Serra da Estrela

A few times over the years...

       Although I live near by, it's not with that much frequency that I go to the mountains (I know it's something quite stupid...). I'll tell you a little bit about this specific mountain.

       Serra da Estrela is the name given to the mountain range where are the highest peaks of Portugal. The mountain reaches a maximum altitude of 2000 meters (to rely on a tower of 9 meters). This is part of six municipalities: Manteigas, Guarda, Seia, Gouveia, Celorico da Beira and Covilhã (where I live).

     In addition to the snow, fauna and flora, you can explore the entire human wealth, cultural, historic and gastronomic of the region.You can find here the Vodafone ski resort, the only one in Portugal, beyond the highest point, the tower. 

Other sights are the Bear Stone (Pedra do Urso), the Monument to Our Lady of Good Star (Monumento a Nossa Senhora da Boa Estrela), the Hell Pit (Poço do Inferno) and Hardy pitcher (which draws the most intrepid to climb) (Cântaro Magro), the Head of the Old (Cabeça da Velha) and Long Pond (Lagoa Comprida).

In terms of gastronomy, bread and cheese are the main stars. Peculiar something is the dog of the Serra da Estrela, typical of the region, whose main function is the grazing of sheep in an area where practices such as transhumance (can (re)read the post about the rattles) and the renewal of pastures by fire are common.

      As I said, though I don't go so often to the mountains, I have some pretty anecdotal episodes: from sledding as a child, almost getting buried in snow (and fortunately it was only up to the knee and inside a covered river with snow), taking pictures with "Olaf" and catching a colossal cold just to take some beautiful photographs with a beautiful sundown.

It's fun and attracts many tourists in winter, especially around Christmas and New Year, however, is never sure when it snows ...

Águas Radium

December, 2015

Hotel Serra da Pena

     This is not one of those places more visited by tourists in Portugal, but for those of you who like ruins, and a more mystical environment, well, then this is one of the places you must see. I had several opportunities to check it out, unfortunately always seemed to happen something at the last minute that made give up the idea. So after Christmas, this year I finally could get to the place and take some pictures, and dig within its history. I should warn you that although the place is great for taking great photos, its history its a little bit off, I mean, there's nothing to certain, but I'll tell you what is common history about this place.

     Originally this was called Hotel Serra da Pena, and it's situated near Sortelha, belonging to Sabugal's county. At the beginning of the twentieth century it became known as Termas de Águas Radium (Radium Water Baths). They are a massive granite construction, now in ruins. The hotel part is the one that is located in the background of the large patio and the construction on the right corresponds to the old spa.

        As I said, the story is a bit confusing, but it seems that its origin is a legend. It begins with a Spanish Count, Don Rodrigo, who here would have cured her daughter from a serious skin disease, later sending, to build a spa hotel. But what deepens the mystery is a story of Acciainoli, according to which, until 1920 the waters were not known and at that Professor Lepierre stated that the springs had radioactive properties. There was a time, where appeared the radioactive fever, which stated that radioactive materials were beneficial to health (more specifically the radio). The It is said that the hotel was able to accommodate 150 people, and where it was possible to cure the following ailments: skin diseases, basin, arteriosclerosis, rheumatism, gout, hypertension, colitis, edema, circulatory failure, kidney and disturbances in nutrition, via treatment with radioactive sludge and the application of radioactive electrical pads, among others. 

       During World War II, its the end of the hot springs, as uranium becomes a bloody material. Around the years 40-50, the radioactive fever ends with the release of harmful effects that exposure to radioactive materials has to health. Later it come a project to try revive the hot springs, within a luxury hotel, but it never came through. So right now its in ruins, and yet it still fascinates those who pass by.

Happy New Year 2016

31st December - 1st January

    Hello I wish you all a very happy New Year, that 2016 may bring what 2015 forgot :D For my first post in 2016, I decide to share with you how and where I spent my new year's eve, and tell you some funny adventures that happened along the way.

    Adventures right from the beginning ... change of plans on last time ...Waking up to the planned day - lunch, then help my mother in desserts, go put my brother to train, go shopping and go look for a colleague. Well, until lunchtime everything was going to wonder, sitting on the couch with the computer talking to my colleague and behold, everything changes. She can no longer come - what good New Year's Eve alone with my parents... not bad, but it was not what I had in mind. So my brother and my mother, "Go take a shower and go to Lisbon..."

    After a few seconds of hesitation, behold, I get up from the couch to go bathing in 5 minutes, get dressed in less time than that, get the backpack (money, mobile phone, charger and of course champagne and raisins)...here I come towards the station to catch a train that departed within 10 minutes.

    Anyway... I sat on the train, not believing that I did what I did... it is then that I realize that after we left the Fundão (first stop) a lady with her son, were stuck on the train and had to leave in Castelo Branco and then returned back. It seems that there are others like me who in this last day of the year, still collect funny stories to tell.

    You know how it is always complicated to deal with places of buses and trains, so during the trip, with a carriage already nearly full, behold, we start looking for our places, because the ones we had, to be together during the trip were not ours (yes I know that if we had just sat since the beginning in the right places, we would have avoided this situation :) ).

    Want to know more? So it looks like the train is already overflowing and there are only places in the carriage first class - to chic, but worse for those entering the train and no longer have any choice ...ups.

     Another pearl, do not know whether it is defective or if it is due to the large influx...yes, because this has been a shuttle back and forth, even seems that they are giving something in there...that the door of the bathroom no longer closes. Behold, my brother decided to go too. His colleague is on the door, as he does what he has to do...and behold, he brings a gift from inside, clinging to his sneaker, ehehehe.

     News flash: it seems that we aren't going to sleep...ah...this because we don't have where to stay and they only have ticket for tomorrow at 7pm. Well, perhaps it is good to have not bought a return ticket.

     Once we get to Oriente Station (Lisbon) we went for a walk around the mall once my brother's girlfriend instead of bringing a backpack brought a purse... Done!!!
 

  Then we go to the subway in search of a place to eat...and then the saga begins. Lets go to Santos to McDonald's...is closed...ups. So let's go to Chiado to see if there's anything. We went down a few streets and behold, we find an affordable restaurant: Tasca do Tejo. While we wait, here's my brother decides to break something from the restaurant...well, it was nothing to do with us.

Behold, we arrived at Terreiro do Paço and a sea of people. We went to a store to buy drinks, as in the enclosure were more expensive. We sat by the roadside waiting for midnight. 20 minutes before we went to the river to see the fireworks...well, it was a difficult thing... I tell you to get out so it was another problem. Finally we entered in 2016 !!!!

What we did in the first minutes of New Year? We were looking for a bathroom. After all relieved, my brother's girlfriend decided to change outfit in the middle of the street. Then off we went to enjoy the last minutes of Richie Campbell's concert.

In the meantime we took photos with some French we do not know from anywhere... Seeing a couple of Brazilians to hug in the street, here I come to them to give them a hug too. However it is already 2 am on the first day of January and we sat at the door of the police (without knowing it), waiting for two who had gone to the bathroom (again). In the meantime we left there and went to have a square, where a billboard, allowed to take pictures.
   Next step: go looking for tobacco (attention: it wasn't for me!!!) was not easy because everything was closed. We got to go up all the Liberty Avenue to go back down. It is 4 am and fatigue already squeezed, so we stopped at Starbucks. Not long we were there. We decided to go to Santa Apolónia (train station). Walk, walk, walk....feet already ached and it starts to rain :( . We stopped for a moment, waiting for the rain to subside. We returned to Terreiro do Paço... it wasn't the same...empty and clean.
    We reached the station around 6 am, sitting on the floor, tired and cold...until around 7 am the waiting room opened and it was possible to get some sleep. But the departure time never came. Among bathrooms that were paid and go looking for something to eat, we learned of the strike and that the ticket office would not open... No matter we entered the train, we changed the tickets and there we went home (finally)!!!


How was your New Years Eve?