We were having so much fun blogging, checking Facebook, responding to emails and playing with iPad that by the time we went to bed the night before we knew it was going to be difficult to get up early but being on top of the mountain and not seeing the sunrise seems such a waste that I put on my alarm and did rise early enough to still see the first rays of the sun peering through on the horizon. Nice ...
As it was early and Paula needed a good night's rest, I put on my gear and sneaked out for a early morning ride. The bike felt magic without all the extra weight and we started a 90 minute "dancing" lesson around the curves of the Serra. Now and then we tried a less beaten path and saw some wild scenery. The temperature was just right and there were many different types of curves with different cambers so the lesson was complete in every sense.
The town of Manteigas is about 12 miles (20 Kms) down the Serra and it felt good to have an early morning coffee and one of the local delicacies Pastel da Feijoca. Bought one for Paula too and looked forward to wake her up when back from the ride with a nice pastry.
Before leaving Manteigas noticed a sign that said Praca do Inferno (Hell's Square) and a picture of binoculars next to it. In Portugal when you see a set of binoculars next to a name it means that there will be a nice view. So followed the signs up the mountain and indeed there was a square just in front of a small church from where you could see the town of Manteigas. What I found interesting was the name of the square just next to a church and while I stood there taking pictures, my imagination roamed on what must have happened in that square to receive such a name and who actually had given it the name. At the end I settled on the option that on Sundays rather than coming in to church some of the town folk would prefer to sit on the square taking in the sun and admiring the view, talk about the week and maybe of their dreams and hopes and as the priest looked at the empty pews one day he would comment during his sermon that people that stayed out there would go to hell ... and the name stuck. What do you think ?
Paula and I had agreed that in order to stay in some type of shape we would try to walk every morning so got on the bike and back up the twisty road to the Pousada de Sao Lourenco. She was still asleep so did get to impress her with the Pastel da Feijoca ;-).
We went to breakfast which was very good and with a great view and then went for a 45 minute stroll through a dirt road with steep hills that got the old ticker on high speed.
We left the Pousada at 12, a bit later than I would have liked as today we would lose one hour as we crossed the border into Spain.
The ride down the Serra was fun and I think Paula, that is not very keen on these twisties roads with no protection, also enjoyed it. Before entering in Spain we visited the city of Belmonte, the birthplace of Pedro Alvares Cabral, the navigator who discovered Brazil. We also learned that it has a large (%wise) population of Jews and it has a synagogue which for a small town in a country where Catholic is by far the biggest religion is a big find.
We then made our way East towards Spain and found on the way a sign to the city of Almeida. I would have loved to visit it but as we were running late we decided to skip it. A pity but onwards we went to the country of nuestros hermanos (our brothers). For the Geography majors, Almeida is in the region Centro, sub-region Beira Interior Norte and district of Guarda. City with a number of castles that saw many wars and was under siege at different times of history when relationship with "nuestros hermanos" was a bit worst than it is today.
As we crossed the border we reminisced about the past where lines were drawn in the sand and different people played in different sand boxes. I am surely much happier to be living in today's world where borders are open and no one was there to stop us. We did stop, though to change the flag.
As I believe the flags are important country symbols I usually spend some time understanding the flag as it tells something about the country and its people.
The Spanish flag has three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (center double width), and red (bottom) and the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band. The colors on the Spanish flag represent the following: Yellow - a symbol of generosity; Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour. The coat of arms consists of a crowned shield, quartered and guarded on each side by the crowned Pillars of Hercules - representing Gibraltar and Cueta. Each quarter displays badges of the original Spanish kingdoms. In the centre of the shield is the emblem of the reigning Spanish royal Family, House of Bourbon, which is a blue oval with a red-edged border containing three fleur de lies. At the bottom of the shield is a pomegranate representing Grenada. Wrapped around the pillars is a red scroll with the motto 'Plus Ultra' written on it. The motto translates to 'there is more beyond'. Viva Espana.
The flag of Portugal consists of two vertical stripes - the left stripe is green and the right one is a shade of red. The stripes are uneven as the green stripe takes up two fifths of the flag's length and the red stripe takes up the remaining three fifths. A coat of arms with the country's traditional shield is centered on the Portuguese flag where the two colors meet. The red section represents blood split during the Portuguese revolution of 1910 and the green represents hope. The white shield consists of five blue shields with five white dots. The blue shields represent the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques I, victory over five Moorish kings and the divine assistance he received to do so is represented by the five dots, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ. Arranged in a cross the shields represent Christianity. The red border featuring seven castles symbolizes the extension of Portugal's territory to include the Algarve. Behind the arms there is a navigational instrument, an armillary sphere. It celebrates Prince Henry the Navigator, who initiated the maritime exploration that led to Portugal's one time colonial empire.
The distance from the border to Madrid is 335Kms (about 200 miles) and we took opportunity to have lunch in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain and drive through Salamanca, Spain and Avila, Spain. The road is in excellent condition and we had great views of cultivated fields, mountain ranges (closer to Madrid) and ever changing sky colors. Here are some pics to illustrate the point.
Ciudad Rodrigo is a small city where its historic centre is enclosed by a wall and it has a beautiful cathedral. We stopped there for lunch and were able to be eating surrounded by beautiful buildings and with the bike very close so we could keep our eyes on it. The lunch was very good and starter, main course, fruit, water and bread was 9.5 Euros. I believe I have said it but will keep saying it. Spain is excellent value for money.
Next city was Salamanca, Spain which is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment. The Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and supplies 16% of Spain's market for the teaching of the Spanish language. Salamanca attracts thousands of international students, generating a diverse, multicultural environment. We would have loved to spend more time in Salamanca.
Then onto Avila, Spain also known as Avila de Los Caballeros (of the Knights), Avila del Rey (of the King), Avila de Los Leales (of the Loyal). All nice names for a very beautiful city. Impressive indeed and although we did not spend nearly enough time to give it justice we loved it. The medieval wall around the city is magnificent (one of the best we have seen), the houses inside the wall are in immaculate condition, the festive atmosphere inside the city is infectious and the number of Romanesque and Gothic churches are quite high for a city of that size. No surprise it is a Unesco World Heritage sight since 1985. If you love history (or not) and would like to know how it felt living in the 15th-16th century (or you just want to see something unique) then take a plane to Madrid, rent a bike (or a car), drive one hour or so NW and spend some time in Avila. Thank me later ...
After Avila next stop would be Madrid. We arrived as the sun was setting, and we came out on the other side of tunnels (through the mountains) and entered the valley where Madrid is, we noticed two things different: a much dirtier "sky" and much higher temperatures (about 15F higher in the center of Madrid as compared to the other side of the mountains).
I was complaining inside my suit but as we entered Madrid it all went away as we saw how beautiful this city. As we rode down the Grande Via, saw the theater district, the top (yes, the tops) of the buildings the large and wide avenue Castellana, the high priced shops in Serrano, the Plaza de Cibeles (where Real fans celebrate) and so much more it was clear Madrid deserves a place next to the great cities of Europe like Paris, London and Rome.
Our hotel was in the Rotunda just next to the Palace Hotel (one of the oldest hotels in Madrid, celebrating its 100th anniversary) and we were very happy with its location and price. Have I mentioned that Spain is great value for money ?
The only problems was that there was no parking in hotel so our motorbike had to stay in the middle of the Rotunda just in front of the hotel door. Did ask hotel people to keep an eye on it and call me in my room if anything happened.
For dinner we spent some time with old colleagues of mine and we had a great dinner in Terrazas restaurant under the beautiful Madrid sky in perfect weather. The food was very good and so was the company. Jose y Jose Luis, Muchas Gracias.
We closed the evening and another filled day with a night tour of Madrid.
Click HERE for all the pictures for Day 2
Posted by Armando
