As a continuation of our Summer in Portugal series, McGunnMedia caught up with Tupan Tours.
Catch the other posts here, here, and here.

Tupan Tours

Tupan Tours offers, in the words of the owners, “personalized tours, with original routes, specially focused on the experience of knowing the real Portuguese soul”. It is a small business, and it is run by the most open and genuine couple you could hope to meet: Andreana and Guilherme.

I joined them on a scheduled day trip to Fátima, returning to Porto via Batalha. Whilst I had visited Batalha previously, I’d never been to Fátima and was eager to see the place, where so many pilgrims are drawn to each year.

First stop: lunch!

Our first stop after leaving Porto was for lunch at O Manjar do Marquês, in Pombal. As we entered the beautiful building, we were all greeted as old friends by the owners. It is immediately apparent this restaurant is full of traditional Portuguese generosity and culture.

Their pride and modesty were evident, as their amazing acclaims were framed on the wall, but hidden behind beautiful wild flowers.

They clearly deserve the recognition:  the food is traditional, and yet full of flavor that only the Portuguese traditional recipes give.

What they brought to the table was an astonishing buffet style banquet, with pataniscas, filetes and pastéis de bacalhau (three different types of codfish bake), samosas, panados (meat fillets), all accompanied with the juiciest vegetables and a tomato rice that was just packed with flavor. More food than even my eyes could eat!

And at the end of the meal, just when you think your about to burst, the most amazing deserts appeared (thank goodness for desert tummys!).

Whilst most of our party opted for the crème brulée, I could only manage a bit of fruit. The owner noticed, and in a gesture of care and attention to detail, wrapped the rest up for me to enjoy throughout the rest of my journey!

After lunch we popped back onto the bus and then headed towards Fátima.

Fátima

Once we got there we stopped to see the home of Jacinta and Francisco Marto, the two visionary siblings of Fátima. Together with their cousin Lúcia, they are said to have witnessed several apparitions of an angel, including that of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917 during the “Miracle of Fátima”, in October 13^th.

These apparitions raised Fátima to the status of one of the largest Christian pilgrimage centers in the entire world.

Obviously the locals have ensured that they are able to sustain themselves from the thousands of pilgrims that flock to Fátima each year, but interestingly it doesn’t feel commercial in its community. They sell Portuguese products, handcrafted lace and traditional plates, and are incredibly friendly and approachable.

The garden where these visions took place is now the home of the statues of Mary and the three shepherds. In the summer the sun shines through the trees and the wind moves the leaves, so the marble feels as if it is moving. It gives a very refreshing sense of existence within the stone.

The Our Lady of Fátima shrine

Moving onto Fátima itself, it is very easy to see why thousands of people visit this space every year. The main church at the top was built entirely out of stone from the Fátima region, and the main tower is topped by a 7.000 kg bronze crown and an illuminated cross that can be seen from miles away.

This space is used not only for the daily masses and worship but also for the fulfillment of promises made to Our Lady of Fátima.

One of the most striking places in the shrine sits right next to the “Capelinha das Aparições” (Chapel of the apparitions). It is a huge pyre where people throw wax casts of body parts as an offer to the saints, in a request for healing. In return, they make a promise to come back to Fátima should their prayers be listened to and their illnesses healed.

Please note some of these images may be distressing.

Inside the new Church of the Most Holy Trinity, which is now the 4^th largest Catholic Church in the world, there is also home to exhibitions of local religious artifacts and works of art commissioned by the church.

Inside this new housing are also side chapels that are regularly attended by those who seek a smaller and quieter place of worship.

Last stop: Batalha

To finish off this visit with Tupan Tours we had a quick stay at Batalha where photo opportunities were created for the tour group before heading back to the tour bus and returning to Porto.

Throughout the whole trip and aboard the Tupan Tours bus we were kept entertained and informed about the places we were to visit, with national programs informing you about the area and the culture of each place.

If you are in Porto and wish to see its surroundings with good company, caring people and those that have a genuine love of Portugal you really can’t get better than Tupan Tours. Highly recommended!