“Traveling is a key part of my life. It keeps me inspired, takes me to new places, introduces me to new sounds, and allows me to explore new environments and soundscapes.”

Ludwig Goransson

The sky was blue and the sun was shining in the morning. I’m happy to say it stayed like that until we left Nazare. This morning we left Lisbon and headed north. As you drive out of the city, the density of the buildings in Lisbon start to dwindle, and finally, you feel like you are heading into the countryside. Our first stop was a little less than a 2-hour drive north to the tiny village within the walls, Óbidos. It is described in most tour guides as an “enchanting hill town”, and that it is. The village, enclosed in 14th century walls, is about a 10-15 minute walk from the entry gate to the Church of Santa Maria at the end of town. Within the walls are simple, quaint white-washed houses with red tiled roofs. In 1210, King Alfonso gave this tiny village to his wife, Queen Urraca. Rather romantic I think. Wonder if someone will ever give me a village?

We started our visit entering through the southern gate, Porta da Vila that is decorated with 18th century tiles.

Before we set off to explore the village, Marco told us about the traditional drink, ginja de Óbidos. It is a cherry liquor served in a chocolate cup. Of course we all had to try it. It was quite tasty, and I know my dad who loved cherries soaked in liquor would have loved it.

I strolled the Main Street, Rua Direita, and then climbed the stairs to the walkway along the wall to enjoy the views.

Next stop was Nazare, the famed beach town where the Guinness World book record for the largest surf wave was ridden; 80 feet high. The tall waves are on the north side, we only viewed the expansive beach to the south.

After a cliff top view, we headed into town for lunch on our own. Thankfully my cousin Lynne had done some research the night before and found us the perfect spot. A tiny Portuguese restaurant. You know its good when many locals are dining there. After 45 minutes we got a table. The owner was amazing. He overheard Lynne mention we were on a tight schedule to make it back to the motor coach, so as they were preparing our table he took our order to get the kitchen started on our meals.

Everyone says you need to try grilled sardines in Portugal. What we found out is you do not eat sardines in months that end in “r”; they are not fresh. I had asked the owner about the sardines and he told me they were frozen, but still very good. I decided to pass. Well, he wanted to me to try them, and brought two over to our table complimentary. I have to admit, they were good.

After a delicious meal and a bottle of vinho verde, we had no time for dessert. It was time to get back on the motor coach and head to Porto.

Finally we arrived in Porto at our palace for the next two nights. Yes, the hotel was a former palace. It was deemed a historical site, and then later restored by an architect and his son who have a direct linage to the original family that lived here. The restaurant, bar, lounges and meeting rooms are in the palace. The hotel rooms are in the former cereal factory, that was later a home for monks before becoming a hotel. The buildings are connected by a maze of underground hallways that contain a beautiful spa, art gallery, and more quiet places to sit.

After a wonderful dinner, it was time for bed. We were guaranteed a soggy morning tour of Porto.

Ciao 💕