Good bye at Cascais Park & Odevellas

We enjoyed every moment till we bid adieu to our road trip all set to head out to Lisboa where Joao and Swithun watched a football match between Maritamo v/s sporting LIVE at José Alvalade Stadium

The next day family time was truly emotional. We threw into our zip zap schedule, a quick dart to a lovely park in Cascais for Andre's birthday party with family & meeting more family at Odivellas. Natacha was amazing as she came along with us and kept us at ease till the final departure.
(Natacha, Kelly, her BF, Aunty Carmelina, Swithun, Nelly, Gina, Cooper, A's older cousin, Andre, A's younger cousin, Gareth)

I cant tell you how many times Gareth hugged the dogs Queen and Thor, It broke my heart. His eyes were blood shot red! 

Cooper and Thor


Gareth and Queen



We dashed across to Odivella to find Uncle really worried that we didn't make on time, but we calmed ourselves with wine ;-).

Cooper seemed all right as he felt we were upto something more adventurous (as usual). Swithun was too routine oriented and I was broken hearted as I kissed the soil goodbye.

Peniche

She was so unhappy the tide destroyed my sand sculpture.

our beautiful accommodation booked via booking.com at the last minute. 

Swithun solitude moment with nature

We spent an awesome day at the beach, sculpturing giant turtles and saving it from the waves that wanted to swallow it. We followed the age old method of building wall around it. We had a huge audience of Portuguese residents who walked up to the site and felt a bit bad when we left the beach as there was no one to guard our sculpture from the tides. 

Fatima

We darted off to Fatima and reached there at 3.30pm and were super lucky to get the High Mass - Novena. We attended the entire service (in Portuguese). We watched devotees doing the walk to the shrine on knees to offer vows. There are two shrines - the chapel that was constructed at the Grotto where mother Mary appeared to Lucy, Francis and Jacinta. The other one is a huge cathedral where the mass takes place outdoors to accommodate the huge size of devotees gathering. The mass ended with a procession walk around the fountain whilst the rosary was said. Cooper fell asleep whilst walking in peak heat. After mass, we visited the Cathedral that had the beautiful shrines for each Saint. it was heartening to watch the way devotees offered vows.

Gareth wanted to try the walk by knee

Meditating or a short cat nap?

Filling a bottle with the spring water

Francis

Jacinta

We couldn't make it to the museum as it was very late and we had to head off to our hotel at the beach in Peniche.

Porto

We headed to Porto and checked in hotel 'Dom Leal' at Valonga after a lot of effort and waste of time trying to locate it as the roads can be very confusing and you will end up doing rounds of unwanted driving. Hey but look at the positive side, we got to see the narrow lanes and awesome cosy dwellings in Porto.

*Please book your hotel in advance in Porto.

oh yeah!!! One thing I was very disappointed about was that I could not meet Remo Fernandes :( (yes Remo lives in Porto!!!)

As guided by Alexander, we drove to 'Antas Commercial Center' and parked our car (free parking outside). Excellent advice as there is absolutely no parking space or exorbitant parking fees), Walked straight, left and right towards 'Combiante metro station'. We purchased 2 trips pass each for 3 of us (Cooper was free) to C1 (Porto area) zone for Z2 and got into 'O Viedo' train towards 'São Bento' station.

We met so many helpful people ❤️ who guided us. When we stepped out of the station we were greeted by loud live music and a man singing to a band with a speaker and Swithun fell in love with the music and spent a while listening to them.

Porto was so crowded, a less polished version of Lisbon City but beautiful in its own way. We walked for 10 minutes to see the Cathedral O Porto. Rich exteriors with a brass statue of a soldier on a horse. The cathedral was surrounded by homes and residents poked their face out to observe the tourists fall in love with their home.

Sea gulls perched on the roof top as the sun was going to set soon. We walked around the São Bento station to the University building and walked down the street of Harry Potters Hogwarts Cafe Library, and many lovely restaurants, stores, souvenir stores by the roadside. We picked up some stuff for our friends and had dinner at sit out restaurant and had clams and grilled sardines with Mojitos before we headed back to the metro station (via train Hospicio de Joao) to Combiantes. 

We drove back to our hotel and called it a day. Swithun was very unhappy that i didn't let him book the commercial sightseeing. Being a naturalist, I prefer less crowded areas with more history and i assured him the next day he would be a happy camper.

Coimbra

12 August
We wanted to stay back for another day in Porto to explore the Vineyards, wine tasting tour, see Porto by train on wheels or a boat cruise but it all was so commercial and it wasn't something I wanted to spend a day doing so we headed to Coimbre to see 'Portugal dos pequeninos'.

Cooper and Gareth loved it. They had miniature monuments of the countries the Portuguese had colonized. They also had parks, houses, bridges, farm animal houses,  light houses, mountains with forts for little ones. Cooper found a house that he refused to get off and kept other kids out!!! He imagined a electronic gate he tapped and opened the gates to his home 😂. Gareth found the mountain with the fort his favorite place where he climbed as he lives climbing forts. 

We walked around to see Coimbre from the town, the beautiful Cidade and churches and houses built around it looked gorgeous. Coimbre houses a 18 century University and Library.

Amarante

11August 

The chalet was so cosy that we woke up super late and missed our morning schedule at the water park. My heart sank when little Cooper and Gareth imagined that it was our next stop but we headed to the old town of Amaránte for breakfast at a cafe near São Gacalo Church of writer '' where visitors left postcards of their experience of Amarante. Cooper got scared of the metal statue of the writer but later interacted with him and realized he was harmless and became his buddy.

We witnessed a wedding at the church and later the cops giving all of them a fine for parking in front of the church!!! The church is beautiful with paintings and sculptors and the sacristy is breathtaking with paintings and sculptures in the ceiling. There was a sculptor of the body of São Gocalo. (No charges to see the church).

We walked down the river and took a paddle boat for 30 mins (8 Euros). Swithun and I took turns at paddling whilst Gareth refused to let go of the paddle. Cooper navigated for a while and enjoyed the ride.

The boat owner said his son was married in India ❤️. 

The museum (2 Euros for 2 adults and 1 child) was gorgeous with illustrations, sculptors, pottery and tile paintings, installation art, paintings of various artists, and photography. Absolutely worth it!