The drive from Porto to Lisbon is approximately 3 hours, but we managed to spread it out to 10! Well we HAD to make a few stops along the way. First stop was Aveiro Aveiro is sometimes called the Venice of Portugal with it’s many canals and gondola type boats. These boats, now used to carry tourists, were once used to gather seaweed which was used to produce fertilizer.
The boats are very colorful with some beautiful paintings and some funny ones, like the one below which says…”Vehicle launches long-range missiles” Esta Quase Pronto (It’s almost ready)
After walking the main street, and of course stopping for some coffee and pastry, we headed over to the Aveiro lighthouse for a quick walkaround. It was a beautiful sunny day and some of the kids were actually swimming in the cold water.
Next local stop was Costa Nova. This little neighborhood was originally filled with fisherman cottages and small local shops. Those shops and cottages have now been converted to uniquely and colorfully painted homes that line the water front.
Golega: Studio and home of Carlos Relvas
Our next stop was about a 90 minute drive. It was a bit off the main road we were traveling, but well worth it. We had 3:30 tickets for the tour and pulled into the driveway at 3:28…phew. I can only show you photos of the exterior as we were not permitted to take any photos of the interior but I’m guessing just by looking at the outside you can imagine this place was built and owned by a very special individual. This man, Carlos Relvas, was not only an accomplished photographer but also an architect, an amateur bullfighter, marksman, musician, horseman, inventor and I am probably forgetting a few other things . Just a bit of an over-achiever LOL The second floor is all glass windows and ceilings to take advantage of all the natural light. I highly recommend, if you are in the area, to be sure to visit.
Last Stop of the Day: Obidos
With all the stopping along the way we made it to Obidos just as the sun was setting. This is a charming medieval town and the Sunday we visited was their annual Chocolate Festival.
After a very windy road to the top of the mountain we parked and walked a bit more up the hill. There was all kinds of food available, mostly having to do with chocolate, plenty of small shops and artists displaying their work. Fun visit!
And of course what is a Chocolate festival without multiple places to purchase ginjinha, a cherry liquor severed in small chocolate cup! Yummy š
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Beautiful light in the pictures.
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It was a long day and a long drive, but I hope it was totally worth it! We could have stopped in so many more places, but instead of 10 hours, you could have used 10 days š I know I can go crazy talking good things about my country. I can’t help it! It is my country… and the more I see it through the eyes of people from other countries, the more I like it, because I learn to enjoy those things that I’m so used to them that I don’t appreciate as I should.
And I really need to say this: I absolutely love that poster you created with the houses at Costa Nova! I have to go there one day and try to capture a sequence like that and create my own version! That was very creative! Loved it!
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