Portugal welcomed us vegetable fields, dotted with windmills on the edge of long white beaches. Winding through the rows of white homes, the first thing that really impressed us were the amazing glazed artwork tiles that adorn house facades. They are a type of intricate sketch art depicting major historical events through Portugese history. Apparently, they have been a huge part of the culture for over five hundred years, and are called 'Azulejo'. Not only do they serve a decorative purpose but work functionally in some houses by helping regulate the temperature inside! It was a great note to start our experience of this interesting country, which is surrounded entirely by Spain on one side and ocean on the other.
We spent much more time in Portugal than planned. It seems many other traveller have experienced the same thing. There isn’t a huge expectation on Portugal to deliver such joy, so when it does you love it all the more.
The famous Peniche surf break ‘Supertoobos’ was flat when we arrived, so we drove straight to its sister town Ericeira.
This small Portuguese fishing village is where surf originated in Portugal, so the vibe of the town matches one that is obsessed with the ocean. The people of this town were so friendly and helpful, with most speaking fluent English. Being a fishing village there was numerous seafood restaurants and it also introduced Tim to ‘Frango’ Portuguese spiced chicken and to quote Tim “the best chocolate mouse in the whole of Europe.”
We set up camp in Ericiera for the longest length of time on our European adventure. This gave Tim a lot of time to write the sequel to his novel Hellbound (if you haven’t already purchased Hellbound click here). Most days were spent surfing the reefs out the front of the camp in the morning and then writing all afternoon. Tim got on a roll and wrote 2/3rds of the sequel in this little surfing town. It was almost like we were at home in Torquay, amongst the sandstone cliffs and cold water waves.
We set up camp in Ericeira for the longest length of time on our European adventure. This gave Tim a lot of time to write the sequel to his novel Hellbound (if you haven’t already purchased Hellbound click here). Most days were spent surfing the reefs out the front of the camp in the morning and then writing all afternoon. Tim got on a roll and wrote 2/3rds of the sequel in this little surfing town. It was almost like we were at home in Torquay, amongst the sandstone cliffs and cold water waves.
Prompted by a close friend’s suggestion we discovered the hidden beauty of small historic town called Sintra. This quaint village is propped in between an imposing mountain range with surrounding green forest only a short drive from Ericeria. It’s strewn with palaces, estates, churches and a castle, which dates back to the Arab occupation of Portugal in the 12th Century. This history is mixed with charming architecture and beautiful parks and gardens. As a world heritage listed town it didn’t stop at old buildings, but also had modern art and statues amongst the traditional pieces. We loved seeing the new art on old streets.
On our way driving south we were pleased to finally find one of the only cinemas in Europe that was showing English speaking films. After many months of waiting we were able to watch the final Harry Potter movie. This was a big mark for us as it was our first ever date to the movies to watch Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Now 10 years later watching the last one together, we are happily married on the trip of a lifetime that we only ever dreamed of achieving. Happiest ever!
Our last stop in Portugal was the capital city of Lisbon (Lisboa). It’s a clean, beautiful 11th century city with cobbled streets and many statues. Many parts of Lisbon reminded us of Rome and Paris for its history and statues. What makes it all the better is that there are some great surf spots nearby. If you want to visit somewhere with ‘the whole package’ this is for sure the place to be.
After dragging our feet long enough through Portugal, we jumped in The White Badger and peeled down to Tarifa to catch the ferry to Africa. It was time to surf our fifth content, looking to meet an out of season swell in Morocco.
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