October 6, 2017
A lovely sunrise, yogurt, fruit, a bun, and coffee and we are all set for an outing to Óbidos…
…down the wicked hill to the Saint Apolónia Station…
…purchase tickets for the Metro
… and 20 minutes later we alight at Campo Grande, in the shadow of a large soccer stadium > the bus stop is where it should be, as is the “Rapida Verde” (Green Express) bus. Obidos is situated 80km to the north of Lisbon, a little over 1 hour and with a return trip costing 24 Euros > senior rates for us both, it makes for a simple and inexpensive outing…
Pleasant ride through the suburbs of Lisbon and into some rolling hills, arriving uneventfully in Obidos. The main gate into Obidos features a beautiful tiled chapel that overlooks the main thoroughfare. The blue and white 18th-century glazed tiles, called Azulejo, depict the passion of Christ, while the ceiling represents the crown of thorns. Good timing, as a horse-drawn carriage was entering the gate…
The town walls of Obidos completely encircle the town, and it is possible to walk the entire perimeter. The walls provide wonderful views over the terracotta tiled roofs and white-painted houses of the town. If this town were in North America, this walk would be way different…..the wall is only several feet wide with no safety rail/wall/ whatever…if you slip and fall …it is to your doom !! This is not uncommon in Portugal as we have seen numerous places where concern with safety is an afterthought …. Are we overwrought ??? Haven’t seen a Purell dispenser in weeks. In any event, the town and views are great…
The Igreja de Santa Maria, originating in the 12th century, was constructed on the site of a mosque and was the location of the wedding of King Afonso V to his betrothed cousin Isabel in 1444. The strange aspect of this wedding was that the bride was only 8 years old, while the groom was older, at 10…
There is a main street which runs through the old town, and when we arrived it was seriously a mess >>> tourists of all persuasions pawing at each other to go to the shops…..ugly! …but it is what it is …walk 25 metres to either side, and the crowds decrease by 90%!!!
After getting an overview of the town from the walls, we looked for a lunch spot and found the Capinha d’Obidos >>> a cafe/bakery with everything baked from scratch on site in a huge wood-fired oven…
The Castle of Obidos has been converted into a luxurious hotel, and it is a truly unique location for a night’s stay. The castle dates from the 12th century, but the structures that tourists clamber over today date from the 14th century, when the castle’s keep and town walls were strengthened.
…on the other hand, you have to do a little shopping to help the local economy…
…by this time many of the tour buses were gone, and the town seemed to breathe a little more calmly. When buying our Gingha (not a spelling error) the lady admitted that the tourist hordes were a little overwhelming…This is the home of a cherry-based liquor which is adored by the Portuguese and can be served with cherries for an extra kick. We had tasters in a chocolate cup and, as a bonus, you eat the cup > YUMMY and very environmentally friendly !!! >>> so the suitcase has now become a little heavier !!
…and some pics of odds and ends…including a rather cool resto and a choir made up of young men (quite good singers)...
…time to wrap up, one last look at this nice town and off to find the bus stop…
Smooth trip back to the city, with dinner at a local eatery, Pateo 13 > nice atmosphere sitting outside, albeit crammed like sardines….dinner was poor with my “fresh” cod salty/undercooked > potatoes and salad ok, though the Vinho Verde was nice and the guitarist accomplished >> check out my review on Tripadvisor = vicious!!
Anyways, a very nice outing and a good day…..and time to say goodnight from our perch in Alfama…
