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| If one picture can sum up our week in Aveiro, Portugal, this might be it. |
Deciding on a winter getaway seems to be more of a challenge these days. While in past years, February travel has been ideal weather-wise, we weren't so lucky year. Flying to an island isn't for us — we're not exactly beach people. We wanted to drive somewhere, so we looked to one of our favorite countries: Portugal.
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| Fish mark the spot at Aveiro's tourism office. |
We take our time, stopping in two Spanish cities on the way, and run into stormy weather about an hour outside of our destination of Aveiro. I wonder if anyone has every counted the number of cities that have given themselves the moniker of "The Venice of ... (fill in the name of the country)." Aveiro is one such city, due to its canals and colorfully painted boats. To be fair, we aren't able to fully enjoy the coastal charms of this place due to the weather, but we take a lot of walks and manage to visit some cool museums.
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Museu de Arte Nova in Aveiro is located in a former private residence.
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Aveiro can rightfully boast a strong Art Nouveau influence. We see plenty of beautiful (and some rundown) buildings in my favorite architectural style. There's even an Art Nouveau museum, although the building's exterior is more impressive than the modest exhibits inside.
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| Art Nouveau architecture is found along Aveiro's famed canals. |
Aveiro's patron saint is Sainte Princess Joana, and traces of her can be found all around town, particularly at the Museum of Aveiro. Housed in the Dominican convent where Ste. Joana once lived, the exhibits are, unsurprisingly, primarily religious.
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| Visitors can learn all about the city's patron saint. at the Museum of Aveiro. |
The museum is next door to Sé Catedral de Aveiro. Built on the site of the 15th century Church of Nossa Senhora de Misericórdia, the lovely white cathedral is a stylistic blend of Mannerism, Baroque, and Modernism.
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| Aveiro is strongly connected to its Roman Catholic roots. |
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| This boat, called a Moliceiro, is located in Aveiro's City Museum. |
The Aveiro City Museum is more to our tastes. Here we learn about Aveiro's important salt industry and are treated to a personal tour by a friendly docent. She asks us lots of questions about our lives both in France and in the U.S. Our conversation becomes one of the most pleasant memories of our entire trip.
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| It's easier to photograph Aveiro's colorful sign from behind. |
The sky finally clears on our last day here allowing us a final chance to explore this beautiful city on the northern Portuguese coast.
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| Évora is known for its white houses and rich heritage. |
We now head south with an overnight stop in Évora, a truly charming city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We bypass the recommended sites and savor the beautiful day. Here we have one of the best lunches of our entire trip at Tempora & Prosa, a small Brazilian restaurant tucked into a narrow street lined with white houses.
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| Évora's Temple of Diana was actually built to honor Emperor Augustus. |
Évora is home to a large Roman temple, long-thought to be dedicated to the goddess Diana. It's free to check out, and I'm finally able to make good use of my camera.
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| The flowers are thinking of blooming in Conde Vila Flor square in Évora. |
Other highlights of our brief stay in Évora are a trip to the barber for Ken, who had been looking a little grizzly, and a luxurious night at the Évora Olive Hotel, a rare treat for us.
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Évora's main square is Praça do Giraldo.
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Next, we'll head to the Algarve along the southern coast of Portugal.
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