Guimaraes

Guimaraes holds a special place in Portugal's heart, I've been told. It was the birthplace of Afonso Henriques, the first independent King of Portugal and its founding hero. When the Christian Reconquista heated up in the late 1100s, he used the city of Guimaraes as a launching pad against the Moors.  

It was also chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2012. 

Built over 1,000 years ago, this castle was the birthplace of the great man himself.

A charming little town... I spent a few hours walking around on my last day in the Porto area....

Paço dos Duques de Bragança (Palace of the Dukes of Bragança), built in 1401. The Braganças were the most noble and powerful family in Portugal at the time. Their eventual ascension to the throne in 1640 ended Spain's 60-year domination of Portuguese, and their descendants ruled until the dissolution of the monarchy in 1910. 

 The Paço was restored in 1937 by Portugal's dictator Salazar. He apparently ruled the country in true dictator form. He brought prosperity to the country's failed economy, but at enormous human cost: censorship, brute force of secret police, imprisonment, torture and death to silence all opponents. A deeply pious man, he had the backing of the Catholic Church and so, ruled until 1974.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliviera

That's about it!  Heading to Lisbon now... Only 3 more sleeps and I'll be back on Canadian soil...  Thanks for reading!  xx