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| the famous Bon Jesus - oldest crucifix in Europe |
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| hand knitted covers for the trees at the church |
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| more than the eye can take in |
The Igreja do Senhor do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos houses the national treasure of the statue of Bom Jesus.
Legend is that the Lord of Matosinhos Statue was sculpted by Nicodemos, the man who helped Joseph of Arimathea remove Christ’s body from the cross. It was thrown overboard at sea to escape capture, and it reached land in the year 124 AD on the beach close to Matosinhos -- but minus an arm.
For 50 years nobody could manage to replace the missing limb. A women who lived nearby, was building a fire in her fireplace. A piece of wood keep rolling out of the fire. Her daughter, dumb since birth, gained use of her voice and declare that it was the arm for Bom Jesus. On taking it to the statue, the piece fitted perfectly in place of the missing limb.
The statue was housed in the Monastery of Bouças for centuries before being transferred to the church in the 1559. Since that time there is an annual pilgrimage each year and the stature is paraded through the streets -- at times all the way to the Porto Cathedral and back.
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| Igreja do Senhor do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
The path from here was along the coast mainly on board walks. It proved to be a 24 mile day with our detours, but worth every mile.
      
Our stop for the night was in Vila do Conde in the Author Guesthouse. An eclectic building and owner. Each room has a book were you write your story for the day and add to the "novel" for the room. Some people wrote pages -- but in languages I can't read. We also had our first grilled octopus (pulpo) of the trip.
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