PORTUGAL: CABO DA ROCA, CASCAIS, AND A LISBON PARK FESTIVAL

 June 23, 2022

Before returning to Lisbon, our guide took us to what she called "the end of the world" (known more officially as Cabo da Roca), the westernmost point of Portugal and, in fact, of continental Europe. A lighthouse began operating at this point in 1772.

After breathing in the ocean air and basking in the coastal rays, we made our way back to the car, passing an International Rotary monument that seemed out of place.

Next stop: the charming seaside resort of Cascais, basically the La Jolla of Portugal. It is one of the wealthiest cities in the Iberian peninsula and has one of the highest costs of living in the country. It got its start as a getaway destination for the king and his family in the 1870s.

This area is known as the Portuguese Riviera. It's definitely got a youthful, money-is-no-object vibe. 

After a strolling around the beach area, we went looking for a gelato shop our guide had recommended. We found the gelato, which was good but didn't quite live up to the hype. However, even ordinary gelato in a glamorous city like Cascais seems special.

Before she dropped us off, our guide showed us a park within walking distance of our hotel that had a party going on. She said we could buy some of the street food we were interested in there while we listened to the band and enjoyed the atmosphere, so that's where we headed next.  

Lisbon is a city of steep hills, and four different funiculars are available to haul pedestrians up the worst of the hills. However, we decided to walk rather than get in a crowded car (Covid, you know). Given our long day, it was not the best decision. It was an exhausting climb.

On the other hand, the street was lined with really interesting murals, part of "The Gallery of Urban Art." The murals provide a bit of compensation/consolation for weary climbers.

At the top of the street, we could look down at an ascending car. The photo doesn't do justness to the steepness of the incline.

The party in the park was crowded and going strong. I loved the band. They had everyone bouncing and swaying.

The name of the park is Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, or Viewpoint of Sao Pedro de Alcantara.  It is aptly named. We were drawn to the park perimeter by late afternoon views of the glowing city.

Then we scouted out the food booths, bypassing one selling farturas (not an appealing name) and opting instead for sardinhas and bifanas.

Finding a seat was challenging, but we finally squeezed in on one side of an otherwise full table.

Bob had been looking forward to grilled sardines (sardinhas), one of the country's culinary specialties. 

The other item he wanted to try was a pork sandwich (bifana), also a typical local food. It and the sardines were pretty ordinary, but it was fun to be part of the energetic crowd.

We spotted another version of the ubiquitous bacalhau, or cod, and tried a deep fried nugget. It was perhaps our least favorite version of the many times we tried bacalhau.

Besides the happy atmosphere, my favorite things in the park included this paperboy statue that is part of a monument to the first newspaper chief in Lisbon, Eduardo Coelho, who founded the Diario de Noticias in 1863. I also loved having a Frida Sighting in one of the craft booths selling cork products.  

We were tired and ready to return to our hotel. Again, we chose to walk rather than ride down the long hill.

I had noticed these two statues not far from our hotel, and we stopped for a minute to take a closer look at them.

One of the things I loved and Portugal and hope never changes is their focus on preserving the cobblestone sidewalks and streets. In Lisbon, there is actually a paving school, established in 1986, that trains calceteiros, or pavers, to maintain current surfaces and create new ones. These two statues pay tribute to the city pavers. The kneeling man is chipping away at a stone in his hand, and the other is using a tool to tamp the surface. A plaque at the site translates: "Tribute from the city of Lisbon to the Pavers who build the ground we tread."

Our hotel was located on a street full of restaurants, and we couldn't resist one more taste of bacalhau at a shop that sold only one version. It was much better than what we had eaten in the park, but still not our favorite.

What an enchanting city.