Obidos

Rosangela - an Uber driver - dropped us at Coimbra station where we boarded our very colourful train for the trip to Obidos. The 3-car unit looked 'interesting' from the platform but was pleasant enough on the inside, and being a Sunday there weren't many passengers other than a few family groups who climbed aboard around half-way, loaded with beach umbrellas and the local equivalent of an Esky. They all got off at São Martinho do Porto which apparently boasts "one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal, a bay shaped like a scallop with calm waters and fine white sand" but not visible from the train station.

We were met by our lovely B&B hosts, Gilberto and Cecilia and made very welcome by being served a glass of Gilberto’s 'Gingha' or 'Ginjinha' (pronounced 'ginger') liqueur - made by infusing sour cherries macerated in brandy (or fortified wine) and spices - which he poured over an alcohol infused sour cherry. It sure hit the spot!! Ginjinha originated in the 17th century in this area and is made from locally grown sour Morello cherries.

“Obidos Patio House” was originally Gilberto’s grandfather's house, located inside the castle walls, and Gilberto and Cecilia converted it into a three bedroom B&B. Fortunately the low door frames have warning signs for Ivor.
It is delightful with many personal touches, including a tiny decanter of Gilberto's magic brew in the bedroom for a nightcap.

We noticed a drop in the temperature (20 degrees with a cool breeze) as we spent a few hours finding our bearings around the village in preparation for a full day of discovering this lovely village tomorrow. We spotted a sign “Avocado - happy and healthy food”. Yay! Lunch was sorted. We have missed our avos!

As luck would have it, a 3 piece blues/rock band (about our age 😅) from the UK were setting up for a gig in preparation for a tour in Europe. They were really good and we enjoyed sitting listening to their music which we could relate to; however unlike most of the patrons (mainly Brits), we weren’t up for beers at 3.00pm.

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast the following morning, with freshly baked homemade warm pastel de nata - custard was still hot and pastry was excellent. (Cecilia has promised to give Glyn her recipe.)

It was a very cool day with a strong breeze and for those of you who know Glyn, it meant a “jacket day”. The sun did poke out occasionally for Ivor to take photographs.

We took the opportunity to warm ourselves a little by trying a local treat - a small chocolate cup of gingha - sipped gently - and then one eats the cup.

Obidos is a village with 3,100 inhabitants, encircled by a ring of medieval walls. Until 1883 Obidos was the exclusive property of the Queens of Portugal (referred to as “The Town of Queens”) as in the 13th century King Dinis gifted the castle to his queen Isabel. It is one of the most perfect examples of a medieval fortress. It is listed as a UNESCO Creative City and a paradise for book lovers from all over the world. There are fourteen book shops in Obidos. Apparently writers workshops are held here as an annual event and well supported.

This bookshop occupies what was previously a church, and the circular arrangement of shelves was interesting

In this next bookshop we saw a shop assistant on a ladder who was vacuuming the upper bookshelves as we walked in.

We spotted a number of books translated from English - including Woody Allen's 'Zero Gravity', plus a selection of kids books that included good old Roald Dahl favourites.

And Ivor - a fan of Asterix and Obelix - found the recipe book that he might have purchased if he had any idea of how to cook.

Obidos has a long history. The Obidos castle dates back to the Roman era, however it is the medieval period that truly defended its rich character. Following the Christian conquest of Portugal in the 12th century, King Afonso took control of the site and transformed the fortress into a stronghold.

The city wall has a circumference of around 1.5km and surefooted people without a fear of heights can walk the whole way around on a walkway less than two metres wide with a sheer drop on the inner side - which cancelled out Ivor immediately. The pic below shows a few people hugging the safety of the outer balustrade while another strolls confidently on the 'drop-side'.

Climbing up the stairs does provide a good vantage point for photos of the town.... and that's our 'Obidos Patio House' accommodation on the RHS.

The Church of Santa Maria was the setting for the wedding of King Alfonso V to his cousin, Princess Isabella of Coimbra on 15th August 1441, when they were both children. Alfonso’s V aged 10 and Isabella aged 9. How could that happen?

And in the street above Santa Maria church is the town's pillory, where miscreants were chained and publicly punished for their misdeeds.

This was a Roman town in its early years and we assumed the the aqueduct was a Roman construction, but turns out the 3.6km watercourse was funded in 1573 by Queen Catarina of Austria in exchange for the lands of Varzea from the town council.

Obidos is very much a must-see tourist stop and by 9.00am the buses were already unloading sightseers.

Obidos is listed as one of Portugal's most picturesque towns and we are so fortunate to have been able to stay here in lovely accommodation and see for ourselves the beauty of Obidos.

Hopefully the photographs have told the story, with a few more below:

The restaurant around the corner has an outdoor BBQ oven where this fellow is cooking pork steaks.

This shop told us that their highest selling products weren't the usual sardines, but rather the roast codfish, shrimp and octopus lines!

Streets are very narrow, and this entry portal zigzags hard right and then hard left making it a route to be very carefully negotiated. This was also part of the original defence strategy to make it difficult for invading forces to enter the city walls.

We ate at this restaurant the evening before leaving Obidos. The name - 1st December - references the date in 1740 when Portugal began the Restoration War to reclaim its sovereignty from Spain.

And bougainvillea are in flower everywhere in Portugal now.

We have met a few expats living around here from the England, Scotland, America and South Africa. They seem happy and enjoying life, and why wouldn't one - plenty of sun, not too expensive, friendly people!!

Next we're off to Lisbon on a one hour bus ride and a 3-night stay with lots to see and do.