Cascias

We have settled to a static life in Cascais having been here over a month. As mentioned in our last blog we could not get a berth in central Lisbon as these marinas are very busy and apparently completely full. Cascais is about 10 miles west of the city with a train every half hour. Having been here a few weeks now we think that Cascais is probably a better location for us anyway.

We are finding our way around town, the marina is quiet (Unless you have a boat full of Scots with Bagpipes!) with only one couple we know who are staying long term. There are still a few yachts coming and going mainly heading out to the Canaries or the Caribbean.

We are working through our maintenance tasks practising our Portuguese and getting to explore the area, we have also made a few contacts at the International Church and have been out with an ex-pat Brit and he visited the boat for lunch one Sunday.

We have also made a few shopping trips, Judith went clothes shopping at C&A (younger readers may not understand the significance of this but in our teenage years C&A were a major fashion retailer in the UK).

The most interesting thing I have found in the Portuguese language is the names for the days of the weeks.

The days of the weekend have names- Sábado and Domingo.

Then they ran out of names (imagination, or just got bored) so just numbered them

Segunda (2nd)-feira – Monday.

Terça (3rd)-feira – Tuesday.

Quarta (4th)-feira – Wednesday.

Quinta (5th)-feira – Thursday.

Sexta |(6th)-feira – Friday

If you are interested in why then there is a story at the following link.

https://www.learn-portuguese-with-rafa.com/days-of-the-week-in-portuguese.html

The weather has turned a bit wet in the last few days but it is still around 15 to 18C so mild compared to the weather we see the UK has been experiencing in the last few weeks.

We are visiting family over the next few weeks so will need to be prepared for the cold weather as we get ready to fly back to the UK.

We have been out a few times to explore Lisbon and other nearby towns.

Lisbon

We have made a few trips into Lisbon, this is an interesting place with grand plazas and narrow streets winding up the many hills. Up and down the hills run the iconic trams of Lisbon. Along the river, there are marinas, grand monuments and fortifications. There are also old warehouses, graffiti and nightclubs. It is popular with cruise ships and on both trips, we have seen a number of cruise ships in port.

The second trip we made was on a public holiday and there were many yachts out racing. 

Sintra

Sintra is a royal town full of historic palaces and we will need to make further trips there to explore. It takes about an hour on the bus to get there.  We visited the National Palace and walked through the hills on this trip. 

Obidos

Graham went with a Brit who teaches English in Portugal. This trip was a luxury as we travelled by car. (Judith was lunching with the ladies that day). This is a walled medieval city. You can walk around the walls. You need a head for heights as the path is narrow and there are no guard rails. (In the UK I am sure that public access would not be allowed). 

We had lunch outside as the sun was shining but whilst eating the rain came, (was just like being in England).

Cabo Da Roca

Another short bus trip took us to the lighthouse at Cabo Da Roca. This is the most westerly point in Continental Europe. The west coast of Ireland is a few miles further west but I guess that is not counted as Continental Europe. It is early November but the place is still heaving with tourists. It is a dramatic coastline with the cliffs dropping steeply away to the sea below.

5 Comments

  • Heather Philpot

    I love C&A as well. 😀 Always have to make a trip to one if it’s closeby. The best one is in Wenceslas Square in Prague. It’s huge!

  • Julia Salter

    Stunning photos , what a dramatic coastline.
    You can see from the photos how you have to respect the sea from the storm force waves to the tranquil calm.
    Just so in awe of what you both are achieving.
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • Wendy

    At last I am home from hospital with a new hip (operation 1st Oct) and enjoying the experience but cannot help feeling Portugal would be well up on that!

  • Judith

    Love the stories & photos. Really whetting my appetite for a visit 🙂 Great to catch up with you when you were back last weekend. Enjoy exploring!

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