I've been having trouble coming up with a post as I guess I'm suffering from writer's block. So this will be a short update with some photos. We are a little over a week before our return home and in all probably this will be my last post while on the road.
We left Sesimbra and our view of the ocean and drove the short distance to Sintra, near Lisbon. Within and near Sintra are 3 palaces and a castle. We had a B&B reservation in the heart of the city and as we arrived driving became difficult because of the narrow streets and the hoards of tourists. After dodging the masses and arriving at the B&B, we right away became thankful that we were only spending one night. The crowds took away all desire to visit any of the palaces.
We left the next morning and continued north to another oceanfront apartment/B&B that we found through Airbnb. Just south of the coastal city of Peniche it is situated on a narrow peninsula with miles of sandy beach on one side and rocky cliffs on the other. Our small apartment is one of three, each with a balcony overlooking the rocky shoreline. We sit outside much of the time watching the surfers and listening to the waves crashing on the rocks below. It is near here in Nazare that the largest waves in the world occur. We went and took a look, but we picked the wrong day. Normally these humongous waves happen during winter storms and some brave soles actually surf them.
After 4 nights listening to the surf, we tore ourselves away and made a right turn and heading inland. We are in a funky B&B in a nature preserve, just a few miles from the Spanish border. And it's hot, in the low 90's. Our pick of lodging is just ok, a little run down and lots of daddy long leg spiders. The pulse side is that our room is below the house and the 2+ feet thick stone walls keeps us cool. On the top of the mountain above us is Marvao, a beautiful fortified walled town. Within it's high stone walls, the town is full of whitewashed homes and business. At the highest point is the castle, which is in excellent condition.
We got an early start for our visit to Marvao while it was still cool. We were mostly by ourselves as we explored the town and the castle. After about 3 hours, we found a small cafe with outside seating under a huge tree and a view of the landscape spread out before us. With cold drinks and a cool breeze we lingered for over an hour before heading back down the mountain.
Tomorrow we continue north on the eastern side of Portugal. We will spend 4 nights at our next stop and then return to Santiago and begin our journey home.
Well I guess, the writer's block has left me for the time being, but that's enough for now. Enjoy the photos.
OUR VIEW
1 comment:
Wow, very pretty there! great pics!
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