Mata do Buçaco
On Monday, November 13th I went up in the fog Serra do Buçaco
where in an enclosure surrounded by walls bored with monumental gates
originally Mata do Buçaco is Convento dos Carmelitas Descalços
as of the 11th century. But king Charles made built a hunting lodge
from 1888 to 1907 pastiches of a stage set, now the Palace
Hotel of which the interior is very kitsch. I traversed one of
the two paths proposed by the Guide(book) Vert to admire the Fonte Fria
whose water spouts out of a small cave to go down in cascade in
the middle of a 144-step staircase and while opening out to
each mitigating in multicolored sparkling basins where the sun is
reflected through the branches of odoriferous trees. There would be
more than 700 exotic plants. Entering and outgoing by
Porta da Rainha I found a bivouac at Cruz Alta.
Buçaco, click on the pic for opening the gallery
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bivouac Cruz Alta |
Senhor das Almas
On my way to Serra Estrala I turned to Lourosa to see the unique
pre-Roman church in Portugal built around 912 AC in the Visigothic period
on a basilica plan with three parallel naves preceded by a porch (narthex).
The campanile dates from the 15th century.
On the side of the church excavations have updated graves dug into the rock.
The inner structure is of the Mozarabic type with its horseshoe
arches integrating architectural elements of Arab culture following
their domination from the 8th to the 11th century.
I bivouacked on the service area in Senhor das Almas.
Lourosa, click on the pic for opening the gallery
The GPS road tacklog
from Senhor das Almas to Torre
from 2017/11/15 au 2017/11/16
Manteigas
La Serra da Estrela(the mountain of Star) is a massif of 60 km
long and 30 km large culminating
at 1993 meters with the peak of Torre. The slope of Gouveia side
has undergoes the insults of the fires of the summer on the other
hand the slope Manteigas side was saved. From Gouveia the road N
232 curves to a pass at 1420 meters high to go down
towards Manteigas. Of course I visited two churches to ensure my
safety in the mountain where the devil hides. Thus I did not
meet any succubus with blond hair. In Manteigas I bought Queijo
da Serra, the sheep's milk cheese most famous of Portugal to be
tasted with pumpkin or quince marmelada. I chose the quince jam
having a childhood bad memory of pumpkin soup during the
occupation of the WWII. I found a bivouac on a carpark
at the exit of the city.
Serra da Estrela, click on the pic for opening the gallery
Torre
On Thursday, November 16th I left Manteigas to see Poço do Inferno
whose road shows beautiful escapes on the above-named village.
Unfortunately in this summer post season the cascade was reduced to
a cat's wee, look at the red circle of the picture. I turned back
to traverse the Glaciated valley of Zézere whose roadway
is narrow; I did not meet any vehicle. Torre at 1993 m of altitude
is the summit of Portugal. Central platform the glance embraces a
sumptuous panorama at 360° due to a clear sky and the resplendent sun.
I hid behind the buildings of the shopping center to bivouac.
Glaciated valley of Zézere, click on the pic for opening the gallery
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Bivouac, Torre 1993 m |
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Coucher de soleil, Sunset |
Lever de soleil, Sunrise |
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Lever de soleil, Sunrise (6:30 am) |
The GPS road tacklog
from Torre to Castelo Branco
from 2017/11/17 au 2017/11/17
Castel Branco
On Friday, November 17th I visited Castelo Branco old city
strengthened near to the Spanish border which undergoes the attacks
of the Napoleonean troops in 1807. The old city preserves some
jewels of which gardens of the episcopal palate which testifies to
the munificence of the catholic clergy. From the Castle of the Templars it
remains only ruins of which part of the enclosure and turns. The
sight from the hill of the castle makes it possible to locate the
cathedral as well as the tower of the religion. The Cargaleiro
museum was closed! The city is in full expansion as testifies it the
residential buildings in periphery. Back to downtown I found a
bivouac on a waste ground.
Visite de la vieille ville, click on the pic for opening the gallery
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Jardim do Antigo Paço Episcopal |
Monsanto
Penamacor, click on the pic for opening the gallery
On Saturday, November 18th I visited two villages. First Penamacor is
of Roman origin and crowned by a castle builds in 1209 by king
Sanche 1st of which there remains only the keep, some walls, the
Clock tower and the town-hall. The church of the Mercy
presents a manuélin gate.
Monsanto, click on the pic for opening the gallery
I continued my way towards the second Monsanto fixed on the
mountain with narrow and steep streets. Its origin is prehistoric,
it was then occupied by the Romans. Gualdim, Master of the
Templars, set up in 1165 an impregnable citadel. While arriving I
undertook to visit the citadel, the rise was painful for my heart
and the descent for my articulations. The panoramic spectacle is
dramatic, I were rewarded. I had parked my vehicle at the entrance
of village, I decided to bivouac there.
The GPS road tacklog
from Castelo Branco to Castelo Branco, via Penamacor
from 2017/11/18 au 2017/11/19
Idanha-a-Velha
On Sunday morning before the horde of the tourists I visited the
charming ancient village of Idanha-a-Velha which counts 90
inhabitants. A covered way out of iron grid uses the top of the
remaining walls to traverse part of the village. The way is
announced by interpretative panels for each monument. Of course it
is necessary to station his vehicle outside the village. I passed in
front of an old Roman bridge at the top of which a villager walked
on. In this sunny morning I spent one unforgettable moment to stroll
in the lanes from here from there greeting the villagers of “Bom
Dia”. I went back to Castelo Branco by the secondary roads without
traffic, what a happiness! I bivouacked at the same spot as on
my arrival.
Idanha-a-Velha, click on the pic for opening the gallery