Our bus descended down the hill and made its way to downtown Braga. We were to go there for lunch and a bit of sightseeing. As we approached the city centre, our Tour Director mentioned that Braga was founded by a Celtic tribe and later became a Roman stronghold. It was made the administrative centre of Gallaecia (now encompassing Portuguese Minho and Spanish Galicia) and the country’s religious capital, as well as the headquarters of the Portuguese bishopric in the 11th cen

We journeyed north from Fatima to go to Braga, one of the oldest Christian cities in the world, the oldest in Portugal, and nicknamed the “Portuguese Rome.” Our main stop is the Santuário Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount Sanctuary) located on the hillside of Tenoes, outside the main city of Braga. We drove straight to the church perched on the slopes of Mount Espinho more than 300 feet above the ground and surrounded by lush forests. Our Tour Director said that asi