Saturday, February 24, 2024

Our day began in Cascais, Portugal. Andi’s sister, Lindsay, and nephew Arnie left our airbnb at 9:00am this morning to fly back to Amsterdam, Netherlands. We said our good-byes, and then Andi and I finished tidying up our airbnb and packing our bags for our own departure.

Our airbnb check-out wasn’t until 11:00am, so Andi and I decided to walk down the street to the Mercado da Vila — Cascais’ traditional market selling fruits, vegetables, fish, cheeses, and flowers. A few of the restaurants and shops located here are open everyday, but the big market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays. It was evident that today was ‘market day’ as soon as Andi, Tory, Aden, and I got closer to the big metal building. We’ve walked past this building several times during our stay in Cascais, but this morning tents filled the parking lot with fruit & vegetable vendors, and the inside of the building was buzzing with commotion. The amount of work that goes into these markets is incredible. Andi, Lindsay, and I poked our heads inside this building on the first afternoon we arrived in Cascais, and it was practically empty. Today, there was a flurry of activity. Clearly, Mercado da Villa is the place to go to buy fresh fruits and vegetables on Saturdays.

The four of us walked around the exterior of the building, taking in all the amazing sights and sounds of the mercado, and then made our way to the fish market. “Oh, no! Not the fish market!” Tory and Aden exclaimed when they saw where we were headed, simultaneously pulled their jackets up over their noses. “It’s not that bad,” Andi responded. “Come on, I’ll buy you a pastry afterwards.”

The Cascais fish market was the cleanest fish market I’ve ever seen. Inside, the floor and surfaces were spotless with fresh fish displayed for sale. Several older women busily worked behind the stalls, and looked as if they’d been doing this job for most of their lives.

I don’t know what it is about fish markets that draws Andi and I; they’re so interesting to watch. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the landlocked state of Nebraska where fresh fish off the boat is impossible to come by. In a coastal city like Cascais, fishermen bring their catch to the market in the early hours of the morning, and product is sold directly to the customer. You can’t get fresher than that! I love looking at all the fish displayed on ice, and can’t help but wonder how something so ugly ends up tasting so good?

After wandering through the fish market, the four of us walked through a group of vendors set up in the parking lot outside Mercado da Vila. It surprised me when Tory rejected the idea of buying a donut or pastry for breakfast from one of these stands, saying instead she wanted something more substantial. “I’ll buy you whatever you want for breakfast, Tory. You pick,” Andi told her.

Tory decided to sit down for breakfast at a restaurant called LOCAL - Your Healthy Kitchen located on the top floor of the market building. Andi, Lindsay, and I actually ordered take-out from this restaurant our first night in Cascais. This morning, the restaurant was empty so we had our pick of tables. We picked to sit outside the restaurant with views of the market happening below us on the first floor.

Both Tory and Aden ordered entrees outside their usual safe zone of pancakes. Tory chose the Mexican breakfast tacos and Aden ordered an açaí bowl. What surprised me even more was that Tory actually ate her meal. She really was hungry! Aden loved the açaí bowl and asked if we could start making them at home — but, next time without nuts.

At 11:00am, the four of us walked a couple blocks back to our rental house and grabbed our bags. Andi called an Uber which drove us to the Lisbon airport. Except, instead of flying out of the Lisbon Airport today, we rented a car from a company called Drive on Holidays. “Why would you name your company that?” Tory asked no-one in particular. “Like, you’d just drive on holidays.”

It was the usual rigmarole of paperwork for Andi as he secured our rental car agreement. Thirty minutes later, the four of us piled into our rented Opel Astra and hit the open road. We had a three-hour drive from Lisbon to the town of Aljezur in southern Portugal.

Half-way through our drive, Andi stopped in the town of Sines for lunch. We’d never even heard of this town, so I did a quick Google search for the best place to have lunch. Reviews led me to a restaurant called Castelo’s across the street from the Sines Castle built in the 14th century. If these streets could talk, wow! The cobblestone roads and architecture shared a small glimpse into the history of this area.

We didn't end up eating at Castelo’s. It looked like most of the locals were having lunch in a restaurant called Jorge Russano’s. After a quick peek at the menu, Andi and I figured this typical Portuguese restaurant was good enough for our lunch, too.

Right away when Andi walked into the restaurant, the host greeted our family and then ushered Andi over to the fish counter to present what was on the menu. We each ordered sodas, and Andi picked a few entrees for our family to share for our meal — Iberian pork, steak, espada (black scabbard fish), and grilled bacon (which Aden really wanted). “Bread and olives for the table?” the waitress asked. Andi agreed. In Europe, I find it interesting that nothing is free in restaurants. It doesn’t cost much, but you pay for the bread basket, olives, cheese, and even water. Since the water is filtered and safe for tourists to drink in Portugal, we’ve learned to ask for a pitcher of “tap water” with our meals instead of buying bottled water.

While we waited for our food, Aden spilled his glass of Fanta all over the table and Andi’s pants. We’re constantly reminding Aden to put his drink toward the top of his plate instead of on the edge of the table. At lunch today, I think he finally realized why we harp on him all the time about this.

Then our meals came to the table, and we realized we’d ordered way too much food. Andi didn’t know that each entree came with a side of boiled vegetables, French fries, and rice. It’s hard to tell because in some Portuguese restaurants sides are à la carte. Not at Jorge Russano’s in Sines! It may have been nice if the waitress would have told us that.

Alas, our meals were very tasty. Aden loved the thick pieces of grilled bacon, and Andi said the espada was one of the best pieces of fish he’s eaten on this trip. I loved the pork chop, too. We didn’t even touch the steak — too much food to eat. Something else I’ve noted about the Portuguese is their love of garlic. Holy cow, is the food garlicky! The food is delicious, but I have a strong desire to brush my teeth after every meal.

After lunch, the four of us walked to the Sines Castle. What remains of the medieval castle is free and open to the public. We climbed to the top and admired the view of the Atlantic Ocean. Just like the cobblestone streets, the exterior castle walls hold many stories of Sines’ history dating back to the 7th century.

From Sines, we continued our drive south along Portugal’s coastal highway N120, stopping briefly at the Porto Covo overlook. This off-the-beaten-path road trip was exactly our family’s style as we drove through charming rural towns surrounded by agriculture and views of the ocean. There’s a laid-back surf vibe to this area of Southern Portugal, thanks to the wild waves and numerous point breaks along the rugged western coastline.

Andi made a pit-stop in the town of Milfontes. We found a place to park, and ordered espresso and gelato from a restaurant called Mabi’s. This place was packed with locals having lunch and coffee. Andi let the kids each pick two scoops of gelato, and then we snagged one of the last open tables to enjoy our treats.

Andi text me, “good bathroom” from inside the restaurant. So funny that bathrooms are one of our family’s major talking points while traveling. I have to say, it’s pretty awesome traveling through Europe and having access to clean bathrooms, toilet paper, and hand soap — luxuries not as readily available when traveling through South America. I still carry a fold of back-up toilet paper in my fanny pack — just in case — but I haven’t had to use it in Portugal yet.

Around 5:00pm, we arrived at our hotel accommodations in Aljezur, Portugal. Andi booked us two nights at a rural bed & breakfast-style property. The owner of Monte do Sol warmly greeted our family, and showed us to our cabin which has a bedroom and a loft, living room with a fireplace, and kitchenette with a dining area. Breakfast is provided every morning. I loved the cozy feel of this house right away, and the beautiful view of the ocean outside our patio door.

We decided to eat a simple dinner at our cabin this evening since we were all still pretty full from lunch. Andi made us plates of bread, cheese, deli meat, and hummus and the four of us lounged around for the rest of the evening. Aden was upset that the internet wasn’t fast enough to call his friends back home. He walked to the reception area to see if the signal was stronger there, but was frightened back to our room by some big dogs running around the property.

Tory had a bit of a belly ache this evening, so she laid on the sofa most of the night. I hope she’s not getting sick! That’s the last thing we need is another person in our family feeling under the weather.

Tomorrow, we have a full day in Aljezur to explore this area of southwestern Portugal.