Saving the Best for Last

Well, not quite but . . . . 

One of the wonderful things about staying with friends when you're overseas is that you can tap into their expertise about things to do, sites to see, and places to eat.  That has certainly been the case these past 6 days while I have been in Azeitao.  I saw places I had never heard of that were stunningly beautiful, interesting and/or historic.  Many of them places I want to come back to.

However, on my first trip to Portugal a few years ago, my friend and I stayed in Cascais on the recommendation of a friend.  I fell in love with the pretty seaside town, in spite of the fact the day we arrived was their annual triathlon and the traffic was horrendous and roads were closed everywhere.  In this case, the town did get a second change to make a first impression because once the crowds had dissipated, the roads reopened and the chaos quieted, we realized what a special place it was.  It helped our rooms at the Hotel Baia had balconies overlooking the bay.

So, this trip it was my wish to return to Cascais.  It is located west of Lisbon - I think about 35 minutes by train - and, from where I am staying it was about an hour drive on the motorway.  Even though it was Sunday, the crowds there weren't too bad and we found parking - under the hotel on the bay - quite easily.  

Then we just wandered around the cute streets and alleyways.  Some of the shops were closed as it was Sunday but most were open and, besides, we hadn't come here to shop but to just have a look around and have lunch.  One of the things that I find curious/interesting is the squares and pedestrian streets you see places like Cascais that have tiles in patterns that make the streets look wavy or angled.  You sometimes need to concentrate to remember that indeed they are flat.

We walked to the market which I remembered as being interesting, stopped for a "coffee", and then Pedro wanted to stop at a place selling Pastel da Vento - a pastry stuffed with different fillings - which is Brazilian and brings back wonderful childhood memories for him.  So, of course, we had to stop so he could indulge in one.  

After that, we found a place to have our lunch.  I had one of the best chicken salads I have ever had - no surprise as the restaurant was called Jardim dos Frangos which, I am told, means "chicken garden"! 

Then, we wandered back to retrieve the car, drove further west along the coast and saw some amazing beaches with pounding surf (I want to return and get photos of those) before heading back toward Lisbon to go over the bridge and back to their place.  The only glitch was the accident on the bridge deck which took ages to clear but, even with that, we were back in good time.  From the bridge, you can see a statue called Santuario de Cristo Rei.  I managed to get a picture of it - not great but you'll get the idea!

It was a wonderful day to spend my last day here in Portugal as tomorrow I start the next leg of my journey by flying to Istanbul for a new adventure.  I cannot thank my hosts here enough as I have had a fabulous time!!