GoMad Nomad Travel Mag » Portugal

The Night Porto Goes Wild

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:08:32 +0000

Festa de São João, One of Europe’s Biggest Street Festivals

By Stephen Bugno

To experience Portugal at its most uninhibited, untamed and inebriated, don’t miss Porto’s massive, traditional annual Feast of St. John’s Eve.

For one night every year, the city of Porto, Portugal goes absolutely wild. The celebration—Festa de São João—or Feast of St. John’s Eve, takes place on the evening of June 23rd and goes to the daylight hours of the 24th. On this night, seemingly the entire population comes to the city center and surrounding neighborhoods to honor John the Baptist and partake in the evening’s numerous traditions.

Although relatively unknown outside Portugal, Festa de São João is undoubtedly one of Europe’s biggest street celebrations. No matter their economic standing, age, or race, Porto’s citizens come out as equals to generate an unrivaled atmosphere that erupts in the city’s public plazas, squeezes through the steep, narrow, cobbled streets, and surges down to the river.

Try the Food

Throughout the evening, folks stroll through the packed streets pausing at carnival games, shop-stalls, and performance stages. Perhaps the most looked-forward to pastime is sampling the festival’s food: fried dough such as farturas and churros and pork sandwiches called bifanas. However, these are all second to Sardines—grilled and salted to perfection. Wash everything down with a glass of wine or beer—beverages not difficult to find at any bar, sidewalk stand, or vender the whole night.

Traditions

Oddly enough, one of the stranger traditions of the festival is the hitting of each other over the head with plastic hammers that squeak; or if you prefer, dangling a leek for the initiated to smell. Where these traditions comes from, no one has an answer.

At midnight, all eyes temporarily halt to view to the huge fireworks display over the river Douro with the graceful Ponte Dom Luis I silhouetted in the background. Free concerts, complemented by spontaneous street dancing, continue simultaneously in various parts of the city. At some point during all this commotion, many stop to set off candle-powered, paper hot-air balloons into the night. At any given moment, a glance to the sky over the river will yield views dotted with the beautiful glowing balloons.

The Walk to the Beach

Lighting the hot air ballon

Traditionally, festival-goers slowly make their way by foot along the river several miles out to the beaches at the edge of Porto where a parallel, slightly alternative São João party is taking place. Here, out past the modern suburbs, young people continue dancing to the techno thump until well after sunrise.

The Portuguese like to say that “Lisbon plays, Braga prays and Porto works,” but on the night of Festa de São João, it is Porto that celebrates.

Stephen Bugno took part in the São João Festival in June of 2008 when he visited from neighboring Spain. For more than a decade he has worked, volunteered, and traveled his way around the world. He blogs at BohemianTraveler.com.

Photo of the Week: Porto Old City View

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:39:03 +0000

One of my favorite views of probably my favorite city of its size in all of Europe, Porto, Portugal is a city I would visit again and again.

Despite the many tourist friendly activities in the city, I somehow avoided most of them and just spent most of my five days wandering through the maze of cobbled streets, admiring the architecture, socializing with university students, staying up until daylight gaining an appreciation to the city’s authentic vibe.

This shot, looking out over the rooftops of Old Porto was taken from the Sé do Porto, the Porto Cathedral, which stands on a rocky outcrop above the city.

Text and photo by Stephen Bugno

Evora and Tomar, Portugal

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:55:59 +0000

On the morning of the 21^st, I left the Atlantic for the interior of Alentejo. Leaving Sines and changing buses in Setubal, I arrived in Evora at about 2pm, and had a bit of a problem finding affordable accommodation. My main reason for visiting Evora was to see the Chapel of Bones, a church entirely covered on the inside with the bones of monks. It was worth the trip since this is not something I had seen before.

Convento de Cristo's aquaduct

Evora is one of the touristic highlights of Portugal due mostly to its Roman history. Although I wasn’t as impressed as I should have been perhaps having been spoiled in Spain where these historically, culturally rich cities are a dime a dozen.

After watching the disappointing outcome of the Turkey-Czech Republic match, I wandered into the enormous week-long St John’s festival. Around the old city I noticed how empty the streets were when minutes later I stumbled upon games, rides, food, music, exhibitions and a whole lot of people. So I grabbed a fartura and beer and cruised through all the activity. Past midnight, children and grandparents were still out having a good time.

The next morning I caught the train to Tomar, which had an inconvenient stop-over in Lisbon.

I arrived in Tomar on the summer solstice and just after sunset my couch surfing host drove to an observatory on the top of a mountain near Constância to observe the clear night sky.

I had come to Tomar to check out the Convento de Cristo (Christ’s Convent), the onetime headquarters of the Knights Templar that sits impressively on a hill overlooking the city. Equally remarkable is the viaduct, built a few kilometers outside of town as part of an aqueduct to supply the Convento de Cristo with water. It’s not touristy at all and anyone can cross the top.

Stephen Bugno, June 2008

Convento de Cristo

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:37:35 +0000

[smartads]

by Stephen Bugno

In my travels throughout Spain the last few years I have been intrigued by the many sites associated with the Knights Templar, with their peculiar architecture and varied locations. Consequently, my curiosity regarding this mysterious half-religious half-military order had grown.

So while traveling through Portugal recently I decided a visit to their extraordinary headquarters—the Convento de Cristo, or Convent of Christ would certainly be in order to try and shed some light on their mystique.

Choosing the small city of Tomar, about two hours north of Lisbon, the Knights Templar established their religious headquarters and military stronghold in 1162. Here the fortress-cum-monastery, sits imposingly, perched above town, impressing and intimidating those in the old city below.

The First Crusade and Re-conquest

The Templars were formed in the aftermath of the First Crusade of 1096, with their original purpose to ensure the safety of Christian pilgrims en route to Jerusalem and to safeguard the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. A later objective was to expel the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula while providing the local inhabitants with military security.

By 1249 the re-conquest of Portugal was complete, and consequently the Knights Templar reaped tracts of land and networks of castles throughout the region. Their power and wealth was soon a threat the European monarchs.

Heavily pressured, Pope Clement disbanded the Knights in 1312 and soon after Portuguese King Denis cleverly replaced them with the Order of Christ, which inherited the Templar’s assets in Portugal.

The Architectural Highlights

Thus, the mighty Convento de Cristo came under the Order’s control. The vast complex, including the charola, cloisters, dormitories, and gardens embrace several styles of Portuguese architecture from the 12th to the 17th century, and showcases the finest examples of the exquisite Manueline design.

My visit began with a walk through the fortress walls and into the garden. As I approached the charola, I admired its round construction, supported with buttresses rising up to a battlemented terrace, giving it a castle-like appearance from the outside. Like most circular churches, it was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

There’s no mistaking the purpose of the charola from the inside however. A 12th century, sixteen-sided, fresco-covered rotunda contains a centerpiece two-story octagonal prism which holds the high alter complimented by wooden statues of the prophets and painted scenes from the life of Christ. This is the sacred heart of the whole complex, and it was here, I imagine, the knights drew their religious convictions.

An archway connects the charola to the nave of the church, built in the early 16th century on two levels, split into the choir and vestry. The crowning highlight is the sculptural adornment on the west façade in the Manueline style—two corner buttresses and the beautifully ornamented chapter window. Manueline art suggests the Age of Discovery with maritime motifs such as sailors, buoys, sails, coral, seaweed, and ropes.

From the church I stepped out into the Main Cloister, a masterpiece of Renaissance Neoclassicism and without doubt the most spectacular of the cloisters. Inspired by Italian architecture, it has two stories, displaying Greek columns and gentle arches. This cloister, just one of seven others in the complex, was built to connect the church to the monk’s dormitories.

From Headquarters to Monastery

It was João III, in the mid-16th century, who put the convento in Convento de Cristo with the addition of monk’s cells, dormitories, kitchens, refectory, offices, and four new cloisters. A strict monastic life would be the standard following this point. The site would remain a monastic community until it was forced to terminate in 1834.

The convent then fell into private hands and was even used as a military barracks until it was purchased by the state in 1936 and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982 after major restoration work.

The Convento de Cristo entwines the most outstanding religious, military, and imperial features of Portuguese history and what remains today illustrates the pinnacle of wealth, prestige, and power that the Knights Templar once held. A visit to Tomar allowed me a peak into their curious and enigmatic history.

Visiting the Convento de Cristo

Tomar is easily accessible from Lisbon or Porto by car or train. Hours: daily June-Sept 9am-6pm; Oct-May 9am-5pm. From the center of Tomar, it’s a 15 minute walk uphill to site.

Evora and Tomar, Portugal

Quiet Beach Towns of Southern Portugal

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:05:08 +0000

by Stephen Bugno

Despite the Algarve’s reputation as an over-developed holiday destination for Northern Europeans, there are a few gems—unspoiled, laid-back, small towns with adequate, reasonably-priced accommodation and fantastic beaches.

Tavira

Although technically a river town situated on both sides of the Rio Gilao, Tavira is a ten-minute ferry ride away from the Ilha de Tavira—an island with a 14km stretch of dune-backed beaches without a hotel in sight. The town itself is very attractive with a few sites of its own, and plenty of accommodation and restaurants, bars, and cafes. Located about 20km from the Spanish border, it’s a fine spot to use as a base while exploring the coast of the eastern Algarve: place such as Cacela Velha, Manta Rota, Altura, and Praia Verde.

Sagres

On the far southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, Sagres is surrounded by four superb beaches. Although not necessarily an overly charming town, it is pleasant enough and has the necessities to keep the family, surfer, or backpacker content. The sheltered, south-facing Praia de Mareta is great place for bathing, Praia do Martinhal for windsurfing, the wild Praia do Tonel for surfing, and Praia de Belixe for an absolutely stunning setting under cliffs. A couple outfits in town offer surfing lessons as well.

Carrapateira

North from Sagres, along the untamed Atlantic, sits the small town of Carrapateira. Located on the hillside about a kilometer inland, it has adequate budget guesthouses and plenty of private rooms for rent. From here you have access to two fine beaches with incredible surf baked by beautiful sand dunes. In town there’s a surf school which many come here especially to do.

Odeceixe

Four kilometers upstream from a beautiful beach where the Odeceixe River empties into the sea, the town with the same name is built upon the hill. A haven for campervanners, backpackers, surfers, and families alike, the Praia de Odeceixe is a wide, sandy beach with excellent, mild-temperature-water swimming. The gorgeous, cultivated, river-valley setting only complements the calm atmosphere of this community. Zambujeira do Mar Although located in Alentejo, Zambujeira do Mar has much in common with the surf spots of the Algarve. Set atop a cliff, the attractive whitewashed village looks down to a strikingly picturesque beach surrounded on both sides by protected coastline. Zambujeira is a quiet place to relax for days on end, enjoying seafood or drinks at outdoor cafes and restaurants. Every summer it hosts the huge “Festival do Sudoeste” music festival, which attracts big names in the music world and an alternative, laid-back crowd.

Vila Nova de Milfontes

Understandably, Vila Nova de Milfontes is a popular place, though it remains unspoiled. The beaches here are the main draw at this typical Alentejo resort, located about 30km north of Zambujeira. Sandy spots face the open ocean as well as those strung out along the calm, warmer, estuary waters attracting families and independent travelers throughout the summer months. Vila Nova de Milfontes is a great place to sample the outstanding cuisine that Alentejo has to offer, enjoying the small-town atmosphere while al fresco dining.

Stephen Bugno has been traveling and teaching English abroad for the better part of ten years. His articles and essays have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, and Transitions Abroad magazine. He edits the Gomad Nomad Travel Mag.