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Santarém dist. |
Useful ideas
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Family matters took me also to Alcobertas, but dancing was what pulled me deeper inside "Ribatejo", "rediscovering" some other places. That's how I went back to Entroncamento and Torres Novas, but that was also the pretext to "discover" Moçarria, Benavente, Riachos, Salvaterra de Magos, São Vicente do Paúl, Pego, and Cartaxo, Vale da Pedra included. Amiais de Baixo, a place where I've never been, was the residence of several friends used to gather in Nazaré, but that I didn't meet in my dancing visit.
Porto Alto, before the arrival of Chinese wholesalers was just a detail in the old way to Algarve, now it is something more.
A special place was added, through some friends in our dancing team - Arrouquelas is just a village, but Badula farm and its wine production became a mandatory objective for some great days in September. Nearby, Anteporta has a good restaurant.
Why not making it a regular meeting point? As you may verify... I will try
Porto Alto, before the arrival of Chinese wholesalers was just a detail in the old way to Algarve, now it is something more.
A special place was added, through some friends in our dancing team - Arrouquelas is just a village, but Badula farm and its wine production became a mandatory objective for some great days in September. Nearby, Anteporta has a good restaurant.
Why not making it a regular meeting point? As you may verify... I will try
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After many times passing in Alcanede without stopping, I decided to stop. It's fair! Not enough time to climb to the castle, only a short glimpse over the roman bridge |
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Castle Conquered by our first king - Afonso Henriques - in the 12th century, this castle was ruined until 1941, when our national authorities classified it as a national monument and reconstructed it. I didn't enter... yet. |
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Roman Bridge Probably built in the 3rd century AD, this small roman bridge was part of the old road connecting Santarém to Porto de Mós and Leiria. |
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Behind the Mountain A small village in the opposite side of Candeeiros mountain has a curious thing: A prehistoric construction - a dolmen - that was preserved and integrated in the church. Besides that, it has some good views of the mountain, an old unexplored cave and... Fernanda's family. |
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The dolmen
What a strange idea: In the positive side, they preserved the dolmen, and turned it evident in a curious integration with the church. Good! In the negative side they decided to cover it with a roof that looks... grotesque. Whose idea? |
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Almeirim
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Almeirim is mainly a land of bulls and wine. I mean, it was, before José Toucinho started to sell that gastronomic bomb called "Sopa da Pedra". Now there are many restaurants selling "the best" sopa da pedra, but we stopped going there so frequently because that soup is today available almost in all the country, always with different details, always strong, generally good tasting. |
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A small village where I had friends, passed several times, but never had visited until... ...Well, until dancing times. Dance took me there, with time enough to a brief visit (easy - it's really a small village). |
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Small but progressive The expensive life in most towns is a good opportunity to the development of the villages near the big cities. Amiais de Baixo, not far from Santarém, shows some signs of progress and richness. |
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Anteporta is a village where in didn't pass much times and always skipped until a friend strongly recommended a local restaurant. Then, we went there expressly to try that restaurant. It is good, yes, but, in a area with so many good places it didn't enthusiasm us for a new visit. And I forgot to look around... |
Arrouquelas
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Each September i visit Arrouquelas. A friend has a winery there, and harvesting is a regular pretext to a little work and a large fun. I had a look at the village, but I must confess that Badula farm is the only thing inviting me there. |
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I passed in Benfica do Ribatejo a couple of times without stopping, until dancing made me stop for several hours (and several times). We spent most of the time inside the pavilion housing the dance competition, but I risked to go out and to look around. Not a touristy place, as expected, but... I will write about what I saw (and will see, because returning is a strong probability). |
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The village
I repeat that Benfica do Ribatejo, is not a touristy destination, however, it has already called me for two different reasons: Many years ago, I went there with friends, expressly to eat eels in a restaurant called O Constantino das Enguias. I don't appreciate eels, ate something else and forgot the restaurant. |
Recently this village started to organize dancing competitions, and that took me there again, more frequently.
I had no opportunity to explore the village, only the area surrounding the pavilion, somewhat apart from the centre. The general idea is exactly that, a wide village, with low buildings spreading in a large area, respecting the local patterns without any special evidence. I read about a palace with interesting ceilings, but I couldn't check it.
Yet!The area close to the pavilion shows some modern and simple public investments, with a common church (always closed while I was there).
I had no opportunity to explore the village, only the area surrounding the pavilion, somewhat apart from the centre. The general idea is exactly that, a wide village, with low buildings spreading in a large area, respecting the local patterns without any special evidence. I read about a palace with interesting ceilings, but I couldn't check it.
Yet!The area close to the pavilion shows some modern and simple public investments, with a common church (always closed while I was there).
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The market and the clock tower
The market, respecting the local patterns of architecture, has a tower with a clock. Several hundred meters apart from it, by the church, a totally different tower, seems to match its shape. Really uncommon, this tower! I couldn't read anything about it (date, author...) but it is so irreverent that I have to smile every time I see it. |
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Benavente
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Dancing, was, in many other places in Ribatejo, the reason that took me several times to Benavente. Though the competition forced always several hours inside the pavilion (or the pavilions, because we dance also in Barrosa, a village nearby, I had time to walk around, seeing the place. It's a calm and nice place, where we once more, had the opportunity to end the competition with a reinvigorating picnic. |
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I went to Cartaxo a couple of times, I passed there many more, but kept no memories nor pictures to write a page. So, I'm not going to write much about Cartaxo. Yet. Dancing is a universe, and, after a first visit to the "unknown" Vale da Pedra, this time it was... Cartaxo. A short visit in a rainy day, but... one more glimpse and a couple of pictures. |
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Wine If you mention Cartaxo to a Portuguese, he will reply... wine. If you enter Cartaxo from the south, they will remind you that Cartaxo is linked to... wine. I think that Cartaxo lost position among the Portuguese greatest producers, and that wine is not so important to Cartaxo now, however... tradition is... tradition, isn't it? |
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Vale da Pedra Dancing, took me to Vale da Pedra. It's a common village with simple houses surrounding a church, as usual. I heard that it has a visit-able chapel and a recommended farm that I couldn't visit (the program was too tight), but I didn't feel there the characteristics of Ribatejo. However, I must mention the good hospitality that allowed a nice afternoon. |
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Vale da Pedra Church What to say about Vale da Pedra? It's a common village, with simple houses surrounding a church, as usual. Is it a recovered old church, or just a modest new one? Entering was the answer, but it was closed. |
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A village stopped in time, "sleeping" by the calm waters of Castelo do Bode dam. One day, someone discovered that its old image surrounded by the beautiful landscape, could act as a touristy attraction, and invested in simple resources. Well, it is there, looking not so medieval as announced, but composing a wonderful site. I was only passing by, and didn't test the restaurante and hotel, nor the available water sports. |
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Medieval tower Well, if the village doesn't look as medieval as announced, no doubts about the tower that tops the whole. The most visible of the two medieval remains in the village is this Templar tower, built in the 12th century, in location of a former Roman tower from the first century BC. It seems to be a peculiar building because its 5 sides were not common in those constructions. |
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Nossa Senhora do Pranto If you decide to learn portuguese (good idea!) you may practice reading in CEAO the legend that assigns to queen Isabel the construction of the chapel by the medieval tower of Dornes, and tries to explain its name - Our Lady of Crying. Too long to translate to this pages, it's a curious story, demonstrating well Portuguese traditions and beliefs. History confirms that the church was built in the 13th century, and rebuilt in 1453. |
Landscape
Kayak renting
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Railroad Crossing
The main railroad crossing in Portugal (and only that), start gathering people, giving birth to a village with a proper name - Entroncamento means crossing. With time it grew up, being today a small city, but always with trains as the main reference. |
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Old quarters Entroncamento has grown, with good taste, as far as I could see. Once again led by dance, I walked a bit around town I noticed that the old houses for the railway workers were preserved, and are clean and painted according to the traditional look. |
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Modernity More than 30 years ago, I started visiting Entroncamento regularly, to play (or to watch) roller hockey. For about 20 years the visits stopped until now. Sport keeps being the reason to go - now ballroom dance competitions. It's impossible not to notice the improvement in the city, and the excellent architectural work done in its sports centre. |
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Modern church Yes, dancing commitments didn't allow me much time to see Entroncamento, but I could notice modernity, present in many places (wide streets, efficient signalization, and a modern church where I had no time to enter). |
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Sports Zone It's the only area in town that I visited in the last 20 years, but progress is noticeable. Very pleasant area. No, that's not true anymore - I entered the city and try to see much more around. Well, I must confess that it did grow but didn't change, and the sportive area keeps being its most. |
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Well succeeded art
Train and sport... Since Columbus and his egg (I hope the story of putting an egg upwards is international... if not, let me know and I'll explain it), we learn that the best solution is, sometimes, complicated, before becoming... obvious. A monument to sport in a railroad crossing in the sports area what should express? A tree, with 5 rails in the 5 Olympic colors! Obvious, isn't it?Congratulations to the unknown author. |
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Ballroom dance Entroncamento has the best pavilion to ballroom dance in central Portugal. I think that it will be the place to our National Championship finals. I promise, I will let you know our classification. To confirm the promise, I must add that I kept dancing there quite often - staying in the middle of Portugal it is the best place to gather all competitors, and my classifications change from 1st to 4th. |
Fátima
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In a remote land in the center of Portugal, during WW1, three children announced the apparition of a lady "brighter than the sun". Faith and commerce merged to, in less than a century build in that nowhere land a city. Fátima is the capital of religious tourism in Portugal, with millions of visits each year, mainly in May and October. |
Ferreira do Zêzere
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A couple of hours, just a couple of hours was all that I could allow myself to visit Ferreira do Zêzere.
It left me the idea of a working progressive small town, taking good advantage of river and dam to compensate the distance from the coast. PS - I don't risk to go there in the next years - the rich forest, and the great landscape were seriously compromised by the tremendous fires in 2017. A couple of years, and I hope everything will be back to normal |
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I know the existence of Moçarria for more than 50 years - my mother was born close to it, and in the stories of her youth Moçarria were frequently present.
I never thought that I would, one day know the place, until I decided to amuse myself in dance competition. That took me to Moçarria, and in my third visit I decided that it was about time to be the first writing something about it. What should I say? Well, it's one more place where you may find the best of Portugal - its people, and not much more. 
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Photo ToZiBlog
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This is a village about 10 Km far from Abrantes where I never had been until one more session of dancing championship occurred in... Pego. I had no time to see it. We arrived late, danced, and made the usual picnic at the end. But I think that we will repeat the visit, maybe with time to look around. Dancing keeps me visiting the area, but Pego was not repeated, so far,and the second visit keeps being delayed... |
Porto Alto
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Fading Chinamarket Once upon a time there was a village, only with one of the most prestigious Inns of Portugal, 30 km away from Lisbon. One day, the Chinese came and Porto Alto became a plantation of stores of all kinds of Chinese junk. Then came the crisis, the Inn became a stunning downfall, dozens of Chinese warehouses mimic it, and Porto Alto lost dimension and life. |
What will lead a tourist to Porto Alto? I don't know. I passed there a lot of times, travelling elsewhere, and that can also happen to a lot of people. On the border of the immensity of the Alentejo, this is an option to stop and eat something.
That's what I did. Twice. Until now without any reason for celebration, but here I'm collecting the experiences ...
That's what I did. Twice. Until now without any reason for celebration, but here I'm collecting the experiences ...
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I didn't visit Riachos - I just went there to receive my National Champion band and have the worst dancing performance of my life - till now! So ashamed, that I had no guts to see the village. Maybe next time. |
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Located by the river, in the outskirts of Santarém, this village is the location of the train station and the place to check the level of the frequent flooding so Tejo. A statue of Santa Iria, by the river, in a high column, allows easy control. The village shows the decadence of agriculture, but still houses a couple of interesting points. |
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Train station
A beautiful building from 1927 for the train station, in a line connecting to Lisbon since 1861, was recently classified as a public monument. In 1979 a secondary building ("Cocheira de carruagens") was transformed in a museum, with several engines and crafts connected to the railroad operation and maintenance. For those waiting for the train, with time enough to see more than the beautiful panels of tiles documenting in the station history and traditional activities, it is a excellent solution to pass the time. Website: http://www.fmnf.pt/nucleos_museologicos |
Climbing to Santarém
Santa Cruz church
Santarém
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Capital of the district, Santarém is a city full of personality, and proud of his character and traditions. Without any outstanding monument, it has many Gothic examples and small beautiful details fill the city. More than to see Santarém it's important to live Santarém and its marriage to the river. |
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For several years S. Vicente do Paul was no more than a sportive pavilion with a few houses around. After five or six visits I had the chance to look around. Yes, it is a modest sportive pavilion wit a few houses around, but I think that the main village is spread several hundred meters apart, far enough to dis-encourage a walking visit, with dance going on. |
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Village To be honest I saw nothing really attractive in S. Vicente do Paul. Maybe because I was born in a village, used to the simple views and signs of rural people, I have not the sensible eyes of those born in the concrete jungles, and able to appreciate any simple detail. I don't have it, but I try. |
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Farming Located north of the river, not so outstanding as in the southern bank, the "Ribatejano" way of life is also present and clearly visible - cattle and agriculture everywhere. |
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Progress
Great progress in the village! The wild space where we parked and made the first local picture is deeply transformed, in a well conceived and nice square. Yes! S. Vicente do Paul is changing. 
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"Ribalentejo" Officially this is Ribatejo, but the image reminds us north Alentejo, that is just there, around the corner. For more than 40 years Sardoal was a place that I would like to see, but always postponed. Till now! |
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The centre
With a long history (it seems to come from the 14th century, officially established in the 16th) this small city, like almost everything in the interior of Portugal is fading. However, the shrinking trend respects the defense of local patrimony, present in the general look of town. I have a few friends from Sardoal, that in Lisbon, composed a fado enhancing their love for hometown. |
Dozens of times I played that fado with the curiosity growing day after day.
Being in the area, with time, this visit of the city was something that I owed to myself. Being with Fernanda, the absence of a strong commercial activity, forced the visit to be short. But rewarding!
Being in the area, with time, this visit of the city was something that I owed to myself. Being with Fernanda, the absence of a strong commercial activity, forced the visit to be short. But rewarding!
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Pillory Just a copy, made in 1934, but this simple column is everywhere the symbol of the autonomy won in the middle ages by the most important settlements. It reproduces exactly the original, dating from the 15th century. |
Tomar
Torres Novas
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First, to visit some factories. Now... to dance.
I must confess that I never visited Torres Novas under a touristy perspective. Well, dancing took me once more to its vicinity, and allowed a couple of hours. The temptation was big and I couldn't resist Not much time and the rain made me plan another visit. |
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Thanks dance Several times I passed in Vila Nova da Barquinha,always rushing somewhere else, which means... no time to look around. Dancing took me one more there, and this time allowing a couple of hours to walk around. Of course, I used them! Just let me organize my pictures and a few tips will come out. |
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Pombeiro park
After many passive years, Barquinha is now opening to tourism. Great part of the riverfront is now occupied by a big (7 acres) park, inaugurated in 2012, with a very attractive look. Large lawn, good shaded areas, some of them prepared for picnics, ponds and fountains, served by a couple of stalls with esplanade, are a good invitation for summer days. Spread in the park there are 11 sculptures of contemporary artists. |
