We are preparing to leave the large star-fort inside the town of Valença, northern Portugal. Many of the buildings are in the traditional grey stone and white paint, other then when they are decorated with tiles.
We explore the last ” sides” of the fort that we have not yet seen and as we pass though a tunnel to get the the outer ramparts I am again reminded at just what an amazing feat of engineering this place is.
Even when you get to the outer walls there is still the massive drop to the ground below, so I’m sure that just the sheer scale of the fortification was off-putting enough to deter some invaders of centuries past.
Spain is just across the river but these days traffic moves smoothly from one country to the other over the nearby bridges as Portuguese pop over the border finding some consumer goods cheaper in Spain, and visa versa as some things are cheaper in Portugal for the Spanish.
For Family Kiwidutch it’s time to head back to our Convivio Campsite and for the kids… the swimming pool.
As we pass by some traders on our way to one of the ramped tunnels that will lead us out of the Fort, the kids spy some garden ornaments ( well I assume they are garden ornaments and they fall in love) Ye goodness it’s cutesy and tacky to the extreme, not my cup of tea at all… nooooo I really really don’t want a cutesy lamb, donkey, duck, frog…or horror of horrors, agh !!! the gnomes.
Himself and I plead the breakable nature of the goods ( actually I think Himself would have been willing to help some these objects along towards this possible destiny) and manage to march reluctant children out of the Fort sans Tat after the topic of ice-cream amazingly came to light a few moments later.
Actually think that that means Parents “lost” anyway, as the little blighter’s still scored an object of their desire and we of course predictably picked the lesser of two evils. Humph… outwitted by a nine and five year old, and we hadn’t even seen it coming.
We admire everything on the way out and reflect on an excellent family fun day out here that I would recommend in a heartbeat to any family venturing this way.
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