Walking up and down the narrow side streets of the surrounding towns of Lisbon, it feels as though you are transpaorted back in time to the 1500’s when the Moors constructed many of the elaborate buildings still standing today. Artisans still handpaint the blue and white ceramic tiles that the Portuguese have become famous for in this charming seaside town. The homes proudly display entire murals created from these ceramic tiles.
One town we visited near Lisbon has a castle built by the Moors that houses a beautiful display of these tiles in several of its rooms. The streets are quite steep and lines with colorful bougainvillea. Indeed flower boxes abound as you pass by the shops. It is a very romantic place which has brought inspiration to authors like Hans Christian Anderson.
We enjoyed dining along the pier in Lisbon where many of the local business people eat for lunch. The beverage of choice seemed to be coca cola served in the glass bottle. Portion size was petite compared to American supersized entrees. The fish was delicious and came with a nice assortment of vegetables and fresh bread.
For a fantastic day trip I would recommend renting a car and traveling up north to visit a medieval castle named Obidos. It is a majestic structure supposedly given as a wedding gift by one of the kings in Portugal to his bride. We were able to walk partially around the castle’s perimeter on the 36’" wide guard wall. It was used by the guards to protect against intruders in the 1200’s. We were amazed that we were able to walk along this wall with no restrictions.
Inside the walls of Obidos were some shops open to tourists. Woven tapestries, pottery and other collectibles could be purchased. The cobblestone streets were packed with merchants selling their wares. On one end of their street stood a Catholic church being used that day for a wedding ceremony. Children were singing in preparation for the day’s events. We had a chance to glimpse the wedding party as we exited the gates of Obidos. It was an enchanting place to visit that would be a great travel destination for anyone looking to find a bit of the Old World to enjoy.
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