Obla-di-Obidos

Are you feeling like I was away for a month rather than a week? Sometimes my recaps are like that. Just a couple more days and we're home. But... they were full days and maybe my favorite days of our holiday.

On Day 4 we took a little breather. We wanted to walk on the beach, the one sitting just on the other side of the cliffs at the edge of our resort. The beach was accessed via wooden steps built into the very steep hill side. The Atlantic is wild and rugged here. It pounds the shoreline and there are places you can see where the mountain has literally moved. Thankfully not while we were on it. ahem. The highest wave ever ridden by a surfer happened just up the coast and there's a crazy photo of it here.  

We did not ride the waves. I almost accidentally rode a wave, but it wasn't 100 ft. and it only soaked me up to my shorts.  

We noticed a particularly prominent point and thought it would make a fun picture. You know, pretend I'm holding up the hillside? So I jogged out that way while hubs got the camera ready...

SURPRISE!!

The surf came up a lot closer to the rock than it appeared from a distance. And it was fa-ree-ZING!

I changed my mind...

Decided this plan had the potential to go awry, and I might end up on the nightly news as the tourist swept out to sea because she was doing something stupid.

Hubs and I regrouped. We re-evaluated the tide and tried again...

Whoohoo!  I lived to tell the tale-ha! After our beach adventure mama needed to lie down. The sun was brilliant and the air just right so we planted ourselves beside the pool for a couple of hours. Delightful.  

Later that afternoon we drove a few miles down the road to the nearby medieval city of Obidos. Enchanting! A storybook hilltown encircled by a wall dating back to the 14th century. The construction is impressive. 

Somebody had to haul an awful lot of rock sans bulldozer and forklift back in the day. Lots of somebodies I imagine. 

Way back in 1282 King Dinas presented this charming little village to his beloved Isabel as a wedding present. 

You enter through a gate whose underneath side is dressed in colorful tile. FYI-beautiful tile is everywhere you turn in this country.

Once inside the city walls the narrow streets wind and climb, and flowers spill out of window boxes and up the sides of ancient white washed buildings.  

There are shops and restaurants and churches, and a castle turned hotel.  

You can also climb up onto the wall and walk the sentry path, so up we went. 

Mind your footing now!

Uh, it's high. 

Scary high. 

And along much of the wall along one side, there's no railing. Yup, open all the way to the ground, some 50 feet below. 

In some places you can crawl climb more cobbledy cobbled steps also without a railing, and go even higher. 

Not nervous at all. Ha!  

And to make it more 'exciting' it was gusty up there!  Hubs wanted me to climb into this space in the wall which in essence was like climbing into a wind tunnel. 

If you look closely you'll see me  peeking out of the rampart.  Hubs kept shouting for me to 'lean out a little further'. My stomach kind of flip flops just writing about it. 

We walked the entire way around, and some parts were less terrifying than others. When I had to press myself against the wall so a dad carrying a baby on his shoulders could pass by I told hubs we had to climb down. I did not want to witness him stumbling with that baby. Seriously dad! Come on! Not smart!

We were meeting up with the rest of our group for dinner in one of the restaurants and it was such a cute spot.  Low beamed ceilings, stone walls, and wonderful local cuisine.  The perfect ending to a perfect day. 

I love the way it makes me feel to walk in these old cities.  To think about the people who built them and how very different the world is today. The way time, for just a little while, stands completely still.

The Rain in Portugal Falls Mainly on the Vineyard

Shoutout to my travel pal for the post title-hi Aud! Day 3 of our little getaway rolled in with the rain. All day rain, but fortunately we had mostly indoor activities planned. Not completely of course so by day's end we were all soaked and chilly, but it was still a really interesting and enjoyable day. Also this post is heavy on the words and pictures, but we squeezed a lot into a single day. 

A few in our group really know their wines. I am not one of them, and go along mostly for the history, the people, the peek into another culture, the food, and all the sites along the way. I enjoy learning new things and wine plays a huge role in the Portuguese economy. 

Since there were fourteen in our group, we'd booked a small bus for the day and ventured out into the countryside to visit three different wineries. Our first stop was my favorite-Quinta Do Sanguinhal.  What a beautiful spot! We were greeted by Ana, who is the owner's niece.  

The first thing you noticed was the soft beauty of the buildings and the enormous hydrangeas and geraniums all around. We had planned a tour of the gardens and vineyard here, but it was raining buckets so we opted to head inside instead. Judging from the flowers and plants we could see I imagine the gardens here are beautiful. 

Before we went inside Ana had us stand beneath one of their big cork trees, and she explained a bit about them. I didn't even know cork was a tree, but I guess I never really thought about it before.  There are cork forests all over this part of Portugal and we were fascinated by the trees themselves.  They make everything under the sun out of cork including purses, wallets, shoes, and corks. Obviously. 

This tree was on another property we visited, but it shows how the cork is harvested. The trees can live to be about 200 years old, and once they get to be about 25 years old the cork is stripped every nine years. No I don't remember Ana saying all that, but isn't that why we have the Internet? She told us a lot of information in our visit, and her knowledge was impressive. I was distracted by the sheer beauty and age of the place upon which we were standing.  

Our first stop was the barrel room. That may not be it's official name, but that's what I'm calling it here. We moved on to the distillery housed in a separate building...

...and then the best part-lunch. Not just any lunch either, but lunch eaten in this amazing space sitting beneath the old wine presses. 

When you sit in this space you think, hmmm...maybe I'd like to own a vineyard? 

Lunch was prepared for us by Ana's mother and it was positively amazing. There was a wonderful homemade creamy vegetable soup to begin, just right for a cool rainy Portuguese afternoon. This was followed by an enormous assortment of dishes including marinated pork, tomato salad, scrambled egg, fabulous breads and cheeses, and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. We also tasted some of the wines made here and I think everyone would have been quite happy to stay put for the rest of the day.  

We reluctantly bid Ana farewell and braved the raindrops to get back on the bus and head to stop #2. This particular place is known for something called The Buddha Eden Garden.  

Really there are no words to adequately describe what greets you as you step outside into this expanse of Portuguese countryside on the Quinta dos Loridos estate. It was practically a monsoon the day we were there, but we didn't want to miss it, so opted to ride around the grounds via their tram. The driver sped over hill and dale, hitting the squeaky brakes on three different stops so we could hop out and take a few photos.  

Most of ours were taken from inside the tram, with water streaming down the camera lens, but still I think you get an idea of what's here. It's the kind of place you need to see to believe.  

The garden was created as a result of the destruction of the Buddhas of Banyan in Afghanistan, which you can read about here. There is a long and complicated history associated with these, but suffice it to say, the owner of this winery in Portugal wanted to create a garden of peace in response, and thus The Buddha Garden was born. It's still a work in progress, so he's not through yet. It feels completely touristy and more than a little amusement park-like, but you can't look away. It's fascinating.  

We were now thoroughly drenched, considered briefly skipping the final stop of the day, but figured we're already dripping, might as well trudge on. And we were rewarded for our efforts by the most charming young Portuguese wine maker who was the most gracious of hosts. The bus had to park at the top of the property and we all had to make our way down this little dirt road.

Totally worth it. 

Wine has been made on this property for over 500 years.  

Not by Rodrigo's family, but by someone.

He greeted us with a big smile, I'm sure he figured we'd bail, and then escorted us into a tasting room. He promptly cut up a ridiculous amount of bread and produced a fabulous cheese, and we talked and laughed with him for far longer than we intended staying. 

His vineyard is completely organic which was interesting to hear about, and also something a little different.

Before we left we took a picture. Honestly, hubs and I stood admiring the view from his patio and we  were both thinking, what an interesting, totally different kind of life this would be.

To wake up every day and check on your grapevines. To slow down while nature sings a lullaby. It's my favorite part of travel, this glimpse into all the many ways the world lives.

There's more because of course there is.
Tomorrow the sun shines and we talk medieval ramparts and the sea.

Portugal Day Dois

So once upon a time we lived in England. And we made a few friends, and these friends are now quite literally scattered to all corners of the globe, which means getting together requires a bit of planning. It was decided last year, that this year we'd all meet up in or near the medieval town of Obidos Portugal. Let the flight booking and continent hopping begin!

There were seven couples in total-one came from China, one from France, one from the UK, one from Chicago, one from D.C., and of course hubs and I, representing the delightful Garden State. The seventh couple also arrived from D.C., but returned to the UK since they keep a foot in both places. Actually three places, but whatever. Like I said-not simple.  

Everyone made their way over in whatever time frame suited their schedules, but we all agreed to be in the hotel for a Thursday evening dinner. Which was fabulous, but I'll get back to that in a minute because first we had some time to kill.

Four couples headed to the nearby village of Caldas da Rainha on Thursday morning. We chose this town because one couple in our group lived in this area several years ago, and the Mrs. half of that couple happens to speak my love language-ceramica. She knew Portuguese pottery was for sale in the town of Caldas so we had a plan. As you might imagine the guys were not quite as thrilled, but they knew of a go-kart track in this same town, and concocted a plan of their own. 

All's fair in love and pottery.

Be still my heart. I could just walk around this little shop all day long. I saw a pitcher and a great big bowl I really wanted...they looked like a cantaloupe.  I knew we'd see more pottery later so I waited, and ended up buying just the bowl in Obidos. By then we'd made a couple of other purchases and hubs was getting twitchy about how we were carting all this fragile stuff home.

Simple. We buy another carry on bag. He may be a seasoned traveler, but he's an amateur when it comes to matching wits with a team of women determined to get their pottery across an ocean. One friend purchased some inflatable water wings in the US and brought them with her. Just inflate and wrap around wine bottles or fragile souvenirs, and voila! No broken glass. Obviously a bowl this size wouldn't fit into a pair of water wings, but know that shopkeepers the world over are always at the ready with a hefty bit of bubblewrap too.

One of my favorite things about meandering around these little towns is connecting with people who live there. Stumbling across a fabulous place to eat while doing so is a bonus.

We rounded a corner and found just such a place. Our lunch was made better by our delightfully spunky server. She had a great sense of humor, and I think she enjoyed our little visit as much as we did.

Essentially we sat at a table in the middle of a 'street', ate local dishes, and laughed a lot.

That evening the whole big group enjoyed an elegant Vintner Dinner served in a special dining room in the hotel. I don't think anyone was expecting such a lovely event. Everything was absolutely wonderful, beginning with the way the hotel staff made this large dining room feel intimate.

The Vintner was a charming and knowledgeable Englishman who's been living in Portugal for a number of years, with his wife and their seven children. Later we found out the children are all boys, so bless her heart. Anyway James chose the wine, and shared stories of his life as an expat, the Portuguese wine industry, and his own vineyard. The food was not like any hotel food we'd ever sampled, and the cheese course at the end of the meal was just right.

Well the cheese and the macaroons.

In other news I returned to boot camp today. This feels like the right time to insert that piece of information, and wrap up a day of eating and walking and then more eating. In Day 3 we get wet, contemplate buying a vineyard, and try to work out why a replica of the Terracotta Army sits in a Portuguese field. Stay tuned!

Greetings from Portugal

Well actually New Jersey, but I've just returned from Portugal, so greetings! What a fun-filled few days shared with friends from around the globe, and jam-packed with ancient sites, stunning views, cork forests, lush vineyards, narrow roads, the roaring sea, and the scent of eucalyptus. Fantastico! 

We took an overnight flight last Tuesday, and arrived in sunny Lisbon Wednesday morning. We were meeting six couple friends we've known since our days in the UK, about an hour outside the city, but not until dinnertime, so hubs and I spent the day playing tourist. 

We'd rented a car with a GPS which was only slightly confused by the small slip roads of Lisbon and the surrounding countryside, and headed over to Belem Tower. The Tower is situated on the banks of the Tagus River, and was built as a fortress back in the early 1500's. This was the starting point for the navigators who made Portugal famous.

It's been a while since hubs and I climbed too narrow circular stone steps that go up and up without a railing, but turns out it's like riding a bicycle. We meandered to the top and soaked up splendid sunshine and beautiful sea and city views.

Hubs was a little antsy which I chalked up to Portuguese espresso (the absolute best by the way!!), but turns out it was something else entirely. As I perched on this ancient stone balcony he pulled a tiny gold box out of his pocket and produced a most extravagant early anniversary gift. The sunny skies made it all the more sparkly, and I was completely overwhelmed. Obrigada hubs! Eu te amo!

Once I'd sufficiently recovered to re-navigate the steps going down, we walked over to another landmark, the Monument to the Discoveries. This was built in 1960, so you take an elevator to the top.  The monument was built to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator and is in the shape of a caravel, which is a small Portuguese sailing ship.

Jacaranda trees were in full bloom all over Lisbon, and the streets lined with these trees are amazing. We saw these from the top of the Monument.

You could also look back and see Belem Tower, which may not look like much of a walk, but coming off a 7-hour flight and six hour time difference, kind of felt like one.

There is an enormous mariner's compass in the pavement outside the monument. This was a gift from South Africa and shows the routes of the discoveries made back in the 15th and 16th centuries. The dates we encountered on this trip were mind-boggling.

One thing on our must-do list while in this part of Lisbon was to try the famous Belem pastry.  The crust is delicately layered around the most deliciously creamy custard-like filling you've ever had the pleasure of tasting.  We tried them in other towns throughout the week, and while they were all wonderful, these were definitely the best.

The shop sits beside The Mosteiro dos Jeronimos which dates back to the early 1500's. The monastery  was commissioned after de Gama returned from his first voyage, and was financed mainly through a tax on spices and gold. It was cared for by the Order of St. Jerome until the early/mid-1800's.

Hubs has always been interested in the story of Vasco da Gama, and his tomb is in St. Jeronimos. The bravery of these early Portuguese explorers is staggering when you really stop and think about it.

We knew we'd need a nap if we wanted to stay awake for dinner, so we made our way back to the car, and out into the Portuguese countryside. Normally with this particular group of friends we stay in local boutique hotels, but this time we opted for a Marriott right on the Atlantic. There were fourteen of us all together, and we knew we'd need space and a relatively central location for some of the side trips we'd planned.  

The view from our balcony was not too bad, and honestly I could have enjoyed a few days plopped right here with a good book. But there were places to go, and people to see...yes, there were people. It's only Day 1 here, and I haven't even gotten to the people part yet. Or the walk around the scary ramparts with no railing, fifty feet above the medieval town of Obidos. Or the lovely Portuguese wine maker whose mama made us lunch. Or the oddly out of place re-creation of the Terracotta Army plunked down in the middle of nowhere. Or the fascinating cork trees.  Or...or...or...

I'm going to spend a few days recapping our trip, because I snapped some 500 photos, and it's my blog so that's allowed. How about we wrap this up with a sunset on the sea? Come back tomorrow for Day 2 where I'll talk pessoas, ceramica, and vinho. In English though, because Portuguese is really hard.