Our last stop before returning to Porto was the hill town of
Lamego, home to a famous shrine, the Sanctuary of our Lady of Remedies
(Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, which I think sounds a lot
better). This is a stunning shrine set
atop a 686-step staircase decorated in elaborate Portuguese Baroque that
commemorates the miraculous cure of a local infant. It has since been dedicated to mothers and
children and to anyone who is in ill health.
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| Our Lady of Remedies Church |
Immediately at the foot of the last set of stairs before one
reaches the chapel is a beautiful fountain with a delft blue depiction in
Portugese tiles on the wall behind it and statues of the kings of Israel on
plinths around it. Lamego is on the Portuguese road
to Santiago de Compostela and is a pilgrimage site in its own right. The interior is richly decorated in gold.
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| Altar, Our Lady of Remedies |
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| View of Shrine from Lamego City Center |
At the foot of the staircase leading up to the shrine is a lovely town. The cathedral has a handsome sanctuary, again
richly adorned in gold, and beautifully designed wooden doors.
The museum is one of the best in northern Portugal and
focuses on religious art, including a rare pregnant Madonna. Many of you will have seen the painting of the Madonna del Parto by Piero della Francesca in Italy. This one is a small statue that I found very touching.
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| Portugese Tiled Panel |
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| Pregnant Madonna |
The museum also houses an impressive collection of tapestries as well as silver work, vestments
and chapel altars that are so richly ornamented one wonders how they could have
survived in this corner of Portugal. There are also more examples of Portugal's exquisite tile work.
While we were in town, our chef gave us a tour of the local
market, showing us examples of the products that have gone into our fabulous
meals – from the bountiful fresh fish to fruits and vegetables from the south
of the country. I’ve never seen green
and red peppers so big (at least twice the size of the ones we have in
Seattle).
This has been a really enjoyable introduction to Portugal,
its large cities, rich agricultural traditions, and cultural heritage.
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| Santiago de Compostela |
But Judy and I were soon on the road again -- to Santiago de Compostela with a lunch stop in the lovely town of Braga. Arriving by motor coach made me feel like a complete fraud to begin with, but it was fascinating to visit the end of this fabled pilgrimage route.
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| The End of the Pilgrim's Way |
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| St. James Above the Altart |
Santiago is a beautiful city in its own right and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I was surprised that the Cathedral remains in need of repair, but its interior offers many beautiful examples of religious art and a huge St. James triumphant on his white horse above the alter.
In the Middle Ages, pilgrims to Santiago arrived with virtually nothing -- as most do today, only they have credit cards -- and so lived and cooked in the cathedral until they could find a livelihood in the city. Most had come so far that returning to their homes was impractical. You can imagine that having all those unwashed people in the place caused a considerable odor and so a giant incense burner or censer (botafumeiro in Spanish) was built. It stands about 3 feet high and is suspended from the nave of the cathedral, right in front of the altar.
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| Botafumeiro |
Judy and I attended the 7:30 Friday night service at which the censer is lit and swung to either side to spread the smell of the incense. The heavy rope suspending the botafumeiro from the ceiling is managed by eight men dressed in red. They lower it first, the priests fill it with incense and light it. They give it a blessing and a little shove. As the eight burly guys start lifting it above the altar, it swings higher and higher until it almost touches the ceiling -- very high up. And this was also the first time I've ever seen a European cathedral filled to overflowing at a religious service. There must have been more than 1,000 people present.
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| Walking District, Santiago |
Santiago also has a lovely historical center, which is pedestrianized. I enjoyed walking there a lot and wish there had been more time. But, I suppose that always leaves a good reason to return.
Flying back to Paris because that is 'home' was a novel experience, but it was a delight to return to my apartment, especially as Judy, my traveling companion, came for a short visit before returning to Seattle.
