With today being the full day trip to the cities of Guimaraes and Braga, I was really looking forward to the excursion. I had planned to visit these cities myself (and stay overnight in each), I decided to go ahead and sign up for the tour of each of the two to see what I could experience with the tour.
It was me (lone English-speaker) and four people from Brazil that ended up on the short yellow bus journey. Our tour guide told me that she hadn't had an English-speaking tourist in over 6 months and that I was her first American ever, and that she always just gave the tour in Portuguese to "Brazilians" lol. She apologized in advance for any gaps in her English. And for the record her English was excellent.
It was a 45 minute or so drive from Porto out to Guimaraes. It was rainy and wet. This weather persisted throughout the day.
We got 2 hours in Guimaraes. Guimaraes is considered the birthplace of Portugal.
Back in the bus and it was maybe another 30 minutes over to Braga.
We got 3 hours in Braga.
I was particularly excited to see Braga because the name of the city held some significance for me -- for part of my childhood I lived on a street called Braga Lane. And knowing that the family owned the land parcel that the street was located were from Portugal (my mom was friends with one of the family's sons growing up), I am still convinced that the family probably named the street Braga because that's where they're from. Anyway, I try to pay attention to coincidences, and this was one when I was planning out the Northern Portugal leg of this trip.
My cheap 2.5 Euro umbrella (that I had purchased not long after getting to Oporto) inverted and blew to shit not log after I got to this city. So I ended up inside an indoor mall in Braga in search of a replacement, as it was continuing to rain. I bought a new, nicer 12 Euro umbrella. Within 30 minutes that umbrella also inverted, and while struggling to get to go back out the right way, a couple stopped and asked me something in Portuguese. I said my "disculpa" (deesh-COOL-pah), and the man asks "would you like some help?" I laugh and say yes, please, and the three of us manage to get the umbrella back right side out. The man says "this happens all the time here in Portugal." I say thanks for the help and he says no problem and that "we are nice people here in Portugal." Haha. So I realize something I still wrong with the umbrella --something hadn't full clicked back into place. In trying to force it... I break umbrella #2. Ugh. I continue to carry it around anyway...
I decide it's time to get into someplace warm and eat, and I end up at the diner/café right across from the big central town square. After our tour guide was talking at length about the Francesinha being the traditional dish of Oporto (and to be found generally all around Northern Portugal), I decide to try it again. She had told me that it's the sauce specifically that makes it Portuguese, and that a good Francesinha can be distinguished by how good the sauce is.
This Francesinha had (I think) ham, sorpressata salami, a halved (lengthwise) hotdog, a thin layer of beef steak, a slice of bread, a wraparound layer of cheese and a fried egg on top. The sauce was better than last night's Francesinha, I have to say. I think I need to stop eating these though (I ate maybe 3/4ths of this one) -- so... many... heavy... calories.
Finished out my last 45 minutes in Braga after eating by making once last full loop of the old town area. Was chilled to the bone by the time I got back to pickup spot for the short yellow bus. The Brazilians were already there and we made small talk. The bus driver got there shortly after and we boarded back to Porto. I dozed off and on for the ride back.
Upon getting back to the hotel I decided I was going to do one more night (tomorrow) in Porto, so I arranged that at the front desk. Also bought some postcard stamps. Got up to the room with the intent of sorting out the rest of my Portugal travel. Got started, and... sleep was had instead. And so ended another day.
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