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Published: October 4th 2009
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Leaving behind Lisboa and the broad Tagus River (the same one flowing in smaller form through Toledo) we headed northward. North of Lisboa are rolling hills and small mountains, often forested with pines of various sorts and the overtaking eucalyptus. As is thus far always the case in Spain and Portugal, you are never far from olives trees and vineyards.
Our first stop was in Fatima, site of the famous religious shrine (which interestingly was named originally after one of the daughters of Mohammed). On May 13, 1917 three shepherd girls told of seeing a vision of Mary in an oak tree. She appeared monthly on the same day of the month until October. The children told of visions and predictions she had given them. Each apparition took place at a site called Cova da Iria near the village of Fatima except in August, when the girls were imprisoned by a local official because he thought the monthly visitations were disruptive. That month Mary appeared on the 19th at a different location. In October, she promised a miracle and 70,000 were at the site when the sun was reported to emanate strong colors and to dance around the sky. Scientifically,
nothing strange about the sun was reported that day. However, the visions reportedly seen by many became the basis of pilgrimages. The children were also reportedly given three "secrets". The first two were reported in 1941, with the first being a vision of hell and the second a prediction of World War II if Russia had not been converted (notice that it was reported after WW II had started). The third was written down by the surviving child in 1944, the other two children having died in the flu pandemic of 1918-20. This one was more apocalyptic in nature, and was not published until 2000. There is great argument as to whether the version published by the Vatican is complete. Whether you believe something miraculous happened at Fatima is a matter of faith. What is clear is that a lot of people THOUGHT that something miraculous happened, and that their reports have fostered a pilgrimage tradition that continues to this day. We saw many people waiting at the site for mass, and supplicants coming to the small chapel down a marble path at least 200 meters long, on their knees and praying constantly. (It is perhaps unkind to note that
all appeared to be wearing knee pads.) The Catholic faith apparently has something against healthy knees. In addition to the small chapel at the actual site (where the oak tree still lives), there is a very large church which we were unable to visit because services were in progress. There were also people lighting candles, but some had fallen and melted, then been ignited, producing a tremendous conflagration in the grotto, melting most of the other candles. There is also a large stylized crucifix and statues of Pius XII and John Paul II, a noted Marianist, who came here to thank the Virgin for saving him when he was shot.
Going somewhat from the profound to the profane, we headed up to the Douro River valley, home of port wines as well as many other varietals. We made a brief stop at Lamego, thinking the museum there was a museum about port wine production, but it mostly contained undistinguished religious art and artifacts, although they did have some rather impressive tapestries, including a series depicting the Oedipus legend. Then it was up the valley, a beautiful river valley with steep sloping hillsides, virtually every inch of which was covered
with vineyards. Often there was a large sign proclaiming teh owner, many of which we recognized. We finally got as far as the picturesque little town of Pinhão, turned around, and followed slow trucks back along winding roads until near Porto. That night we ate in the Restaurante Portucale, atop the clock tower, with a beautiful view of downtown Porto. I suspect there are things to do in Porto, and I particularly would have liked to see some of the aspects of the port wine production, but time dictated we move one.
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anonymous
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I hope you picked up kneepads for your next adventure, near Bragga, or have you had enough exposure to religious shrines?