2018 – A Visit to Portugal (and a bit of Spain)

Jon: As lightning lit up the horizon, our plane made a roller coaster approach and abrupt landing that brought us into Lisbon, Portugal. Watching the news the next day, we learned that a hurricane hit the coast and was a likely factor in our sporty landing. Weary from the late and slightly unnerving flight, we walked across the street from the airport to our night’s lodging.

Amy and I took the subway into Lisbon the following morning to see what the city had to offer. The sun came out after a brief shower and set a good tone for a day’s exploration. We worked our way up and down the steep winding streets stopping along the way to observe wonderful views, unique buildings, and enjoy some drinks at a relaxing patio bar that overlooked the Tagus River. The white buildings with red-orange roofs, palm trees, and expansive river leading to the ocean definitely had a different feel from our previous destinations.

We picked up a rental car in the evening and drove to Sintra, a seemingly magical place with a castle and palaces from centuries gone by. We settled into our charming hotel, Villa dos Rosas, complete with views of the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace. Later, we enjoyed an eclectic dinner with coverts, a pay as you eat appetizer of olives, bread, and cheese, and had grilled cuttlefish and delicious steak for mains.

We woke to steady rain and a blanket of clouds. We bought some time at breakfast, which included pastéis de natas, sweet custard tarts, that we grew to love. The weather improved slightly, so we braved our way to the Moorish Castle. The clouds provided an ethereal sense to the place and the drizzle kept crowds at bay. We climbed up and down the castle walls to gain views of the town below and nearby palaces. We opted to skip Pena Palace and return the following day in hopes of having better weather.

The new day brought sun, so we caught the 434 tourist bus back up the hillside toward Pena Palace. The palace is unique in design and brightly colored exterior. It sits atop a prominent hill surrounded by forest and has views out to the Atlantic. I greatly enjoyed exploring the castle and its grounds. This is an extremely popular place with many others doing the same. It was slow going to get around at points, but worth the visit. With another town on our agenda, it was soon time to hit the road.

An hour’s drive brought us to the fortressed town of Óbidos. We arrived in the late afternoon and were met with a couple coach busses worth of visitors. We checked into a guesthouse and the owner’s grandson provided an overview of the house, fortress, and places to eat. Armed with some local knowledge, we departed for an evening of exploration. To our surprise, the busses and crowds had disappeared. The town was near empty aside from a random couple here or there, an occasional cat, and local shopkeepers. We walked on top of the fortress walls and checked out little shops lining the narrow streets. This was a pleasant slowdown from the bigger and busier cities we had previously visited, and it set a great tone for our remaining time.

Following our stay in Óbidos, we headed further into the countryside on a roadtrip through eastern Portugal. Each new destination was idyllic in its own way and offered something special. All had some form of castle or fortress atop a hill. We were treated with spectacular sunsets, good food, and lovely people. A few favorite stops included checking out the Roman ruins in Evora, followed by an evening in a charming countryside lodge in Monsaraz that housed rescued exotic animals and with a view of the castle and nearby lake.

Next we crossed the border into Spain and spent the afternoon in Badajoz with a lively stop at a local fire station to exchange patches (watching happily as a firefighter cut up a shirt to make the trade for a patch from my fire department). Our short visit to Andalusia, Spain continued with a night in the tiny town of Almonaster la Real watching the sunset over the foothills from a secluded castle and mosque. We closed out our time in Spain by climbing around the well-preserved Castillo de Cortegana.

Our final destination was the beachside city of Sesimbra, Portugal. There’s a fortress on a hill overlooking the city and ocean, but the beach is the real gem. Our hotel was very relaxing and provided wonderful views. Aside from a short rain shower, the weather was ideal. We strolled along the beach, got our feet wet, were treated with a magnificent rainbow, and enjoyed Super Bock beers on our balcony. This was a perfect way to fully unwind and conclude our European vacation.

(Dates: October 13-22, 2018)