Pontevedra

 This past weekend I had nothing planned.  So my friend Siobhan and I decided that we needed to take a day trip somewhere close.  We finally ended on, Pontevedra.  Pontevedra is actually the "captiol" of our providence.  Even though Vigo is a larger city, it is situated in the providence of Pontevedra.  The city of Pontevedra is approximately 15-20 minutes north of Vigo.  While the terrain around Pontevedra is extremely similar to that of Vigo, it is not built on the side of a mountain, therefore is generally flat and easily walkable.  I enjoyed this since in Vigo you are always walking up or down a hill.  The city has a great feel to it! The old part of town was precious, and we stumbled upon the Mercado as well! Luckily my friends Anna and Fabian lived in Pontevedra last year so they were able to show us around town.  Check out some of my pics and video!

Capela da Virxw Peregrina - The church of the pilgrim

See that shell? That is the symbol for the Camino de Santiago.  In case you've never heard of it, the city Santiago de Compostela in Galicia has one of the largest, most beautiful cathedrals in Spain.  I am hoping to visit soon.  It is legend that the remains of St. James are buried there.  Out of respect to this saint for thousands of years people have been walking to this Cathedral from all over to pay their respects.  There are several routes of the Camino de Santiago, but one of the most famous goes across the entire northern part of Spain from France.  This sign is part of the camino that goes from Lisbon, Portugal all the way to Santiago.  Some people will walk for weeks, or even months on these pilgrimages.  Today, they aren't so much a religious thing as much as an adventure.  I have heard of many people making short pilgrimages from Vigo to Santiago (which will take about a weekend) for the pure thrill of saying they did it and also being able to meet other people on their way.  If you're interested, here's a link to some more information on the Camino de Santiago.

After arriving, we sat down in the city center for a class of Orange juice, some croissants, and some relaxation.  It was a Saturday morning so all of the families were out and about, taking their kids for a walk, enjoying the sunshine and spending quality time with each other.   

Next we walked down to the Mercado.  This place was so cool! I've heard that there are Mercados  in Vigo all over the place but I haven't found anything like this one.  Check out the video below to see what it was like! 

Mussels, Prawns, Shrimp, Crab.... Basically any seafood you can imagine.  

And several different kinds of fish I had never seen or heard of before.  I have this urge to go to a place like this and buy some fresh fish.  But unfortunately I would have absolutely no idea how to prepare it.  

Calamari - Can't get any fresher than that! 

And this is Ria de Pontevedrea Lerez.  This is the oldest bridge in Pontevedra.  The Ria goes through the center of the entire town.  

On a Saturday afternoon, people can be seen walking around in small hidden squares such as this, relaxing and enjoying the nice weather.  

This is an old church in the Praza da Ferreria.  

Xardins de Vicenti - There were lots of beautiful parks/fountains.  

Catedral de Pontevedra -  We wanted to climb to the top, but it was closed due to mass. 

Siobhan making friends as usual.  

We had a little bit of fun with all the random statues in the streets!

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

This house was for sale.  How cool would it be to live in a house like this!? The front door was open and we thought about exploring for a second, then got too scared! 

Palm Trees! When moving to Spain I thought there wouldn't be any palm trees at all.  BUT they are everywhere and these were too beautiful not to capture.  

And this was our group in Pontevedra! 

Porto, Portugal

This last weekend Cassondra and her roommates, Eleanor & Jackie, and I went to Porto, Portugal.  We took the bus from Vigo on a 2 1/2 hour ride to Portugal.  It was gorgeous! Porto is famous for its beautiful views of the Rio (River), surf beaches, beautiful monuments, and delicious food.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves from here on out.  

My first view of the Rio Douro in Porto.  Breathtaking. 

Me, with the beautiful view in the background! 

So gorgeous! Love the red roofs.  

The houses here have beautiful tiles of all colors on the front.  

These are just a couple examples (can you tell I love the blue and white the best?) 

This statue is in the Praço da Liberdade on Avenida  Dos Aliados.  The statue is of  Dom Pedro IV (Dom Pedro I), the first ruler of Brazil.  He was known as Dom Pedro the IV as a member of the royal family in Portugal until the country was invaded by French troops.  He and his family fled to Brazil, their largest territory where he became the first emperor of Brazil.  

Igreja de Sto Ildefonso.  This Roman Catholic church was built in 1739.  I think the most amazing part is the gorgeous tile-work on the front.  

Another shot from the Rio! 

This is the Catedral in Porto.  I feel like every big city has one, and they are all magnificent to look at.  

Oh just some ruins, hanging out in the metro....Wait? Are those ruins in the metro¡?Ç!?¡?#Ç¡!Ç?!¡Ç?

Jackie and Eleanor enjoying a refreshing Super Bock on the beach! 

"She Changes" sculpture in the middle of a roundabout by the beach.  

America! You´re out there somewhere. 

The Surf Beach.  It was a gorgeous day.  Not warm enough to go into the water, but that didn´t stop these surfing Portuguese.  

Jackie with the Sao Francisco Xavier behind her.  We didn´t take the time to go it, but apparently built in 1661, this fortress served as a naval defense for Portugal.  

Check out this surfer! Totally Rad DUDE!  

This reminded me of the story "The Little House" So cute! 

Eleanor, Me, Jackie, and Cassondra at the beach! 

El Rio Douro from the other side.  

The four of us at our wine tasting near the bodegas of Porto.  

I couldn´t pick one good view from the river.  This picture you can see the line of beautiful houses along the Cais da Ribeira.  

A glimpse into the Calem Bodega.  Look at all the wine! 

When in porto, do as the portoans do? Drink Port Wine! We went to a wine tasting where we had the opportunity to taste 5 different types of port wine.  My final evaluation, the longer it ages, really does make it taste better.  There was a wine sold at this place that was 5,000 Euro a bottle! The wine was good, but definitely not something to guzzle down.  Very sweet =) 

Cais da Ribeira.  There was a market on the street that day.  You can see all the umbrellas they have set up selling towels, jewelry, and much much more.  

My last piece of excitement.  This is the library where Harry Potter was filmed.  I didn´t get to go inside because it was closed when we got there, but I´m still very excited I got to take a peek inside.



Here´s a clip of some street music on the Cais da Ribeira! Enjoy!