July 19th - Braga and the Bom Jesus Catholic Resort

 Saturday, July 19th

                         


    We got on the train and headed 30 minutes north to the small town of Braga.  We headed to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, of what we now call the Bom Jesus Catholic Resort.  Bom means good Jesus and that is what they referred to him every time they referenced him.  It is a sanctuary that is a Christian Pilgrimage site.  There were many sites to see.  The Basilica was beautiful and was being set up for a wedding that day.  We explored and found a pond you could row on, a playground and campsite.  There are numerous chapels to various saints and religious figures.  There are even a few hotels on site along with a conference center. The big draw is the stairs.  If you start at the  bottom and walk up you will follow the story of Jesus' crucifiction starting with the Last Supper and ending with him rising from the dead.  After exploring the Sanctuary, we had a quick bite and  made friends with this little cutie.  Finally, we decided to walk down the 573 steps.  We didn't realize we were going backwards, but we were okay with it.  Each stop had a small chapel explaining the the journey that Jesus took.  I was happy that my 13 years of Catholic School paid off and I was able to guess what was I thought was happening and then explain it to Kate.  

     

                 


 When we got to the bottom we decided to walk to the Santa Barbara Gardens. Halfway there we decided to rent some scooters and ride the rest of the way there.  It was a fun experience until we had to ride on the cobblestone streets!  

    The Gardens were beautiful, but unfortunately the palace was closed so we could not go in.  We enjoyed the gardens and then grabbed a drink before getting on the train home.  We did have a small snafu with the train, but ended up getting home a bit later than expected, but all was good.























 

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