Day off in Setubal - Southern Spain and Portugal - CycleBlaze

November 15, 2017

Day off in Setubal

"Shtewball" as they say here. I had a really nice day wandering through town and hitting the highlights. Setubal is very low key. It's winter now, which is a factor because the beaches attract visitors, but it is more of a tourist spot for Portuguese people than for international travelers.

Quiet morning on the street outside the hostel.
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I started the day at the market. People here are especially proud of it, as it was named the best market in Europe by USA Today. It's a nice market, clean, with a lot of variety. I'm not sure why it would be "best", although it has some very pretty tile artwork.

The entrance to the market, "the best in Europe".
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Tiles at the entrance to the market.
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Then I went on to the Convent of Jesus. It didn't look like much from the outside, but inside it has some unique structures that I liked a lot. This is the earliest example of Manueline style. The church was built between 1490 and 1510.

The convent of Jesus.
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Beautiful twisted pillars in a unique Manueline style.
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Right next to the church.
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I passed by part of an old Roman aquaduct. It wasn't acknowledged with even a sign, but it was on the tourist map.

Part of an old aquaduct.
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Then I went to find a bike shop, and successfully purchased another spare tube (right size, right valve!) for my bike.

I went back toward the old town and saw the Museum of Labor, so I went in. It has an old store that was basically moved from it's location in Lisbon into the museum.

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The museum also had an exhibit about the fish canning industry, similar to the one in Portimao, explaining how the labor movement got it's start there. The woman at the entrance emphasized that Setubal's was first, and that Setubal had the biggest canning plant.

And then I just wandered some more, stopped for coffee, picked up some groceries for breakfast tomorrow, and enjoyed the day.

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There is one other person at the hostel tonight, a guy from France. I'm not sure what his story is, as he fell asleep instantly after introducing himself. I hope he sleeps tonight.

Typical street. Decaying buildings, laundry hanging to dry, and cars.
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