Portuguese Dogs

Portuguese Dogs
On the second day we went out to see the town of Gouveia.  We walked down town the market to buy fresh vegetables and steak for lunch.   After lunch we went to the park where we would often go when ever we visited Gouviea.   I remember the dark shaded paths that my brother an I use to run down.  Of course the animal shaped shrubs.  We got some good photos of the kids hanging out under the large elephant shaped shrub.
We climbed up to the top of the chapel on the hill and took some great photos of the beautiful view.   Afterwards we met up with my mom, uncle and his wife from some incredible Portuguese ice cream.   Even the ice cream seems to taste better here than in the United States.    Afterwards we returned back to the apartement to rest before heading to Figueiro Da Serra. 
Figueiro we stopped every where.  I got to see Tia Aurora who took care of me among many others in town until I was the age of 4.   She kept repeating now I can die...  now I can die.   Meaning she saw someone she cared for very much before she passed away.  We got to see so many of our cousins.  Each one would come out to see who the strangers where that were in town..  They then realized that it was family.   Seemed like everyone was a cousin of my mother's or father's.   Of course each one would ask do your kids and wife speak portuguese.   Oh that's too bad.   It actually became comical after a while.   We got to see my dad's old house,  my grandmothers old and new house.  My great grandfathers house who my mother inherited.   We also got to see the new hotel in town.   It had incrediable gardens. 
While walking through town I kept warning the kids for the free roaming dogs.  Portugues dogs are kind of wild.  They meandor on the narrow village roads.   While walking we came across a couple.  I reminded the kids of the story of when I got bit by a dog when visiting.  I told them to just keep an eye on the dog and keep your distance.  The kids called them "PD"s.   The night before we saw two dogs running through the streets of Gouveia one of them had a muzzle on.   Which we all found hilarious. 
We walked around the entire village of Figueiro, we of course had to have the obligatory drink from one of the many fountains in town.    We got to see the chapel of St Eufamia and the main church where of course my kids got to see where I was baptized and where most of my aunts and uncles were married.

After visiting my uncle's house, we headed back home at the end of the day and had dinner at the Hotel Gouveia.    Another really special day.  The kids, wife, parents and I all had an incredible day.