17 Feb We left Quarteira early for the drive up the coast to our first stop, Sao Martinho do Porto along the silver coast where we (I) enjoyed a freshly baked pastel de nata, egg custard tart, along with our espresso. We had a lovely chat with a very helpful local resident, a Brit. In the afternoon, we continued on to Nazare, where thanks to the recommendation of the hotel clerk, we enjoyed an incredible meal at a nearly empty restaurant. Sao Martinho do Porto |
| Double cove makes the small marina here very calm. It's in the shape of a shell fish |
What an incredible little town in the Silver Coast area of Portugal. Such calm waters in the twice-protected little marina. Historically, a ship building and fishing village, the cove here is scallop-shaped and has a restricted, very small opening to the open sea.
We met a Brit who is a resident in a nearby town. He has resided in this area for 16 years and states that he is unlikely to leave. Educated in England as a geologist/engineer, he has lived in South America, South Africa, Uzbekistan, the middle east, and all over western Europe. We had an enjoyable visit before leaving for Nazare.
Nazare
Nazare retains the remnants of a thousand + year religious tradition that today includes several festivals, processions, and pageants. Most recently, it has become a large wave surfing attraction thanks to the underwater Nazare Canyon producing occasional waves in excess of 80 feet measured from shoulder to peak. It has become a required spot for aspiring big wave, name-building surfers. When the big waves come, videographers and still photographers pack a vantage point, Fort Sao Miguel Arcanjo, high up on a cliff overlooking the surf, where they capture and publish accounts of record breaking rides.
Do you like seafood? Enjoy picking through shell fish and fin fish and potatoes in a light, peppery broth? Call it out with me, now: Cataplana. Oh yes! Order it anywhere in Portugal. In the town of Nazare, visit the Mar Bravo restaurant and git ya some there. Finish off the meal with the most incredible chocolate mousse, so soft, so smooth. And add a sweet, syrupy liqueur called Ginjinah, or play it safe with a Porto. Why not?
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| Big wave pioneers have popularized Nazare in recent years making it a required stop in the surfing world. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia) |