Abbey, caves and Bascilica

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A busy and enjoyable day started with a surprise. Our route passed through Batalha and the road went right by a huge ecclesiastical building. We stopped and it turned out to be a huge and impressive Abbey built between the 14th and 16th centuries to commemorate the battle which sealed Portugal’s independence from Spain. An interesting part of the building is a series of ornate chapels which were never completed and our time there was highlighted by the singing of a visiting choir.

Our next stop was the largest show cave in Portugal at Mira de Aire. The extensive trip goes 110m underground down a series of steps past several interesting rock and stalactite formations. The guide was very good leading Wendy in the dim light.

Our last visit was to Fátima to see the Basilica built in 1953 on the site of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three children which occurred in 1917. The Basilica is one of the most important centres of pilgrimage in the Roman Catholic world and it was quite moving to witness the devotion of most of the people who were there.

We stopped the night at a rural campsite outside Tomar.

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