Braga, Portugal (Part 1)

 

 

Braga is a town located in northern Portugal, about 45 minutes from Porto. My visit to this city was nothing like I had originally expected. I was there for four days to “go to school”, so I thought it was going to be lame and boring; classes every day, no one knows anyone, not enough time to make friends. I was wrong, very wrong, and again I’m happy to admit that.

I took the Urbanos train from Campanhá in Porto and arrived in Braga in exactly 1h15min. There’s another train that costs 13 euros and gets you there 15 minutes faster. The Urbanos only cost a little over 2 euros, and it also meant my nap would be fifteen minutes longer, so I didn’t think twice. One thing about traveling is that you can be exhausted at random times, generally a result of drinking the night before and always having to go somewhere. Napping on trains and planes is highly recommended, so you have more energy when you get to your destination. Just make sure you have your legs around your backpack so that you wake up in case someone tries to rob you. Yes, that happens.

Centro João Wesley (Tv Dr. Francisco Machado Owen, 45, 4715-022 Braga, Portugal) was the hostel I chose in Braga. It was very cheap (10 euros a night) and I had my own room with a bathroom. You can also get your laundry done there for only €1.50. They also have a living room with cable TV and games. I got there right in time for some ‘feijoada’ made from scratch by João, a fellow Brazilian guest. Feijoada can be classified as a pork and bean stew, generally served with white rice, collard greens and oranges.  This is the national dish of Brazil, although some claim it originated in Portugal. Regardless of where it came from, this one was perfect. The smell that came from the kitchen once I walked in brought me back memories of delicious home cooked meals. It made me smile, and that smile meant, “I need to stuff my face!” And that I did.

The summer school took place at Universidade do Minho, which was a good 30-minute walk from the hostel. It was much more interesting than I expected. I will not talk too much about that because I’m aware that you don’t care. Let’s just say that besides presenting a poster and learning a lot, I had the pleasure of meeting some people who made those four days unforgettable, like Sara, Renata and Angela. To my surprise, Angela also spoke Portuguese and Spanish, besides English and her native German. She is a very down-to-earth girl, who loves traveling and exploring different places, so we connected right away. She was couch surfing with Erasmus students Francisco and Walter, from Chile and Argentina, respectively. They had been living in Braga for a few months, so they already knew things that weren’t in the guidebooks. Needless to say, hanging out with the three of them was an immensurable pleasure.

  

 

The weather in Braga in the summer can be quite confusing. If you need a jacket today, chances are that tomorrow you’ll be drenched in sweat. Our plan for that hot afternoon consisted of visiting the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary (and consequently, being drenched in sweat). This place is also a pilgrimage site. It’s located on a hilltop, and it takes about an hour to get there walking from Universidade do Minho, a little longer if you go up the stairs. We paid one euro to ride the funicular, so we could get up there faster (not because we were tired of walking). Walking is the best way to stay in shape when you’re traveling, since you most likely will be gorging yourself and drinking much more often than you do at home. Once we reached the top, we visited the Bom Jesus Church and enjoyed the view from up there. There’s also a park up there, called Parque do Bom Jesus, with ice cream stands, grottos and artificial lakes with boats for rent. There’s also a tiny little kiosk with tables outside in case you’re dying for an ice cold beer after reaching the hilltop. Well earned prize! Saying that we chose beer over ice cream is probably unnecessary at this point.

That was a moment of reflection. The four of us were enjoying our Super Bocks discussing language and lifestyles (and bugs and butterflies, I believe). A few beers later, the conversation was getting more and more philosophical as it should. I already loved Portugal, and that moment made me love it even more. But it gets MUCH better than that. We chose to take the stairs down to help sober up. I know that doesn’t sound like the smartest idea, but luckily no one got injured. I learned that each set of stairs has a specific meaning. There are religious statues and candles along the way. No bathrooms, though, so that, and the fact that we were starving, made us almost teleport to Tasquinha Bracarense (Rua Nova Santa Cruz, nº 34 - loja 3 Gualtar Braga), which would soon become my favorite restaurant in the whole world. 

Located right next to the university, Tasquinha Bracarense is perfect for students, hence the young crowd. What can five euros get you in Europe? If you answered a glass of wine or soft beverage, bread, a bowl of soup, the entrée of your choice, dessert and coffee, you are most likely wrong, unless you’re talking about this restaurant. You get all of the above, in that specific order, and the food is so good that you don’t want it to end. Ever. I ordered the “Alheira”, Portuguese style sausage made with different meats other than pork and served with a fried egg on top. The dish came with French fries, rice and a salad, and every time I took a bite of it, two angels high-fived each other in Food Heaven. I went back two other times for lunch, and will go back there several times when in Braga again. That’s money very well spent right there. More about that lovely evening and the amazing time I had in Braga in the next post.