The Minho - Portugal - page 886

WORTH A TRIP
BUSTLING BARCELOS
Thursday Market
The Minho is famous for its sprawling outdoor markets, and the largest, oldest and most celebrated is the Feira
de Barcelos (Campo da República; 7am-7pm Thu) , held every Thursday in the ancient town of Barcelos, on
the banks of the Rio Cávado. Tour buses arrive by the dozen, spilling their contents into the already brimming
marketplace. You'll need at least a couple of hours to see all the goods.
Despite attracting travellers, the market retains its rural soul. Villagers hawk everything from scrawny chickens
to hand-embroidered linen, and Roma women bellow for business in the clothes section. Snack on sausages and
homemade bread as you wander among the brass cowbells, hand-woven baskets and carved ox yokes.
Pottery is what most outsiders come to see, especially the yellow-dotted louça de Barcelos ware and the gaudy
figurines à la Rosa Ramalho, a local potter known as the Grandma Moses of Portuguese pottery - her work put
Barcelos on the map in the 1950s. Once you've taken in the market, you'll find that Barcelos has a pleasant medi-
eval core, with old stone towers perched over the river.
Rooster Rescue
His colourful crest adorns a thousand souvenir stalls - and you will notice the great and brilliant cocks sprinkled
along the Barcelos streets like bigger-than-life chess pieces - but just how and why did the proud Portuguese
cockerel become a national icon? It seems that a humble pilgrim, plodding his way to Santiago de Compostela in
the 16th (some say 14th) century, stopped to rest in Barcelos, only to find himself wrongfully accused of theft and
then swiftly condemned to be hanged. The outraged pilgrim told the judge that the roast on the judge's dinner
table would affirm the pilgrim's innocence. And, just as the judge was about to tuck in, the cooked cock began to
crow. The pilgrim was set free.
Sleeping & Eating
Accommodation is always tight on Wednesday and Thursday because of the market. Try the remarkable Quinta
do Convento da Franqueira ( 253 831 606; www.quintadafranqueira.com ; s/d €75/100; Apr-Oct;
) in a 16th-century convent turned vineyard and inn, 6km north of town. Or in the town centre, stay in one
of the stylish rooms at Hotel do Terço ( 253 808 380; www.hoteldoterco.com ; Rua de São Bento 7; s/d €50/
65; ) , a sleek modern option sitting atop its namesake shopping centre. There are plenty of equally in-
viting cafes and bakeries on the Old Town walking-only streets and plazas. The best food is to be had at Galliano
( www.restaurantegalliano.com ; Campo 5 de Outubro 20; mains €9-17; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat, lunch Sun) ,
which features regional delicacies like barrosã grelhado (grilled steak), plus great-value lunch specials (€7).
Getting There & Away
Transdev Norte/Arriva ( 253 209 401; Av Dr Sidónio País 445) has the only reliable bus service to/from
Barcelos, with at least eight buses to Braga (€2.60, one hour) on weekdays and about four on weekends. It also
has services to Ponte de Lima (€3.10, one hour). Barcelos' station is on the Porto-Valença do Minho line. There
are three to five direct trains a day to/from Porto (€4.70, one hour), and commuter trains every hour or two that
change at Nine (€4, 1¼ hours). There is a similar service via Nine to Braga (€2.90, 45 to 60 minutes).
Entertainment