Braganza, Chaves and back to Porto

Because of Catharine of Braganza. The wife of Charles II of England. The two of them failed to have children together; but Charles (while fathering several other notable offspring, such as the Duke of Monmouth, and who knows who else) never repudiated Catherine. In Portugal they say she was a remarkably intelligent lady and as we know she introduced the habit of drinking thee /tea (cha in Portuguese!!) to the English court and it caught on like wildfire. 'Tea time', the words rang through the country, and down the centuries. And of course it gave the ceramics industry a tremendous boost. So we had to call in on her city. Alas, faded glory... down the main street house after house (displaying evidently eighteenth-century windows and facades) was boarded up, paint peeling, wood cracking. A sad sight. Happily, in a few cases an enterprising company had taken a house into its care and restoration was underway.
Braganza has two parts: the really old upper section, with excellent citadel (crenellated walls and narrow cobbled streets) and the lower eighteenth-century part, where the cathedral stands. It was Sunday so the cathedral wasn't open. It was Palm Sunday to boot!
We parked the car near the fortress and found a sunny spot where we could enjoy our picnic. It was close to a medieval building, reportedly the only remaining one in Europe, formerly used to settle disputes concerning land.
After steeply climbing up and down in Braganza, we set off for home via a devious route which led us up and down and zigzagging and tacking (the boatish touch!) until we reached Chaves.
Another Roman foundation with medieval touches. Delightful. Had wonderful thick hot chocolate and home-made (yes!) scones in the Benda d'Arc, small cafe on the edge of the river.

They have hot-spring baths (terme) in Chaves. Might be a good place to return to...
Home through the watery sunset splendidly lighting up the western sky. Great to live in a boat on a west coast (even if a trifle damp at times!)

 Along the motorway to Porto...