15-19th weeks - 4 different cities, 4 different spirits

Ola,

let's take a bicycle and ride it to 4 cities in the north of Portugal*: Braga, Porto, Aveiro, and Coimbra. What kind of spirit and discoveries will meet us there?



Braga - the city of people. The spirit of the place is hidden in the people we meet and we are with: Giedre, AIESEC intern Rosane, her colleagues from work, friends.

Even two most beautiful places there - Bom Jesus and Sameiro churches - would be less colourful and inspiring without picnic or photosessions there.

Finally, cooking night with potatoe cake-kugelis, traditional Brazilian food, and Portuguese wine has crowned the evening.

Let's meet the place STOP BY STOP.


1 STOP. Market in Braga - ideal place to buy fruits, vegetables, chickens, socks, etc.



2 STOP. Where should we go next? This touristic map looks quite complicated...


3 STOP. Let's leave the bicycle and go to Bom Jesus - a famous pilgrimage site with the church upstairs.


4 STOP. All the way up to have a picnic near the artificial lake.

5 STOP. The bicycle still stays down the hill and we go up to another pilgrimage site - Sameiro. Piligrimes really knew the best spots to choose for their destination:) Just look at the view to Braga from above... 6 STOP. Are we hungry or what? Let's make an international cooking night. Yami, yami:)


Good bye Braga, see you soon!

The second destination is Porto - porto wine city, cozy and interesting because of hilly landscape. Let's take a ride...

... to a traditional cafe.

... along the narrow streets.

... nearby the church decorated with azulejos (remember - special ceramics?;)). ... to the square with the highest Christmas tree in Europe (reliable sources tell that it was in Rio de Janeiro few years ago:)).
... enjoying blue sky and the highest tower in Porto.

... to see Ribeira - area of Porto that is the best seen from the other shore of the river.

... to find out about the history of the porto wine that is originally made not in Porto but more to the north; however, the made wine is brought to the wine cellars in tuns by special boats that you can see in the picture.

... to taste fransesinhas - some special cooked sandwich from Porto.

... to see the city lights from the bridge. Good bye Porto, see you next time!

Let's go to Aveiro, also know as Venice of Portugal because of the channels crossing it. Aveiro has the calm spirit that simply forces you to slow down, have a walk along the channels, sit down on the bench in the park, have their traditional fish soup and sweets ''ovos-moles'' in the cafe.

Good bye, Aveiro, I will come back!

Coimbra is a student city with the oldest university in Portugal and melancholic fado songs heard in the old town. It was also cool to meet other interns and AIESECers with whom we walked around the city, went to fado house, enjoyed the night and nice chats.

See you, Coimbra!

A trip has gone to an end. It's time to leave the bicycle and leave the final message: visiting places is all about feeling the spirit of the place and also people with whom you go, whom you meet, and whom you remember.

Kisses

Ruti

* for the sake of truth - those cities were actually visited in 2 times and not by bicycle:)