Lagos, Portugal - Day 1

Monday, February 26, 2024

Our day began at Monte do Sol Herdade in Aljezur, Portugal. Around 8:30am, the owner of the herdade (homestead) delivered a tray of breakfast foods to our front door which is included as part of our stay. For some reason, our front door happened to be locked from the inside which can only be opened with an antique-style key. Andi fumbled around looking for the key to the door while the owner stood patiently on the other side with the breakfast tray. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant morning to be standing outside — raining off and on, and around 50 degrees F.

Hearing Andi’s struggle at the door, Tory finally shouted from the upstairs loft, “the key to unlock the front door is hanging on the coat hook!” Andi finally got the door open, and the owner greeted him with a laugh, “We don’t lock our doors here! This is Portugal! Look around, so very safe.” Andi agreed with a embarrassed smile as he received the tray of breakfast foods.

Breakfast this morning was the same spread as the day before — coffee and hot cocoa powder, a variety of breads, deli meat, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and a sweet pastry. Some type of bread, deli meat, cheese, and coffee is a very typical Portuguese breakfast. The four of us ate breakfast together and then I packed our bags while Andi tidied the kitchen area.

We departed Monte do Sol Herdade around 10:30am, and began our drive to Lagos, Portugal — our next destination. Andi and I decided to make a short one-hour detour along the way to visit the furthest southwestern point of continental Europe called Cape Saint Vincent in Sagres, Portugal.

Andi navigated us to the Sagres Fort which is located on Sagres Point, just outside town. The fort was built in the 15th century under the command of Infante Dom Henry the Navigator with the purpose to protect the area from attacks. From here, Henry the Navigator also charted his expeditions around the coast of Western Africa initiating the Portuguese Age of Discoveries. We entered Sagres Fort, and paid €3 admission per adult (kids were free).

The wind was incredibly intense on the vastness of the peninsula, blowing so strongly that it was difficult to walk. The four of us trudged to the top of the fort to look out over the fortress walls. Nothing much to see, but an expansive view of the Atlantic Ocean and the steep, rocky cliffs. There is also a lighthouse and a museum on the point that visitors can tour, as well as footpaths that lead to several lookouts along the edge of the cliffs.

Next, we made our way into the Museum of Portuguese Discoveries, if for no other reason than to get some reprieve from the wind. Inside the museum, we browsed several exhibits and watched a short video illustrating Portugal’s maritime history during the 15th and 16th centuries. Portugal is the oldest nation in Europe, and was a leader in maritime exploration, discovery, and colonization of Northern Africa, the Americas, Middle East, and Asia. The importance of Portugal’s maritime exploration was all in an effort to find new navigation routes to China, India, and Indonesia for trade. Along with land discoveries in Northern Africa came colonization and the introduction of the slave trade.

After we spent time inside the museum, the four of us made the windy walk back to our car parked in the fort parking lot. Tory thought it was comical how she could lean forward and the wind would hold her body upright.

Andi picked a spot for lunch in Sagres called Armazem Grill. It was a beautiful restaurant surrounded by big windows that let the sunshine in, and lots of greenery all around. It felt like sitting inside a courtyard, but with the added benefit of being protected from the wind. We were one of the restaurant’s first customers of the day, and seated at a table right away. The fresh fish of the day was prominently displayed on ice by the entrance.

We each ordered drinks, and Andi ordered bread and cheese for the table. Nothing is free in Portuguese restaurants, so any bread, olives, or cheese brought to the table is by charge. We’ve also learned you have to ask for butter for the bread, otherwise it’s served dry.

Andi said this restaurant is known for its grilled meats, so he ordered grilled chicken and Aden ordered ribs. For some reason, I thought tagine sounded good (maybe because it’s a warm, comforting dish to eat on a cold day) so I ordered that. Tory picked spaghetti bolognese for her lunch entree.

Andi was right — the grilled meats at Armazem Grill were excellent! The large bbq by the front entrance should have been another clue, though I didn’t notice it until we left the restaurant. I wasn’t sure how Aden would be able to finish the large serving of ribs he was given, but he did pretty well polishing them off (with a little help from Andi and I). “Why do you always take my picture when I have food in my mouth?” Aden asked me when I snapped his picture.

My tagine, however, left something to be desired. In my mind, I’d imagined being served carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and couscous in a bubbling, hot tagine (the traditional moroccan way), but what I actually got was a plate of steamed vegetables, a small salad, and a cup of pre-made couscous on the side. It tasted fine; it just wasn't what I expected. Mental note: eat all the yummy tagine when in Morocco because it’s not the same anywhere else.

From Sagres, the four of us drove about 30 minutes to Lagos, Portugal. We stopped at Pingo Doce Supermercado to buy a few groceries before checking into our next airbnb apartment. This was a really nice grocery store and I was having fun looking around at all the different items for sale, but Andi started having some stomach cramps and needed to leave. We bought some deli meat, bread, gnocchi & pasta sauce, a couple snacks, wine, + some potstickers I found for Aden and a poke bowl for dinner later.

Our new airbnb apartment is walking distance from Lago’s Old Town. We parked our car and lugged our bags around the backside of the apartment building to find our unit. We’re staying here for three nights. This apartment has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, outdoor eating area, and a washing machine. It’s very clean, comfortable, and well-stocked. There was even a welcome gift waiting for us when we arrived — bottles of water, wine, and two tins of sardines. Sardines are a staple food in Portugal.

I got to work right away on the laundry since we haven’t seen a washing machine in a few days. I wouldn’t say I mis-packed for this trip by any means, but it’s been much cooler in Portugal than I expected. Now knowing this, I would have packed Aden one more pair of pants. He’s so much harder on clothes than the rest of us, and can’t rewear his things as much. There are no dryers that I’ve seen in Portugesese homes, so everything must line-dry. Andi turned the heat on in our apartment, hoping to help our clothes dry a little better than they have been given the cooler temperatures.

After laying down for an hour, Andi said he felt like walking into Lago’s Old Town. We bundled up in our sweatshirts and coats, and made the 10-minute walk to this historical area of town. The cold wind is brutal today! The owner of Monte do Sol in Aljezur told Andi this morning that the wind is blowing out the rain Portugal had over the weekend. I hope that’s the case, and warmer days are ahead.

Lago’s Old Town was absolutely gorgeous and relatively empty of people. We entered inside the city walls through a big, round entryway, and then wandered aimlessly along the cobblestone streets admiring all the shops and cafes. The city walls were constructed in the 16th century, and felt like we’d walked inside another world. Streets are adorned in traditional Portuguese designs.

It looked like a lot of the restaurants were closed on Monday nights, so we decided to Uber back to our airbnb apartment and order take-out. It was only a 15-minute walk back to our place, but it’s located in an uphill direction and truth of the matter, we were freezing. Andi said the price of our Uber ride was the wisest €3 he’s spent on this trip so far.

Back at our airbnb, we ordered food delivery from Uber Eats. One of the few places that was open was a Turkish kebob restaurant, so Andi ordered what he thought was a selection of meat skewers. What actually showed up were meat sandwiches loaded with sauces. The meal didn’t agree with Andi’s sensitive stomach, and he immediately threw up after eating a few bites. He went to bed shortly afterwards, feeling terrible.

There was no way Aden was going to eat the sandwiches given the amount of creamy sauces dripping from the bun, so Andi ordered him a chicken nuggets meal from McDonalds. Tory made herself some gnocchi for dinner. I ate one of the kebab sandwiches and felt disgusting afterwards. Dinner turned out to be a disappointment and a total waste of money.

Tory and Aden stayed up late talking to their friends on Facebook Kids Messenger, long after Andi and I went to bed. The weather looks to be warmer in Lagos tomorrow. I’m hoping the wind dies down so we can get outside to explore this beautiful city and its rugged coastline.