We left Portugal and headed for Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. We crossed the Minho River, which sets Portugal’s border with Galicia, Spain for about 80 kilometers. It flows from its source north of Lugo in Galicia towards the southwest until it reaches the Portuguese border, then empties into the Atlantic Ocean. During our drive, we passed by the coastal Spanish cities of Vigo and Pontevedra, overlooking the same ocean. Vigo is the largest city in Galicia and

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

Our little excursion from Fatima took us to Tomar, also in the Santarem district. This city was the centre of Portuguese overseas expansion in the 15th century under Henry the Navigator, Grand Master of the Order of Christ, the successor organization in Portugal of the very controversial and powerful Order of the Knights Templar. Who would have thought? Prior to this trip, I had never associated Portugal with knights as much as I did with England and France, and much less the

After our late lunch, we freshened up then walked to the Shrine of Fatima to attend Mass at the Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary. The Mass was in Portuguese, but because of its similarities with Spanish, I could understand it a little bit, including the priest’s homily. For some reason, towards the middle part of the Mass, I got a little bit emotional and I started crying. I tried to restrain myself and though my soft whimpers turned into quiet sobs, my eyes kept welling up

The next morning, right after breakfast, we drove to the small city of Tomar for a short excursion. On the way back to Fatima, we made a stopover at the small village of Aljustrel, where the visionary children from the famous apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary were born and where they lived. We parked on one of the side streets and took a walking tour, passing by the houses of Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. Lucia's house has been restored and contains furniture and artefac

We headed to Fatima in the late afternoon and arrived there in the early evening. I felt that this was the real start of our pilgrimage. Fatima is one of the major Marian shrines visited by Catholics worldwide. For those who are not familiar with it, this unassuming place is where Mary, the Mother of Christ, appeared to children tending sheep and brought messages of faith, hope, and peace. Our Tour Director did not need to announce our arrival. From a distance, we saw the tow

By the time we started the monastery tour, all luncheon lamentations had been forgotten, for we were completely mesmerized by the grandeur of the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça. From the outside, the structure certainly looks somber and austere, but inside is a treasure throve of architectural surprises. The church was founded by the first Portuguese king, Alfonso Henriques in 1153. This, and the adjacent monastery, were the first Gothic structures in Portugal. The churc

It was past two o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Alcobaça, a city in central Portugal that sprouted along the banks of the Alcoa and Baca Rivers, from which it derives its name. We were there to visit its famous church and monastery. By that time, all of us were famished and could think of nothing but food. Our Tour Director walked with us to the square facing the monastery. The short trek from the parking lot took us through winding cobbled alleys, where we were g

We made a short stop in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal next to Lisbon. Since this was not part of our official itinerary, we did not see much, except for the riverside quarter of Ribeira as we crossed Ponte Luis I. This area lies along the banks of the Douro River. Traditional boats floated at the quayside overlooked by colourful ancient houses and medieval streets, and lined by smoky bars and seafood restaurants. Across the river is Vila Nova de Gaia, where accor

Belém has so much to offer. Aside from being a key historical and monumental area, it is also known for its myriads of museums, contemporary art exhibitions, spacious parks, tree-lined plazas, scenic riverside walks, chic restaurants, and cafés. It is where downtown folks usually escape for a little bit of peace and quiet to commune with nature and engage in more laid-back leisure activities. For some reason, it reminded me of Ottawa, my current home city. We circled its aris

Our next stop in Belém is the undisputed star of the district, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Jeronimos Monastery). I had never seen a monastery like this before, in terms of size, architecture, and ornamentation. Built in the 16th century to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage (Vasco and his crew spent their last night in Portugal praying in Belém before sailing for India) and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success, this grand complex is the most impressive symbol of

Belém, a historic riverside district of Lisbon, is a “must-visit” place and definitely worth the 20 to 30-minute drive from the city centre. Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, at the point where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, Belém used to be a humble fishing village. It rose in importance in the late 15th-century, when Portugal launched its sea explorations to East Africa, Brazil, and India. It was from there where caravels sailed on their voyage of discovery, and to whe

After an early buffet breakfast and check-out, we packed into the official tour bus to drive around Lisbon for a sightseeing tour with a local guide. I had no preconceived expectations of Lisbon. Apart from the fact that it is the capital of Portugal, I knew very little about this city. But as our bus cruised around tree-lined streets and navigated the narrow, winding alleys through its different neighborhoods, I found it oozing with old European charm without the pretension

A month after my whirlwind travel booking, I was on an overnight flight from Ottawa to Frankfurt, where I would get my connecting flight to Lisbon, the start-off point of this pilgrimage. From there, our tour group would head north to Fatima and Braga, then cross the border to north-western Spain and spend time in Santiago de Compostela. Then, we would travel east to Burgos and Spain's Basque country and onwards to southwestern France. We would cross the border again to go ba