So I said this deserves its own post and here it is. I picked out Batalha as our first overnight stop on the 3 day journey from Amarante to Fuzeta as it has an Aire.
We drove 185 miles to get here – correction, B drove most of them! The first part of the day took us through the upper Douro Valley which was absolutely stunning – even more so than the vistas we had been through to get to Amarante.
The hillsides are completely covered with a network of terraced vineyards and the service roads which wind between them. All dedicated to producing the grapes for the port wines of the region. The main road going south from Vila Real climbs over these hills, which are more like mountains and hence the amazing views. We also saw the new motorway under construction with more viaducts and tunnels such as we saw in Picos de Europa. B reckons they were the best views he has ever seen anywhere.
But it was challenging driving and by the time we got to Batalha he had had enough! The Aire was just 100 yards from the monastery which is a UNESCO site and deservedly so. It looks more like a huge cathedral, and the interior had the jaw dropping quality we had expected at Santiago de Compostela and not experienced there. As with so many of the things we have seen on this trip, the photos tell the best story.
This is the view we saw from the main road as we drove into Batalha - wow!
Side view with statue of King Joao III (we think!)
The unfinished chapels looked rather odd.
View of the soaring ceiling