In this communication we would like just to tell you briefly about the excursion we had on November 3.
The outing was planned at the end of the first stage of the Consulta and at the eve of the second. If one were superstitious, he would think that God did not agree at all on this trip.
All the days leading up to the excursion were warm and with a clear sky. They were pleasant and sunny. Then, suddenly, on November 3 the sky opened up and it rained cats and dogs all day long; even the umbrellas were practically useless because of the side wind. If somebody had wanted to pick a worse day for an outing, it would not have managed to beat us in the choice! Still, the trip had been planned long before; the coach, the guide and the dinner were booked.
So there we are. After the Eucharist held at 5.30 am, we leave, empty stomach, armed with good will, sweaters, wind jacket and umbrellas. We point North, to Águas Santas, a town on the outskirts of Porto where our confreres are waiting for us for a delicious breakfast. We arrive at 9:11, a little late on our schedule, hungry and ready for a nice cup of hot coffee.
After breakfast, offered to us with love, fraternity and joy by our confreres, by the seminarians and the team of the house, we leave happier and more confident. We pass Porto and move on to Braga where we pay a quick visit – quick because of the cold and the rain – to the Shrine of the Good Jesus of Braga and then to the Cathedral.
A little after one in the afternoon, we enjoy a self-service lunch in the restaurant attached to the archaeological museum of the town. Here, in an atmosphere of great conviviality, we help ourselves with the most appreciated dishes of Portugal and are gladdened by the careful attention of the restaurant keepers. Maybe it is the fact that from the restaurant windows we see, outside, the “Great Flood” or perhaps it is the effect of the wine we had to add a note of joy to our food, but when the time comes for us to leave the restaurant, it takes, to our well prepared guide, Leonor, all her effort to set us on the way and lead us to see the church of San Francis, in the city of Porto. To leave the nice warmth of the room and the fellowship we enjoyed at table, to have to face the “Great Flood” again is, to each of us, an act of courage that has no equal! However, the initial resistance phases out as, in the rain, appears the site of St. Francis Church.
The artistic beauty of its facade is superb; its inside is overwhelming. Altars and walls are
adorned with wooden figures, coated in gold, that represent bible stories and events of the life of the Franciscan Order: the whole in a succession of harmonious beauty. One might observe that such decorations are far from Franciscan simplicity, but the guide removes from our minds that “malicious” thought by telling us that at the beginning the church was poor and had a simple style. Then, as in Portugal began to arrive the riches of Brazil, the faithful pushed the Franciscan friars to adorn the church with gold in order to give “more fitting” thanks to God for the new situation of economic bonanza.
Back in the city of Porto, in the late afternoon, we have a guided visit to the famous Calém cellars of the world known Porto Wine. Ms. Mary, the friendly company guide, explains to us the historical origins of the Calém company, the characteristics of this wine so famous and rich in taste, the steps of its production and the different times of aging. She leads us into “a forest” of barrels of various sizes, large and small; among them, stands out a wine vat that contains sixty (60) thousand liters of this precious nectar of the gods. Then, as grand finale of the visit, she offers to all of us two chalices of the Porto made by Calém House: a red one and a white. Both very nice!
We leave the cellar with the sweet and delicate taste of Porto on our lips and, when we get outside, we find two surprises: the rain has ceased to fall and the town of Porto appears with its beauty and colors on the other bank of the Rio Douro. The night has fallen and the cluster of town houses lit in front of us looks like a small crib under a sky that has finally abandoned its threatening face.
The return journey to Fátima is first spent in prayer, organized and led by Fr. Paolo Fedrigoni, then singing songs and playing among ourselves by asking one another questions on what we were told by our guide during the day. Tired but joyful, at 8:38 PM we get home. Thank you!
More pictures
Fatima (October 2014)
