We over sleep today but get up and have our luggage to the luggage van in time. We have Shirley and Kenny join us in Lizzie. We divide up into groups of three to four cars. We are with Bob and Marilynn, and Jim and Kathy. It rained hard all night and now is coming in spurts of downpour. We have our maps in hand, a gps with Bob and Marilynn and Kathy with her phone, how could we go wrong? But soon learn that eight of us flunk “Navigation 101”, at least in Portugal. The first thing is what are these toll things? Then oops I think we are heading back to Lisbon and there are not off ramps with overpasses like back home to turn around. Oh and did I say something about turn around? You better learn how to enter and exit round abouts! Oh well we are on an adventure and having a great time with great people in a beautiful country with very friendly people.
First stop is at Ericeira, a great beach town. We stop and have a coffee and pastry and enjoy the beautiful view.
Shirley, Marilynn, Kathy, and Lori
We pass several brick and tile factories on our way. They need them because 90% of the homes and buildings have red tile roofs.
Our next stop is for lunch and what a great find. A little family run restaurant called Dom Jose. The food was excellent, all cooked by Mama. The waiter was the son and the daughter does specialty chocolates. All came out to meet us and talk. They loved our cars.
Along the way today we past OLD windmills. We never were in a place where we could stop to take a picture so this little one had to do.
The son offers us to take us to the Buddha Eden, so off we go. It is some rich guy that has put his money into a beautiful garden with art and Buddhas. A long wall with blue painted tiles and our group.
He has a whole collection of the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as a lot of Buddhas, like we saw in Thailand. He also has a vineyard called Bacalhoa – Vinhos. Rick buys a couple bottles of wine.
Our next stop is to the Walled City in Obidos.
The whole ancient city is enclosed within the stone walls. There also is a stone aqueduct that brought water to the city.
This is the arch entrance to the city, done in beautiful tile work.
Narrow cobblestone streets.
Vendor selling cherry liqueur in chocolate cups.
Castle and stone wall.
Overlooking the city from atop the stone wall.
View from Lizzie on the road.
View from Lizzie of typical narrow streets. We finally arrive late to the hotel and join the group for dinner. To bed and await another day of fun and adventure.