Monthly Wrap-up I - March & Signs

Please check Tom's blog for other signs from around the world.

Saturday 1st - My parents had a guest staying with them in Cascais (30km north of Lisbon) for the weekend, so my mom and I took him out for a walk along the promenade in Cascais. It was a nice sunny and warm day for our long walk along the coast, a nice way to show him a bit of the local scenery.

First stop was Boca do Inferno (Hell's Mouth) -a limestone cliff formation battered by the Atlantic Ocean. Originally a sea cave, the battering of the sea made it collapse leaving an arch through which the waves crash. In Winter the waves can reach up to the cliffs, like an erupting volcano, hence the name.

At Devil's Mouth

The walk continued via the Farol de Santa Marta (St. Marta lighthouse) that was under renovation.

The lighthouse at the far end

Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães (Museum of the Counts Castro Guimarães) was our next stop. This striking building built by Jorge O'Neill (Portuguese born of Irish descent) in 1897  is situated in a small cove, with the sea water lapping at the building at high tide. I've visited it a couple of times, but we didn't go in this time, but the museum's exhibits include art collections, rare Indo-Portuguese furniture, old books and manuscripts...

Museum Castro Guimaraes (2 photos above) and fountain with blue tiles

In the surrounding Marechal Carmona Park there is a small chapel, a fountain with blue tiles, statues, a pond with ducks and turtles, and lots of animals running wild - chickens, ducks, a few peacocks.

Pond with blue tiles and small chapel in Marechal Carmona Park

Statues and the pond with ducks and turtles

Across the road, we went inside the Igreja Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption). Built during the 16th century, the altarpiece is made of guilded woodwork and in the middle is a statue of Our Lady of the Assumption.

On the ceiling is a painted medallion representing the Assumption of Our Lady by famous Portuguese painter Jose Malhoa from 1900. The side wall are covered in blue tiles with representations of excerpt from the Book of Revelation.

Outside the church  there's a statue of Pope John Paul  II.

Across the street we visited the Cidadela de Cascais (Citadel of Cascais) - a set of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries to defend the coastline.

The citadel incorporates the tower of Santo António de Cascais, the Fortress of Our Lady of Light and the former Royal Palace area, with a large interior courtyard.

In the 19th century, King Luis I ordered the adaptation of the citadel to become a retreat for the royal family. With th visits of the royal family to Cascais, the town became an important location for affluent people from Lisbon to spend their summers. The buildings have been restored, an hotel has been built inside the walls, which also houses an arts centre.

Citadel - fort walls, Statue of King Carlos I, who was assassinated in 1908 looking out to the bay, and statue celebrating 500 years of Portuguese discoveries.

A few sculptures in the Citadel courtyard

The beautiful bay of Cascais to one side, where some people were swimming in cool March! 

The City hall building on the left with a big plaza in front of it, and one of my favourite buildings in Cascais, with wide metal balconies facing the sea, just before the City Hall.

Our last stop was at Santini - the famous ice-cream shop to savour one or two scoops of their extensive menu.

And then it was time to go to await Karina's arrival, so we caught the bus home.

Karina arrived from Doha, at 1,30pm. She had booked a rental car to be  collected at the airport, then drove to Cascais to my parent's home, where we had lunch. 

After lunch she packed a carry-on, both of us embarked on a 2,5h drive north to the small town where we had lived 18 years ago, before I came to Australia.

Just as we got onto the highway, a warning light appeared in the dashboard. Karina called the rental place and was asked to return the car to the airport and they would exchange for another one. 

It was already getting dark by the time we arrived in Carregal do Sal. Karina had wanted to see the town's popular Carnival parade,  but the crowds were already dispersing. She was able to attend the carnival ball that night, with her childhood friends, so she was happy :)

Sunday 2nd - it was my birthday and I had arranged to meet up with local friends at a Cafe for coffee and cake.

Later Karina picked me up and we drove to Viseu, a city about 45 minutes away. We started with a walk around town on a bitterly cold and windy day, with me bundled up in a borrowed warm jacked, with my scarf tied around my head to cover my frozen ears.  It had snowed in nearby Serra da Estrela (Star mountain) hence the cold wind!

After our walk Karina googled a nearby restaurant, and we stopped for lunch at "Dona Maria Taberna". The large window of the restaurant was decorated with frames with funny jokes and farm implements and we had a laugh before going in.

Middle: Don't break someone's heart, they only have one, rather break their bones, they have 206!

As we walked in we were greeted by the owner who asked where we came from. We answered "Carregal do Sal" and he turned to the lunch guests and loudly asked: "These lovely ladies are from Carregal do Sal - should we let them in? 

We were a bit taken aback, but the crowd replied "Yes of course"!

The restaurant was full, so he requested we return about 45 minutes later.  We were asked to leave a phone number, and as I couldn't remember my local number (I had just bought the SIM card 2 days earlier), I gave him my Australian number, as he could contact me via whatsapp if needed.

When he realized I was from Australia, he once again turned to the customers and said - "These ladies are actually from Australia, even more reason to let them in!" A round of applause for them! And they all clapped!

The interior of the restaurant (we were the last to leave) hence the empty room

We returned after photographing some nearby murals, and were seated by the window. The food was delicious, the owner popped over to check on us, and at one point he asked the whole room to pause and applaud the kitchen and wait staff, which was a nice gesture.

We chose 2 dishes with codfish and they were both delicious

When Thomas called to congratulate me, we told him about the restaurant, and he said he would have felt uncomfortable to be put on the spot :).

That evening, Karina and I had dinner with my cousin V and wife F at a countryside restaurant - A Lampreia (Lamprey restaurant) well know in the area for their seasonal lamprey dishes. Not something I would eat, but they had plenty of other  great food choices. It was meant to be my treat, but my cousins insisted on paying for dinner. As usual the servings were far too big and we have just ordered 2 dishes for the 4 of us.

Food for 4 - Pork tenderloins, grilled squid, and seafood rice for 2

Dessert - Molotov pudding and "fried egg" - slice of pineapple and half a peach

Monday 3rd - my friend Rosa picked me up from my cousin's house for lunch with three other friends at a local restaurant.

At 5pm, Karina and I went to visit my former neighbours for afternoon tea - fresh bread, cheeses, cake, homemade jams... all delicious.

For dinner my cousin F served one of my favourite traditional Portuguese dishes - alheiras - a sausage usually made with poultry, bread and garlic. Originally created by Jews during the 15th century Inquisition, as a pork-free alternative (to replace the Chouriço (chorizo) to be able to blend in after forced conversions to Christianity.

They are still very popular, usually served with chips and fried egg.   It's something I can't find in Australia, so it's one of the first foods I eat when I visit Portugal.

Alheira with chips, egg and salad

Tuesday 4th - Shrove Tuesday, a public holiday in the region. After breakfast Karina and I drove 2,45h north to the charming Vila Nova da Cerveira, to visit my friend C who I met 35 years ago in South Africa, when our kids attended the same school.

The sculptures on the left are on the way out of Carregal do Sal - driving on the highway

Vila Nova da Cerveira on the left bank of the Minho River on the border with Spain, was founded by King Dinis in 1321, and nowadays is known due the International biennial of art, that takes place there since 1978. The castle that still stands in the town centre was also built under King Dinis reign.

My friend C and husband M had recently moved and built a beautiful wooden cabin in that pretty town.

After lunch, the four of us and their visiting daughter, drove to the top of the hill to see the huge stag sculpture, and enjoy the views of the river that separates Portugal and Spain. 

Minho river

The stag atop the mountain

When we returned we walked around the town taking photos of the most important buildings.

A narrow street leading to the church, the church, the castle walls

At the Cultural centre/ Library

The stag sculpture can be seen on top of the mountain (on left), quirky statue, a small shrine by the castle.

Terras de Cervaria (Land of the Stags) sculpture

    

Before going home to prepare dinner we walked by the river and I captured these beautiful pictures of the sun setting on the river.

                     

Wednesday 5th - We drove to Valença, to visit the fortress. The walled town on the left bank of the Minho River is right on the border with Spain, dates back to Roman times (there are still 2 Roman roads in existence).

The fortress dates back to the 13th century and offers a glimpse into the past when the towers and defensive walls protected the regions against invasions.

You can enjoy panoramic views of the Minho River and the lush green landscapes that surrounds it. Inside the walls, there are cobblestone streets bordered by cafes and restaurants and artisan shops with unique souvenirs.

One of the cobbled streets and the fortress walls

Lush views surround the fortress

Unfortunately it was a miserable wet and cold day, so after having a walk around and a small meal at one of the cafes we drove back home.

Prawn Rissois (Shrimp turnovers) with chips for me

Thursday 6th - My friends, Karina and I drove to Cascais. My sister Luisa and husband Chris had arrived very early that morning from South Africa and were staying at my parent's place. Thomas (my son in law) also arrived that afternoon from Qatar, while we were en route and my brother in law Jose had picked him up from the airport. 

When we arrived in Cascais, we picked up Thomas from my sister's house, and drove just down the road to our Airbnb. The 3 bedroom flat was a bit run down, especially the bathrooms, which had some mould. We later noticed that when showering in the  guest bathroom, water leaked onto the wooden floor outside the shower door. Who puts wooden floors in a bathroom?

The Airbnb in Cascais

Friday 7th - We woke up early and after breakfast we walked to Casa da Guia, with the emblematic yellow manor house which was converted into a boutique shopping centre, with a few outdoor eating places and great sea views. Everything was still closed, so we carried on our walk along the sea.

Casa da Guia

In preparation for the big 4 generations birthday party, Karina and I went to get haircuts and blow-dries just after having lunch at my sister's house. Karina went first, then left for a nail appointment elsewhere (I'd done my nails the day before). 

By the time I left the hairdresser, the skies opened and even with an umbrella, the wind whipped the rain sideways, and by the time I arrived at my sister's house, just 10 minutes way - my jeans, boots and freshly done hair were soaked!   Grrrrr, all for nothing!

I changed into one of my brother in law's tracksuit, my sister's slippers and blow-dried my hair...

At 6pm my Dad came over to my sister's house (they live just a couple of streets away), so that Karina, my niece and I could rehearse a song for the birthday party.

Later, my 2 sisters, my friend C, the 3 husbands, and I had a light dinner at  "Trem Velho" (The Old train Carriage) by the Cascais train station.

My sisters Isabel, Luisa and I, my friend C, husband M, brother's in law Chris and Jose

                         

Steak roll with chips

While the men went home, my sister Isabel drove us ladies to the "Casino Estoril" to attend a humorous play called - "Despedida de Casados" (Farewell to married life). 

Luisa, Isabel, C and me

Stage decor

Saturday 8th - it was Karina 40th birthday - the main reason I had flown to Portugal. We had decided to host a 4 generations birthday celebration: my birthday on the 2nd, my great-niece K's on the 5th, Karina's on the 8th, and my Dad's on the 11th.

Thankfully my middle sister  Isabel, the only one who lives in Portugal - was able to be the organizer of the event - venue, menu, cake, music, all with the input of the older 3 celebrants. She even got us to agree to wear the same colour :)

The venue - the Cascais Cultural Centre - was beautifully decorated, the buffet lunch was delicious and was praised by all. We had 64 guests, and it was an unforgettable gathering.

Seating arrangement board

The hall at Cascais Cultural Centre

Before the dessert buffet was set up, my Mom made a lovely speech, and then it was time for Karina, Dad, me and my niece to sing ABBA's song - "I have a dream". 

After dessert it was time to blow the candles on our individual cakes, from the youngest to the eldest.

Blowing the candles to the sound of Happy Birthday

My side of the family - just missing my son in Australia and my niece in America

            

Whenever we get together (not often that my sister from South Africa joins us), we take a "sister's photo". This is one taken at the birthday party.                      

                              

Art at the Cascais Cultural Centre

Sunday 9th - there was a train strike, so Karina and I drove our friends C and M to the Oriente train station in Lisbon.

We returned to the airbnb in Cascais, picked Thomas and our already packed carry-on suitcases, and joined my sisters Isabel and Luisa and brother's in law Chris and Jose to travel to the Algarve, about 2,30h south.

Crossing the 25th of April bridge on the way to the Algarve - Christ the Redeemer statue on the other margin of the Tejo River

Taken from my sister Isabel's apartment in Vilamoura, where we stayed

That night we had dinner at Maloca da Tuttapanna - (no idea what name means), a Brazilian, Asian, European fusion restaurant. The decor was colourful and eccentric, the service was good and the food was fantastic. 

Alheira (chicken sausage) croquettes, Pork loin with chips and salad, Chocolate torte

Part II to follow next week :)