We leave Porto for a the atlantic coast near Lisbon, for a small village called Azenhas do Mar. It is near Sintra but also overlooking the sea which we are looking for!

Our first stop is in Nazare to enjoy a magnificent view and the freshest fish + seafood we have had. We find a restaurant facing the beach and order the sardines and shrimps – both we are told were fished this morning – and you can tell.

We walk down to touch the water and feel those huge waves attack the beach! The cliffs to the north are spectacular, reminiscent of Etretat which I loved!

Arriving in Azenhas do Mar, our apartment is well beyond our expectations. Right on the edge of huge cliffs with massive waves crashing non stop and breathtaking views. We spend time walking the trails by the cliffs (not too close to the cliffs of course).

We take our lives in our hands in the evening, walking in the dark to the nearby restaurant down by the beach…thank god for flashlights on our phones! You can see the windows of the restaurants on this pictures…all the way down!

The view is amazing and the food exceptional, but mostly the service is out of this world. Our server is incredibly knowledgeable and attentive – we love it. We see fishes being delivered right on the beach to the restaurant, it doesn’t get fresher than that!

Back we go in the dark, to our apartment, with the sounds of waves crashing in – what a night!

Sintra

The next day, we are off to Sintra for a walking tour of the old city and our PCR Covid test, which are required to get back in our country.

Our guide Franscico is a wealth of information about the moorish times as well as the influence of the Templar in the region. He also informs us that the Roman did not make it there and that there is no trace of their influence in that area.

Sintra is litterally built on an extinct volcano which mean….more hills! We learn so much with him, it is hard to describe everything!

He brings us to the original pastry store where we enjoy a Quesidijas…cinnamon and eggs delight!

The highlight is definitely the Quinta da Regaleira. This estate was built more than a hundred years ago by a collector of the Templar documents who incorporated so many of their symbols into the architecture, it is hard to take it all in.

The templar ritual was held in the large well to ensure the new candidates would pass, they had to find their way in the dark through several tunnels!

Unfortunately the estate was sold to a japanese group in the mid 1950 and some of the items were sent to Japan but it was taken over by the city in the 70s and restored to its original beauty. All the collection of historical Templar documents though were sold to the States and are now in the library of Congress.

From the distance we can also see the ancient moorish castle built on the mountain top.

We very much enjoy our tour, now off to the hospital. This Covid test could not have been easier. A drive through where we give our passport to check in and then move on to the testing station where the nurse administer the test from our car windows. Results will be sent via email and SMS within 24 hours…very efficient.

On our way back, we decide to stop at Cabo da Roca, which is the most western point in Europe – majestic!

Again a spectacular cliff with big waves and high winds where we stand more than a 100 feet from sea level.

Back towards our apartment, we stop at the well known Apple Beach to have excellent oysters by the beach – captured this morning, once again the freshest!

Over to our apartment, we sit in the garden to enjoy another spectacular sunset while sipping the beautiful red wine we bought from Dario back in Alejento….Life is good.

We regrettably leave the next morning but we stop again in Sintra to take a tuk tuk to the top of Castle Pena to visit the grounds. We are sad that we do not have time to visit the moorish castle as well but the car must be back in Lisbon by 1PM…

Lisbon

Back in Lisbon, we discovered the museu of cerveja just near our hotel in the large square. We enjoy hearing the Serbian gather and get ready for the big qualifying game against Portugal. A large crowd is singing and dancing as they make their way to the stadium. We decide to find a pub with NFL games on but it is so packed, we can not stay….obviously never heard of Covid there!

We go back to the square by the water to enjoy some italian food and watch the games that is on in every patio…unfortunately Portugal looses but it was a good game.

Our last day in Lisbon is a Monday and unfortunately most museums are closed. We decide to still make our way to the Belem area to see the famous Tower and the Padrao dos descobrimentos – both spectacular structures.

Lucky for us the nearby maritime museum is open and we can trace the glorious history of portuguese navigators and explorer. Very interesting.

We then take a cab to visit our last place – the Castillo of Sao Jorge. Once again, amazing views and history.

On our way back down (yes it is up a hill), we stop at the Chapito restaurant for a late lunch. It is listed as one of the best terrace in Portugal and it is well earned! Bonus is that the food is excellent and the weather is fantastic – we are priviledge to be sitting there at that time with this sun!

This is the end of an amazing trip! Back home to Canada tomorrow with perfect memories!