The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Nazaré, Portugal

On the way to the coast, we stopped for a few hours in Alcobaça to visit the Roman Catholic
church and monastery located in the city. The monastery was established in 1153 and the church was consecrated in 1252. The monastery is divided with the church in the middle. During our visit, one of the wings was closed for renovations, but the remaining open sections were expansive. Beautiful vaulted ceilings top the nave of the church, which has minimal decoration. In the transept of the church, we found the intricately carved tombs of King Pedro I and his wife, Inês de Castro. This is a variation of a true-life version of a Romeo and Juliet story. Pedro's father, King Afonso IV, ordered the death of Inês. He did not like the influence Inês and her family had over his son. Following her death, Pedro revealed that they had been secretly married, and ordered that she be crowned as queen.

On our arrival in Nazaré, we easily located our hotel just one block away from the ocean. Since

Fishing is now secondary to tourism
for the economy in Nazaré

parking was included, or so I thought, I ran into the hotel to find out where we should go. Street parking was obviously not the answer since every conceivable space within blocks was taken. While English speaking hoteliers are the norm most places we travel, it was not the case here. The couple running the hotel didn't speak any English or Spanish. It all worked out, but we communicated primarily using hand signals. And yes, initially, we did park about a mile away, but later in the evening, we were able to move closer. Most amusing for us, however, was that every time we ran into the couple they would start rattling on in Portuguese, even though they knew we did not speak the language. We'll never know what tidbits of local knowledge they were trying to share!

Referred to as the Silver Coast, Nazaré is known around the world for its mammoth surf. Between October and March, occasional conditions create huge waves. The highest recorded surfed wave along the beach was 80 feet (though some unsubstantiated are even higher). During our visit, the waters were very calm, but as we found throughout Portugal the waters are quite chilly, an average of 67 degrees. Walking along the waterfront in the evenings provided dramatic sunsets, an opportunity to scout out the best seafood restaurants, and listen to the street music along the boardwalk. Alan ordered what he said was the best, grilled octopus ever. In fact, it was so tender and tasty, he refused to order it the following evening, certain it would not live up to the high level attained by the first dinner.

Óbidos main entrance

During the day, we departed the city to explore other nearby places of interest. First, we traveled to

Óbidos. This was a delightful town to wander along the cobbled stone streets. Though it was quite crowded during our visit, it didn't take away from our enjoyment. Blue and yellow trimmed, white-washed buildings, with bougainvilleas and other flowers, make it an attractive area. Numerous souvenir shops line the pedestrian main street. Many offer ginja de Óbidos, a liquor the area is known for. The cherry brandy is available by the shot glass or in edible chocolate cups for one euro. We tried both but were not intrigued.

Castle and wall

The highlight of the visit was the climb to the top of the city wall. The narrow walkway is not protected by any railing, so it was a little nerve-racking walking on the ledge. Originating with the Moors between the 8th and 11th centuries, they were later strengthened by Portuguese rulers. The walls were also restored following the earthquake of 1755.

With countless beautiful beaches in Portugal, it doesn't take much effort to find a sunny spot to hangout. Foz do Arelho is a wide sandy beach with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the tranquil Óbidos lagoon on the other. During our visit, the beaches were relatively deserted. Restaurants, bars, and cafes line the roadway across from the oceanside. Locals provide fishing charters for visitors within the lagoon.

Concluding our visit to Nazaré, we moved on to Aveiro.