Pilgrim's Progress

Obidos in the morning

I guess you could say that today we had a religious experience – or experiences. It was a day dedicated mainly to visiting monasteries, all of them spectacular, all of them different.

Obidos

It did not start out that way. We began our day in lovely Obidos where Bob was so charmed by the village, that he went out in the early morning light to photograph many of the sights for a second time. After a delicious breakfast provided by the hotel, we were off to the coastal town of Nazaré.  It is known for its Atlantic beachfront and its traditional practices. Fishwives in the town dress in layer upon layer of petticoats every day.  They work on the beach drying the daily catch. It is fascinating to watch them set up their displays of squid or cod which they then flip at regular intervals.

The town also has a beautiful beach. We both took off our shoes and let the incoming waves wash over our legs and feet - a baptism for the rest of the day.

Fishwife tending her fish

Drying fish

Testing the waters of the Atlantic

From Nazaré, we traveled a short distance to Alcobaca, to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Mosteiro de Santa Maria, a beautiful building which once housed Cistercian monks. The church is the largest in Portugal; in its apse are the tombs of Portugal’s tragic lovers, Dom Pedro and Ines de Castro. She was assassinated on orders from Dom Pedro’s father. Their love story is told in the intricate designs and symbols on their tombs; it is touching to hear their sad tale even some 700 years later.

Monastery at Alcobaca

The tomb of Ines de Castro

After lunch at a local sandwich and salad place, we headed to Batalha, to Santa Maria da Vitoria, another monastery, this one run by the Dominicans. It is an important site in order to understand the history of Portugal. In fact, it is said that its inception marked the beginning of the country itself. For me, the highlight here was the unfinished chapels.  Stunningly beautiful and detailed handiwork has been left without the protection of a roof for centuries, because no one ever finished this portion of the church!

Cloistered

Unfinished chapels

The monastery at Batalha

It was only four o'clock when we left Batalha, so we decided to go for the trifecta and see a third monastery at Tomar. This one is quite unique. An ancient castle houses the Convento de Cristo, which was founded by the Grand Mastar of the Knights Templar, that mysterious organization made famous in the Da Vinci Code. Over the the centuries, the property has expanded, sometimes with cloisters built over existing cloisters, so that that it is now quite extensive and very elaborate in places. Manueline features abound, including a great window.

The roof of one of the cloisters at Tomar, Bob's favourite feature

Entering the monastery at Tomar

Our final destination was the Parador de Ourem, a converted 16th century hospital run by the Portuguese government. In these hotels, the chef makes regional dishes, so we took the great leap and tried such dishes as stuffed squid, bread broccoli and meat pudding. 

Stuffed squid; tastes like pasta