the locals were making wooing noises. It was an amazing thing to see.
And then it was time to say our goodbyes the next day - Maria's family have been so wonderful to us and it is like leaving family. Ned, Molly and Ava were feeling very sad about saying goodbye to Margarite, Pepe, Yoli, Marcos and especially little Brais. Lots of tears - Mum, Dad and co set off first and headed south to Seville and then it was our turn. We followed the winding River Duoro and here we now are to settle in for a few days. I will post this from El Escorial in a few days when we get wi-fi and then hopefully have somebody to post. Don't know if we'll get to ever download photos. We are also having trouble returning email messages so sorry to everyone who has sent us a message - we'll just have to communicate via our messages in this blog for now.
- comments
Louise Ahhh Deb....you've cast a spell over me and I'm dreaming I'm there! I feel like I'm 7 or 8 again and my teacher is reading us the Folk of the Faraway Tree. So magical. Can't wait for the next update. Love to you all xx
Melissa Trundle It's been great to finally hear about your adventures as we have been without the internet for a week. It all sounds wonderful, glad the kids are enjoying it! Nothing much happening here, just the usual, so we're very jealous. love Melissa