Today, we visited the ancient village of Obidos with its white-washed walls and towering castle (which is now a hotel). This village is commonly known as the “wedding present town”, as it was a gift from King Dinis to Queen Isabel on their wedding day in 1282. This charming, walled fortress village is known for it’s ginja, a Portuguese cherry liqueur. There were numerous handicraft/touristy shops and wine taverns in Obidos.
We drove to the Alcobaca Monastery of Santa Maria, one of the few European monuments that has managed to preserve intact an entire group of medieval buildings with its church. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the biggest gothic-style church in Portugal. The interior of the church was bright, light and quite spectacular in a simple way. There was very little art work and other decorative items – quite unusual for most churches. The church was built by a king for his and his Queen’s final resting place.
For lunch, we headed to the sea cliff fishing town of Nazare, a very picturesque coastal town in the Estremadura region. Nazare is home to the some of the largest waves in the world due to an underwater channel right off the shore break. We spotted a quaint little restaurant on the main street across from the ocean which appeared to have a few native Portuguese dining inside-a good sign! We both had the fish stew and were not disappointed. It was by far the best meal we have had so far in Portugal. It was absolutely, as the Europeans’ say “brilliant”.
Our last stop was Fatima about 1 1/2 hours outside of Lisbon. Fatima, whose name is derived fom a Moorish princess, is one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world. Millions of pilgrims and tourists come from around the globe to honor the apparition of the Virgin Mary. It was once a sleepy village that became an important pilgrimage site in 1917 when three shepherd children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. A subsequent miracle was confirmed by thousands in attendance.
Portugal is truly Europe’s hidden treasure and seems to be overlooked as a European destination. Tomorrow we are headed by train to Porto and the famous Douro Valley noted for its fabulous table and port wines.
