18.10.2025
Our final day in Portugal turned out to be a busy one! First, we visited the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, just outside Braga. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site that took over 600 years to complete. The stair case leading up to the church, the Via Crucis, was built between 1784 and 1811. A beautiful spot but try to go in the afternoon if you want better photos. There were still quite a few people, and annoying school groups, but it was absolutely worth the visit and climbing the 200 stairs (if you park at the bottom it will be 577 stairs). We also spent a bit of time walking around the centre of Braga. Not much to see but it was a good spot for a cheap lunch. You just can't beat the menu of the day deals. Then, our last stop for the day was in Viana do Castelo. We didn't bother driving in to the town itself as it was getting late in the day, but we made time to see the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the top of Santa Luzia mountain. This is an important pilgrimage site, both for the people of Viana do Castelo and as a stop on the Portuguese coastal route of the Camino de Santiago. If you're feeling ambitious you can walk up from the town or you can take a funicular. You can also drive pretty close. It's a beautiful building with spectacular panoramic views.
Shona
14.10.2025
Aveiro - I had read about this little town and wanted to see the colourful buildings and boats. Truthfully, it turned out to be a bit of a tourist trap but it certainly lived up to its reputation in terms of colour. It was worth walking around for a bit, and the nearby beach, which is a short drive from the center, is spectacular. There's an amazing series of wooden walkways which take you along the beach and past some quirky, striped beach houses. We basically had it to ourselves and enjoyed watching a few surfers trying to catch the waves. Next stop... Porto.
I've been wanting to go to Porto for a long time. Ideally to see the famous bridge in the fog. We finally made it there amid some unusually high October temperatures, just our luck. There were still masses of people but, presumably, not as bad as in the high season. I can't imagine that though, it was almost claustrophobic. The city is tragically run-down but loaded with character. You can see a lot of work is being done so while they may cry about over-tourism, it's obviously bringing much-needed money into the city. It's colourful and vibrant, and the people are friendly. It's quite hilly so we certainly got our steps in but we thoroughly enjoyed walking the streets at random. Around every corner is something to catch a photographer's eye, in particular the amazing street art. Included here is the piece, Dona Rosa by Mr Dheo. We spent one full day walking around looking for pieces like this. While I'm sorry I didn't get to see the bridge in the fog, I'm very glad to finally be able to say that I've been to Porto!
Shona
11.10.2025
We figured it was time for another road trip so we decided to visit the northern areas of Portugal and Spain. After a disappointing start in Tomar, Portugal (everything was shutdown at 5pm!), we made an early morning stop the next day at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima. This is an important pilgrimage site for Catholics and it obviously sees a lot of people because it's huge! It was good to get there early to get some photos without a lot of people but it didn't take long for the groups to show up. We were a wee bit disappointed to only see a few people on their knees but there were masses being held in various languages for the less devout (or less agile, perhaps). A beautiful complex with interesting sculptures and architecture, well worth a visit.
After Fatima, we stopped at the historic town of Batalha. The origins of the town date back to 1385 when the Portuguese won a critical battle against Spain, giving them their independence. The name of the town literally translates to 'battle'. The King was so grateful he built the Monastery of Batalha as a monument to the victory, and the monastery has been the focal point of the town ever since. The impressive structure is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and absolutely worth a visit if you're in the area. I don't know if we were there on a special day, or what, but we were able to visit for free, both inside and out.
We ended the day in Coimbra. What to say about Coimbra...loads of tourists, that's for sure, lol. It's a really nice little city built on a hill above the Mondego River. You'll definitely get a workout wandering around and you'll get your fill of colourful tiled buildings. It is quite run-down but wonderful for photographers and tourists alike. It's like a mini Porto and you can see it in one day. There's a huge university where you'll see students running around in their black robes, and a few groups out and about singing. The university is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1290. Sadly, for us, part of it was under renovation but it was still worth the hike up the hill. Otherwise, we just happily wandered around checking out the various historic buildings, as well as enjoying a nice cold beer (obviously)! Oh, and there was free parking! Basically unheard of in a touristy location like this. Just a short walk across the river and you're into the old town. Actually, parking, in general, was quite reasonable everywhere we went in Portugal. Our next stop... Aveiro.
Shona
09.09.2025
While driving back home I found myself in the Italian Alps again. This time I went to the Monte Rosa Massif where, capitalizing on a short window of good weather, I managed to reach the summit of Vincent Pyramid (4215 m). The views of the neighboring four-thousanders and surrounding glaciers were spectacular.
Andrzej
14.08.2025
This year our club, the Sudetes Mountaineering Club in Jelenia Góra, is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Last weekend, the club took part in a festival in Sobieszów, dedicated to the achievements of Polish mountaineers around the world. Two days of film presentations, slide-shows, discussion panels, interviews with famous climbers, and more. Our club had a huge tent with photo exhibitions, displays of old and new equipment, club memorabilia, and even a small climbing wall, very popular with visitors. It was a very successful, interesting, and fun event.
Andrzej
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