Scenic Stops Along the Way to Nazare

Although Portugal was a repeat destination, there are still plenty of places we haven’t visited (which is still true!). In planning this trip, the priority was smaller places more off the beaten track, to the extent that exists anymore considering that tourism worldwide now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. From Cascais, our next destination was Nazare. We made a day trip out of the journey stopping in Mafra and at Quinta dos Loridos. Both had worthy sights that met the criteria – there were very few tourists.

Mafra is a small town of about 80,000, which is incongruous with the size of the Mafra National Palace. Built between 1717 and 1730 in the Baroque style, the royal complex is one of the largest royal residences in Europe. Considering this was a secondary residence, its size is astonishing.

The compound includes a basilica that is a smaller version of St. Peter’s, filled with Italian sculpture and paintings, a palace, a library and a convent. There are around 1200 rooms and some 156 staircases. It was fun to watch a group of small children whose tour was led by a guide in period costume.

The number of steps taken wandering through the areas that are open to the public justified stopping in at a café for coffee and pastry afterwards.

We then continued to Quinta dos Loridos, which is a vineyard, but the 35-hectare Balcalhoa Buddha Eden Garden is the real highlight. We were glad to have a sunny day to explore the place, which has a modern and contemporary sculpture garden, an African sculpture garden, oriental art and gardens, and water features. It was a real treat.

We walked so much at both stops that we were happy to get back in the car for the ride to Nazare and were too tired for any other stops. Seeing the sunset in Nazare and fresh fish at dinner were the final reward.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff

Cascais and Lisbon Winery

We began a two-week trip to Portugal (our fourth) with a visit to our friend and former Los Angeles neighbor David in Cascais, where he has lived for the past 18 months. Cascais is a lovely little city on the coast west of Lisbon. We spent a beautiful day walking around the city, enjoying the sunshine, and taking in the fantastic views. 

And, even though we did not stay in Lisbon on this trip, being so close, we had to make another visit to Lisbon Winery (not coincidently, our fourth), especially because David is also a wine enthusiast. As has always been the case, we experienced wonderful Portuguese wines from smaller producers as part of a fantastic guided tasting. In addition, we had an amazing meat and cheese platter to accompany the wine. As always, we highly recommend a visit to Lisbon Winery (in their nice, new location) if you are in Lisbon.

Much more to come soon on our adventures touring through Portugal.

Hasta pronto,

Jeff and Shana

A Quick Escape to Goierri aka the Basque Highlands

 

While we’ve lived in the Basque region for more than 7 years, there’s still a lot of exploring to be done. And little by little, as opportunities present themselves, we attempt to get to know the area better.

We spent October 19 and 20, discovering Goierri, one of the 18 districts of Gipuzkoa (the province where we live). We stayed at the Petit Hotel Goierri, located in Ormaiztegi (pop. 1226), about an hour away from San Sebastian via the Cercanias train. The train winds its way through the beautiful green hills and numerous small towns, many of which are filled with factories where buses and train cars are made, among other things.

We spent the afternoon at the Museo Zumalakarregi, Don’t you love Basque names?!? The museum, the former home of the Zumalakarregi family, focuses on the history of the region and the remarkable changes that took place during the 19th century, including the Carlist Wars and the industrial revolution. Tomas Zumalakarregi became a famous Carlist general, known as a clever military strategist, while his brother Miguel’s legal education led him to choose the liberal side of the conflict. Not only can the locals pronounce the family name perfectly, but they also learn about them in school. We left feeling a bit overwhelmed but certainly more educated.

We had a fabulous traditional Basque dinner in Beasain (pop. 13,908), the next town over and the administrative center of the district. We enjoyed seeing the townspeople out on a lovely Saturday evening – the bars and restaurants were full.

The hotel’s homemade pastries hit the spot at breakfast and were the perfect impetus to go for a long morning hike in the local hills before returning home. We followed the Via Verde Ormaiztegi-Mutiloa, which tracks the old mining rail lines that were used to ship iron ore out from the mines to the towns below.

The uphill path was steep – and a lot easier for the horses that passed us – but the views were worth it.

It was a fun, mini escape from our “city” life. Perhaps our next short local escape will be to a place that’s easier to pronounce.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff