Ericeira, Lisboa, Portugal
Another great day enjoying the many and varied sights that Portugal has to offer us. We had to move the car by 8 am or else start paying parking fees again, so we decided we might as well be on the road to our next destination instead. Before leaving Nazare we took a quick drive up to Sitio to see the township from the top of the cliffs. It’s a pretty impressive view from up there.
Portugal has some very impressive highways with massive bridges spanning from one mountain to another and looping on-ramp systems to rival any major highway network in the world. They fund these megastructures by charging excessive tolls for them. Our two hour journey from Santiago to Porto cost us A$40 in toll fees. Every driving day has involved paying tolls so far. Today we didn’t have far to travel so decided to try and stay away from the toll roads. We succeeded quite well. We added a bit of time to our journey because we couldn’t travel at 120km an hour but it was worth it to see some of the smaller villages and the passing countryside.
We stopped first at Obidos today. It’s a very well preserved and quaint medieval walled village. We were lucky enough to have accidentally arrived fairly early to the village and could see it without the bus loads of tourists who were arriving as we were leaving. It’s a beautiful little village with loads of charm, lots of restaurants and shops. Sheila and I ventured up onto the ramparts. Both of us being a bit height challenged found the open sided walkway a bit nerve wracking. Once we got up there we had to walk almost halfway around the wall before there was another way down. We both stuck very close to the walled edge!
A bit further on we made another stop at Peniche, a fishing town. This was evidenced by the smell as we left the car. We’d parked opposite the fish processing plant! Peniche is famed for its beautiful beaches and great surf. We went for a walk out onto the headland and were rewarded with some amazing views.
Tonight we’re in the town of Ericeira, another popular holiday destination. When we booked our Airbnb here we didn’t realise that we’d booked a room in someone’s house and not a separate apartment. So tonight we’re sharing Dominique and her husband’s home. It’s a nice room with a separate balcony overlooking the sea (in the distance). She greeted us with tea and crepes (she’s French). After settling in we walked down town and explored the shopping streets and the beach. The beach was very popular and very busy.
We stopped for a drink at one of the seaside cafes. Our table was in the sun and quite hot so we asked a German couple if they would mind if we moved and shared their table. They had a cute 6 month old baby. We had a lovely chat with them before the baby got fussy and they left to feed her. When I went up to pay our bill we discovered he’d paid for our drinks as well as theirs. What a nice man! We saw them again a short while later so we were able to thank them for the lovely gesture.
Tomorrow we’re driving to Lisbon with a stop along the way. We’ve tackled the second and third largest cities in Portugal in our car and survived. I wonder what surprises the largest city in Portugal has in store for us!
Marl
2023-06-10
The views are spectacular. That entrance that Sheila is standing near could be a painting!
Joc
2023-06-10
The villages look very pretty.
Kathryn
2023-06-10
Great scenery. What a holiday! Are you tempted to hit the beach and try the water?
Jodie
2023-06-11
Portugal looks lovely especially the small places you coming across.Have a great time for the remaining days
Liz Davis
2023-06-11
I can see why you were nervous walking along those ramparts but worth the effort. A lovely day again.
Beth
2023-06-11
I'm looking forward to having my neighbours over sometime soon to see all your photos of Portugal, Leanne, as both Mickey and Bernardo come from Portugal. Keep on having a wonderful time away. x
Claire
2023-06-11
A beautiful set of photos- good to get off the freeways and explore those much smaller treasures. Very pretty.
Suzanne
2023-06-11
Great photos, love the colours. It is more enjoyable to get off the Toll roads and drive at a slower pace on the B roads as you see more of the country side. Enjoy Lisbon.
Karen
2023-06-11
Today’s pictures are absolutely beautiful. You both look happy and healthy and full of joy. Bring on Lisbon!🦋
Tanya
2023-06-11
So beautiful and picturesque ❤️
Karry
2023-06-26
Gorgeous and I’m glad we’re not the only ones eating and drinking our way around a country.