Today we decided to knock out a few more of the archeological sites listed on VisitEsposende.com. Since four of the sites were in Vila Chã, we headed north to see if we could find them all in one day. Lucky for us, they were remarkably close together.
We started at São Lourenço.
The first thing we found was a large flat area with picnic tables. We had eaten before we left, so we continued on to the information booth (Centro Interpretativo de São Lourenço). We had the dogs with us, so we didn’t go inside. We just headed up the hill towards the ruins and the chapel.
The cobblestone path took us upwards at a manageable incline. The round houses on the side of the path reminded me of the ones we saw a few days ago. These were complete, however. Here we could see the entire, finished houses. Chris peeked inside, but they were unfurnished houses. Too bad. They looked like they would keep the weather out nicely, and they came with firewood inside them. We have two months to find a new place to live….
Capela de São Lourenço was at the top of the hill. It looked out over Esposende and to the Atlantic Ocean. Nice property. Too many steps for my taste, but that is because I am lazy. The dogs and Chris walked up to look around. This site was busier than we’ve grown accustomed to. We were not the only people here; nor were we the only people here with dogs. It was a lovely day, and families with their pets were out enjoying the scenery.
The walk back to the car was easier, and once there we typed ‘dolmen’ in Google Maps and set off. The three dolmens in Vila Chã were all laid out before us. The first one we found was down a dirt road, and we were unsure whether it went to the dolmen or not, so Chris ran out to see what was there. He came back with pictures and we set off to the next dolmen. This one was also down a dirt road, but the road was less terrifying, so we all made it to the site. The dogs were happy to get out and sniff around. Unlike São Lourenço, this dolmen (and all of the dolmens) was not significant enough to warrant extensive excavation. They appeared to have simply been found in a field and dug up, but the sites were not built up in any way. Again, if Opal ever learns to come when she is called, she and her sister Onyx will have more fun at sites like this. Until then, the dogs will have to tolerate their leashes.
The last dolmen site was a couple kilometers away, so we were there in just a few minutes. After looking around, we headed to a nearby town (Barcelos) to pick up a few things at the grocery store (Pingo Doce) that we haven’t been able to find in Esposende. The trip was relaxing, especially since the dogs were wiped out. They slept the whole way home.