Popping the bags in the car boot, we then headed up through the red-roofed old town to the Botanical gardens. It was lovely, really fresh, sauntering through the gardens past the famous glass house and on down to the river; who knew you could have a bamboo forest! Intrigued by the receptionist's recommendation, we headed for "Portugal dos Pequenitos", although a tourist attraction for children, I wanted to go. Created in 1940, using traditional building techniques, all the famous landmarks in Portugal are re-created in miniature. You can enter them, although we were a bit big. The first section had hands-on exhibits about the Portuguese territories from its heyday as master of the seas, followed by all Portugal's landmarks in miniature. Escaping the heat we stopped for welcome coffee and ice-cream before crossing the river back to the car.
Next stop; the famous surfing beach at Navaré. Strange to see a seaside town complete with swimwear clad folk and sun bathers. Parking was an issue, eventually after driving the corniche we found a carpark. Shimmying into shorts, we crossed the promenade to the sandy beach; a beach five-a-side football tournament complex our landmark! Of course, I paddled. The sea was cold and wavy, despite being balmy out. A flat shelf on the seabed creates the enormous famous surf. Delicious paddling, but the steep slope was tough on the ankles, so we headed back past the traditional display of racked drying fish (bacalao), before a bathroom hunt and the car.
A lovely modern glass sided, balconied room overlooking the secluded pool in a boutique villa-hotel with beautiful tranquil landscaped gardens was our destination; the only downside on street coin-fed metered parking. We explored cobbled Cascais, sandwiched between the parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais and the outer suburbs of Lisboa for dinner, having an amazing vegan meal over-looking the harbour.
Photos - just my snaps!
Coimbra
Navaré
Cascais
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