The next few days were fabulous,
exploring the Minho and the Douro.
The aromas were different, euca-
lyptus trees, orange blossoms and
pine needles. Our first stop was Bom
Jesus do Monte, a spectacular hilltop
religious sanctuary with wonderful
views. We arrived before the crowds
and were treated to choral music
inside the sanctuary.
A short detour ride led us to the
Citania de Briteiros, a fascinating
pre-Roman Iron Age archaeological
dig. We walked truly ancient cob-
bled paths, inspected reconstructed
huts and admired the ingenuity that
provided water to the residents. It
was refreshing that the site is so open
to free-form exploration, apparently
not so subject to vandalism prevalent
in the US.
After a coffee we headed to the city
of Guimaraes for lunch. Guimaraes
was the first capital of Portugal and
TRAVERSE 81
the birthplace of its first king. It’s
historic and marvellously preserved
town centre is a UNESCO World Her-
itage Site, overlooked by the Castelo
de Sao Miguel and the Palace of the
Dukes of Braganca. We gave an en-
terprising fellow in the castle parking
lot a few Euros to keep watch over our
bikes while we explored.
From Guimaraes we rode to the
Douro River Valley, and then through
cliff side villages along the river until