Truly, this is what we came to see!

 

Ola!

We are just back to the hotel and it’s 5 pm; we’ve been on the go since about 8:30 this morning, and we are both exhausted!  However, we undaunted bloggists will blog along at any rate, even if our eyes are closing now and then as we type.  Now that’s dedication … or is that just stupidity?!  Hmmm…

One of the first engravings we saw

Nice group!  Guide Gloria on left

Wild mushrooms and asparagus in scrambled eggs

Mushrooms stuffed with something!

R's fish

My steak

Dessert ... it's been a long day!

Just walking through town!

Stunning vistas

River Coa

Wall of engravings on top of each other

Can you spot the horses?

More horses!

Huge panel with lots of motion

Can you tell this is a goat?

Lovely river valley!

Always room for another horse!

Lights in Foz Coa!

 

We think these are supposed to be almond blossoms

Last photo from town!

Having had such a lovely and late lunch yesterday, we never did make it out of the hotel last night for dinner, snacks, or anything else!  It was horribly cold in our room when we first arrived, but we had a wonderful built-in HVAC system that worked really well, and kept us quite comfortable. Suffice to say that I did go to bed in my sweat pants and socks, though, so you know it’s cold.  Robert thinks it’s possible that the room hasn’t been used in a while, and the walls are indeed very cold.  But the furniture is comfortable, the heat steady and the hot water voluminous, so we’ll be fine.  

Down for breakfast at 7:30 am and we were able to meet the hotel owner, a lovely lady who keeps this lovely house.  We were also surprised to find that there were two other guests – businessmen from the looks of them.  Not sure if anybody else will be in for tonight, but we’ll just have to see.  Breakfast was a nice buffet, and we passed on the offer of eggs.  What we particularly did enjoy, though, were the HUGE red-all-the-way-through strawberries, that actually TASTE like strawberries used to taste! There was also some wonderful homemade raspberry jam that just spread beautifully on bread and was very yummy. 

Out the door about 8:30 am and heading for the museum, which opens at 9 am.  Our especially pre-arranged tour to the first site, Canada do Inferno was due to leave at 9:30. We were there (of course) early, and connected with the three other folks going with us.  There was a single gal who is a professor in Robotics in the Engineering department at University of Lisboa, and then a couple – he an ex-pat/ex-hippie from California, and she a lovely gal from Sweden.  Together they own a landscaping/gardening business in Sweden, which is closed during the winter.  During which time, they go south to Portugal so he can surf!  (He’s somewhere in his 70’s.)  At any rate, it was a nice group, and Gloria, our guide and an archaeologist was terrific!

We piled into Gloria’s Land Rover and headed off.  These visits are set up by the museum, and require a minimum of two people, and a maximum of seven.  There are three ancient sites available to view, and the visits must be booked in advance. It is also not possible to do all three in one day.  They do visits to Canada do Inferno in the mornings, and then Penascosa in the afternoons, and then one can schedule Ribeira de Piscos for the following morning, which is what we did.

So … Canada do Inferno.  As it turned out, there was a group of Algerian academics visiting the area, and they had arrived at the site first.  So, Gloria took us to the various places in reverse order, which ended up saving one of the best panels for last!  

The sites we’ll be seeing today and tomorrow are all outdoor sites.  We have seen several Paleolithic drawings or etchings outside before, but either on walls in South Africa or at the back of rock shelters in Australia.  Most of the other art we have seen has been cave art, either painted or etched or engraved.  We’ve never seen this quantity of engravings just out in the open before, and it was incredible.  The rock in the area is schist, and there are huge panels that face the river and tell quite interesting stories.

The rock art in this area is basically made up of engravings on the schist of animal figures – goats, deer, and aurochs.  In fact, on multiple panels, there are many animal drawings engraved one over the other. Some of it is difficult to make out, but other panels, the animals are very plainly seen.  Robert is not sure exactly how this will translate to photographs, but we’ll see.  As I say, having a guide who can show us drawings of what we’re really seeing makes a really big difference.  Also, the angle of the sun at various times made things either easier or more difficult to see.  I understand that is why we do Canadain the morning and Penascosain the afternoon.

It was about a 1 km hike down towards the Coa River to see our engravings, and fortunately, with a small group like ours, we were all able to both see and hear everything that Gloria had to tell us. I think we were supposed to be out about two hours, but it was over 2½ hours before we got back to the museum a little after noon.  Then, we had to present ourselves by 1:45 pm at Castelo Melhor, 14 km away from V.N. de Foz Coato meet back up with Gloria to visit Penascosa.  

In the meantime, though, we needed FOOD!  Fortunately, the museum has an excellent dining room and we were able to get an excellent (albeit a bit quick) lunch.  We started by sharing two appetizers.  I ordered wild mushrooms with asparagus.  These actually came mixed into scrambled eggs, and were great!  Robert ordered mushrooms stuffed with Alheira - something I thought was cheese!  Well, it wasn’t cheese, it was a local area non-pork sausage of finely minced chicken and bread.  However, asking no questions as I didn’t want to hear an answer, they were great!  

For mains, I had a small and nicely cooked beef steak with rice, and Robert had grilled Dourada (bream), one of his favorite fish, with potatoes and broccoli.  We were able to finish about 1 pm so that we could get back on the road to Castel Melhor.  (Turns out, the ex-Cal/Swedish couple used Google Maps to find it … and they ended up at a look out point a mile above the village!) We arrived first, and parked right next to a lovely store where Gloria’s friend makes all sorts of things herself – olive oil, some wine.  When we returned from our visit, we did buy t-shirts that are really lovely and showcase the art of the engravings!  Eventually the four of us reunited, and Gloria arrived.  She waited a bit for the two other people who were supposed to accompany us, but they never showed up!  So, leaving a bit later, off we went.

These engravings include an engraving of a fish (one of very few such depictions worldwide) and a rock containing over a dozen superimposed animals; beautiful engravings all! (Although honestly, I would never have known the fish to be a fish if I hadn’t been told; bears no resemblance to one as far as I can make out, but then I never was much of a fish person!) 

It has turned out to be a REALLY warm day!  Robert and Gerry were both in t-shirts, but Gloria, the Swedish gal (whose name I cannot remember…) and I all had on long-sleeves. I was roasting!  The Penascosa site is situated on the bank of the River Coa, and it was absolutely stunning.  The water rushing by, the birds in the sky, the green grass and dark rocks.  So lucky to have such a beautiful blue sky and sunshine for our outdoor adventure!

Finally back to Castel Melhor about 4:30 pm and to Foz Coa about 5 pm.  Truly a full day (R is napping even as I type!) 

Tomorrow we are scheduled for our one and only Saturday tour at 9:30 at the museum (again with Gloria), after which time we will then actually tour the museum to see what the entire area is about!  We should have done it yesterday afternoon when we arrived, but truly, a good lunch and naps sounded much better at the time!  So – as I say, more later!

In the meantime, we want to say just how much we are enjoying Portugal in general.  The cities and towns are interesting, the countryside is lovely, the people are very friendly and the pace of life here seems to be very relaxed.  The food has been uniformly good and interesting (with all the meanings that word may carry) and the wines excellent.

Much love,

m

xxx

Ola!  Just back from a grocery store run, to the Intermarcheclose to town.  And, truly, while I don’t have photographic proof YET, (we will definitely get it tomorrow!) we found an OUTDOOR Self-Service Lavanderia!  Incredible!! Just right there in the parking lot! Two washers and one dryer!  Not sure if they do much business, but this totally destroys my issue of having to do clothes as there wasn’t a place here to do them!  WRONG! At any rate, Robert bought some fruit (which he is enjoying right now!) and I bought some cookies and water, so we’re in pretty good shape for then night!

Also, after we got back from the Intermarche supermarket, the lights were finally turned around Foz Coa!  Apparently a couple of weeks ago, Foz Coa hosted their annual fiesta for the almond flowers, which have been blooming everywhere.  There are a lot of lights and decorations all over town, and we have included some in tonight's photos!

More tomorrow!

m

xxx