On a barren wind swept cliff stands a lonely church. It is surrounded by ruins and ghosts of other buildings.
This used to be one of the most famous locations of pilgrims to travel to for hundreds of years. (There was a religious sighting dating back prior to 1366.) It was so famous that there was a hospital to treat the pilgrims (and their feet), an aquaduct to get water there and later even an opera house, where famous stars would come and perform.
The cliffs are precipitous and the Atlantic is stunningly blue.
It is a location that will haunt your memory.
It was a clear day and we could see all the way to Cascais, where we were the previous day.
The church was locked when we got there. As we were looking around we suddenly heard João talk to a lady that came around the corner. She happened to be the caretaker of the church, and he convinced her to unlock it only for us. There is no photography allowed inside of any kind, but the church is indescribable. If you can imagine how famous this location once was, and the money (opera etc) flowing in for hundreds of years, then you will get an idea of the interior. (Found some pictures on Google – click here)
http://www.monumentos.gov.pt/Site/APP_PagesUser/SIPA.aspx?id=6165
