Hi,
Crossing my fingers did not actually work. However, despite missing out for a few weeks, this week we managed to find an afternoon that – while not sunny – was not rainy. Opal and Onyx were thrilled! We found Palácio de Buçaco (9JGM+9X Luso, Portugal), Convento de Santa Cruz do Buçaco (9JGM+CQ Luso, Portugal), Portas de Coimbra (9JFH+XR Luso, Portugal), Miradouro da Cruz Alto (9JCM+CM Luso, Portugal), Vértice Geodésico Buçaco (9J6W+P4 Luso, Portugal), Porta de Sula (9JFR+WC Luso, Portugal) and Monumento Comemorativo da Batalha do Buçaco (9JGR+GV Luso, Portugal) all in the same locality of Luso. Having so many sites within minutes of each other was definitely a bonus.
Palácio de Buçaco is now a hotel, so we couldn’t go inside, but the grounds were open to us. The Convento de Santa Cruz do Buçaco abutted the palace, but we didn’t even try to see if we could go inside it. Opal and Onyx are cute, but they are not always welcome inside historical monuments. I know, weird, right? Anyway, we walked around the hotel and convent and gardens and took tons of pictures. Then, we drove off to Cruz Alta.
Cruz Alta had a great position for looking down at the valley. We could have walked from the palace and convent (there was a trail), but we weren’t positive that the rain would hold off. Plus, we had several stops to make, and the sun wouldn’t stay up forever (which is how long it would take me to walk to everything!)
On the way back from Cruz Alta, we stopped by a geodesic monument that was just on the side of the road. Chris loves these things, and when we see one, we pull over and get some pictures.
Further along we stopped at the South Gate. I believe the south gate marked the boundary of the convent grounds from the 1600s (more on ‘Luso – Porta de Sula Sign’ picture in the Gallery and below). Both the South Gate and the Coimbra Gate allowed access to the convent grounds where there were 56 kilometers of paths for contemplation.
Right next door to the South Gate was the Monumento Comemorativo da Batalha do Buçaco. This is the second monument to this war between England and Portugal against the French. The first was built in 1873 but was struck and destroyed by lightning three years later. This obelisk/monument was erected in 1910, on the 100-year anniversary of the war. This obelisk has been luckier and shows no lightning scars.
The last site we visited was the Portas de Coimbra. It was on the palace grounds, 600 meters down a trail from the parking lot of the convent/palace. Chris and the girls scouted it out while I waited in the car (my vasculitis was starting to act up). The Coimbra Gate looks much like the South Gate, but it has two doors. Honestly, they look good for their age.
And back home we went. We had explored as much as we could, and the sun was setting. The girls were happy to sleep in the car on the way home, so I know we gave them a good day out. And for a good price, too. The palace, convent, and Coimbra gate were located inside the walled grounds, and there was an entrance fee of €7 for a car (free if we were walking or biking). The other sites were not inside the grounds, but if they had been we only had to pay once to enter; there was no further fee to see any of the sites inside or outside. The palace is a 5-star hotel, and per their website dogs are not allowed. But that may depend on how rich you are and how tiny your dog is. Opal and Onyx don’t have a chance!
Nola
P.S. – All of these photo names begin with ‘Luso’, but in the Gallery if you sort by ‘Religious Sites’ you will find all of them (even the Palace photos) except for the Monument and the Geodesic thingy – they are in ‘Country Sites’.