John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Day 7
We leave Oporto this morning, heading south to Cascais. On the way we will stop in the pretty, white-washed village of Obidos for lunch. We will stay tonight at the Cascais Pousada, built within the walls of the 16th century citadel, overlooking the marina. At this hotel the gym and indoor/outdoor pool are included for our use. The address of the hotel is Cidadela de Cascais, Av D. Carlo I, Cascais 2750-310, telephone: 00 351 214 820 515. There is a good selection of restaurants within an easy walk of our hotel.

Janet vacated the bathroom, ca.6.30am. It was still dark outside. Showered. Janet packed the case, and I helped to fasten the rainbow-coloured straps which we use to quasi-secure it, but more to facilitate recognition of it among others; and I packed my rucksack. Paul’s suggestion had been to take suitcases down at breakfast time, and leave them in the breakfast location in the basement, where there was plenty of room to spare; but we opined that that would do nothing to help avoid delays at departure time, for what was the difference between waiting for an elevator from the basement and waiting for one from the third floor? So we left our cases in the room, and went down for breakfast. Afterwards, there was a lengthy wait for a lift that was not full, from the third floor to the ground floor; but we nevertheless got down there, checked out, and aboard the coach before the scheduled 8.30am. There was thick mist for much of the way.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 09:06:58
View from the coach

It wasn’t cold, though, when we stopped ca.1½ hours later at a motorway service station. We had ca.½-hour there. I had a black coffee and Janet a Coca Cola Zero (€3.95 at 09:57:13, according to the till receipt). Then we continued our way to Óbidos. (I called it “Ooby-Dooby-os” after the Roy Orbison record.) The coach parked in one of the parking lots to the south of the town. Paul issued us each with a map of Óbidos.







To the east of us was a 16th century aqueduct, in ruins since the 1755 earthquake. Paul led us north through the Town Gate, as far as the Camões Monument. Luís de Camões (1524–1580) has been called “the Portuguese Shakespeare”. I remember Paul saying that; but here I get confused, because he said something about the “Pillory”, and I thought the monument was the Pillory. But, it turns out, there’s a somewhat similar structure not far away with that designation. He discouraged going up on the city walls because of the lack of handrails.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 11:50:36
Óbidos: Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 11:52:34
Óbidos: Looking back at the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 11:53:26
Óbidos: Camões Monument

Then we had free time. The Camões Monument was in a fork between two narrow streets; and it was the right one, Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos, that we decided to go along, seeking somewhere for lunch.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 11:56:04
Óbidos: Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos

Almost immediately I saw “pizzeria” — which for me immediately ended the search![i]

[i] Janet claimed the credit in her journal: “We went in search of somewhere to have lunch and I spotted an Italian restaurant that did several salads so we went inside.”

Saturday 22 September 2018 — 11:56:04 (detail)
Óbidos: Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos: detail showing XII Apóstolos Ristorante Pizzeria

The outside wooden tables had seats integral with them (like those you find sometimes in picnic areas), which one had to step into, and were narrow and uncomfortable; so we asked for a table indoors and were shown the one near the door. There was a room upstairs, but not in use just then. We were the first to arrive there, but later all the outside tables and the one or two downstairs ones within were occupied. Janet was mightily impressed with the cleanliness of the place, especially the toilets, and told the proprietress so. I started with a Campari and soda. Janet had two Coke Zero. I had a glass of red wine with the food. The pizza I chose was called something like “pizza infernale”, and had pepperoni in its topping: spicy, but not “hellish” hot. Janet was able to get a mixed salad (various green leaves, cherry tomatoes, sliced olives, sweet corn, and chopped onion) with no oil or other dressing.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 12:27:12
Óbidos: Lunch at XII Apóstolos Ristorante Pizzeria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 12:27:28
Óbidos: XII Apóstolos Ristorante Pizzeria

I had a grappa as digestivo. In fact, I took advantage of that rare treat, and said, “Ancora una grappa, per favore!” We both finished with coffee (both americano without milk, Janet’s decaffeinated). We were there about 1¼ hours.




Business card of “XII Apóstolos Ristorante Pizzeria”

Departure was scheduled for 2pm, and it was now almost 1.20pm, so we only had time for a quick stroll around the narrow cobbled streets and squares of the town. We continued along Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos, past Igreja de São Pedro (St. Peter’s Church) and continuing northwards along Rua Padre António Almeida as far as Igreja da Misericórdia (Almshouse Church).


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:19:50
Óbidos: Looking back at XII Apóstolos Ristorante Pizzeria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:20:12
Óbidos: Heading north along Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:20:46
Óbidos: View east from Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos along Travessa Nossa Senhora do Rosário


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:21:26
Óbidos: View west from Rua Joséfa d’Óbidos


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:21:56
Óbidos: Igreja de São Pedro


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:22:24
Óbidos: Largo de São Pedro


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:23:54
Óbidos: Continuing north along Rua Padre António Almeida


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:24:32
Óbidos: View west from Rua Padre António Almeida along Travessa Joaquim Maria da Silva Freire


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:24:50
Óbidos: Through the arch on Rua Padre António Almeida


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:25:18
Óbidos: Igreja da Misericórdia

We mounted the steps beyond that,—


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:26:20
Óbidos: View east down Travessa da Cadeia


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:26:36
Óbidos: View east down Travessa da Cadeia


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:26:52
Óbidos: View north up Travessa de Santa Maria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:27:08
Óbidos: Eastern corner of the city wall

—and turned left into Praça de Santa Maria. At the far end of that square, by a retaining wall, was an old fountain; and on the other side of the wall, in Rua Direita, was the previously mentioned Pillory.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:27:58
Óbidos: East end of Praça de Santa Maria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:28:20
Óbidos: West end of Praça de Santa Maria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:29:14
Óbidos: View north on Rua Direita: the Pillory

I walked north along Rua Direita a short way,—


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:31:08
Óbidos: View from farther north along Rua Direita: (left:) “albarrana tower”; (centre:) the former St. James Church (now a bookshop); (right): south-west tower of the Castle

—then turned back. We walked to the end of Rua Direita, to its fork at the Camões Monument.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:32:38
Óbidos: View east from Rua Direita: Igreja de Santa Maria and Praça de Santa Maria


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:34:58
Óbidos: Igreja de São Pedro, seen from Rua Direita


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:37:04
Óbidos: View towards the southern end of Rua Direita


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:38:04
Óbidos: Largo do Padrão and Camões Monument; (background:) Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:38:50
Óbidos: Town Gate and steps up to the top of the wall

Contrary to Paul’s suggestion, I decided that I would ascend the two flights of steps beside the Town Gate to have a look from up there, despite the lack of handrails.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:40:58
Óbidos: Panorama of views from atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:41:08
Óbidos: Panorama of views from atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:41:20
Óbidos: Panorama of views from atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:41:40
Óbidos: Panorama of views from atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:42:14
Óbidos: View northwards from a different point atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:42:26
Óbidos: View south from atop the wall by the Town Gate


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:43:10
Óbidos: About to descend the steps from the wall


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:44:08
Óbidos: View of Largo do Padrão from the steps

On meeting up with Janet, we walked to the parking lot where the coach was. I had time to buy and consume an ice lolly [popsicle] before we boarded the coach.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 13:56:58
Óbidos: Aqueduct


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 14:34:36
En route to Cascais
Ancient and modern: windmill (sans sails) and wind turbines

We arrived at Cascais before 4pm. The hotel, located within the Citadel of Cascais, was one of the Pousadas Históricas de Portugal, a chain of luxury hotels in historical locations in Portugal (much like the Paradores de Turismo de España that we’d encountered in Spain), formerly run by the Portuguese State, now by the Pestana group.


The folder holding our key-card

Access to our room was initially by elevator, up one floor (we subsequently found and used stairs), but even then it was quite a way along corridors to get to our room. There was finally one flight of steps down (I carried the cases down it one by one), followed by a further long corridor which sort of undulated downwards. Our room had a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and I thought it might once perhaps have been a gunpowder magazine. The shower, Janet was pleased to note, was a walk-in one, not one situated in a bathtub. That meant that the controls had a single function and were easy to operate. We wished we’d been able to stay in this hotel more than only one night. Janet enquired at reception about a hairdresser and the receptionist booked her an appointment at Jean Louis David for 5pm. She printed out a Google Maps route to walk there.




Saturday 22 September 2018 — 16:21:52
Cascais: Our room at the “pousada”


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 16:22:20
Cascais: Our room at the “pousada”

Janet unpacked the one case that we were using at this stage of the holiday, and at ca.4.30pm we found our way back through the “labyrinth”, and out across the courtyard and through the northern gateway in the curtain wall between two bastions.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 16:39:24
Cascais: Looking south towards the Cidadela from Avenida Dom Carlos I


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 16:39:32
Cascais: Looking north from the same location as “16:39:24”

By following the dark blue dotted line on the map, we found the establishment, ca.4.50pm, and Janet was dealt with immediately. The wash was done in an adjoining room, then the drying in the chair adjacent to the one in which I was sitting. The hairdresser arranged Janet’s hair into a quite elaborate style — I was pleased that my opinion about it was not sought! “It only took 20 minutes for a wash and blow-dry,” Janet wrote, “and I emerged looking completely unlike me.” We headed back down the road, Avenida Valbom, and at its end, where it terminated at a roundabout, we had a drink under the veranda of the restaurant there: Restaurante Casa Velha (“Old House”). I had a beer and Janet had two Coke Zero or the like. Then we went back to the hotel, along Alameda Combatentes da Grande Guerra, Passeio Dom Luís I. Then we made a detour to the right, passing the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção in Largo Assunção, before crossing Avenida Dom Carlos I and re-entering the Citadel to find our way back to our hotel room. In the centre of the large courtyard in front of the hotel, a temporary stage had been set up.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 17:15:04
Cascais: Jean Louis David, Avenida Valbom


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 17:15:58
Cascais: Looking south-west along Avenida Valbom


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 17:30:08
Cascais: Refreshments at Casa Velha


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 17:50:10
Cascais: Cidadela


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 18:01:36
Cascais: West façade of Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 18:05:48
Cascais: Entrance to the Cidadela


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 18:07:18
Cascais: (Ahead:) Entrance to the “pousada”

I logged on to the hotel Wi-Fi (18:26) and did a search on Google for “typical restaurants in Cascais” (18:29–18:34). At just about the top of the list was one “Restaurante Dom Pedro I”; and Janet noticed that this was shown on the route-map to Jean Louis David that the receptionist had given to her. They were setting up sound and lighting equipment in the courtyard and elsewhere as we left. We wondered whether that boded ill! We followed the alternative route shown on the map, the one in grey. It wasn’t clear on the map precisely where the restaurant was, but after a bit of uncertainty we found it almost immediately. We got there just before 7pm. There were tables outside, but we chose to go inside. We were the first customers there, so had the pick of the tables. It was quite small. A standing figure — of Dom Pedro I, I presume (Peter I of Portugal (1320–1367), I also presume) — was portrayed in blue on white tiles on one wall, and on the adjacent wall was a coat rack in the shape of a key, which I took to be a symbol of Peter.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:06:50
Cascais: Restaurante Dom Pedro I

It was a matter of some amusement to me that, in Portugal, all the signs prohibiting smoking said, not “no smoking”, but “no smokers” — implying that even if smokers refrained from smoking, they were still not welcome! We were served with slices of bread and little metal containers of sardine paste. I opened and consumed the contents of one of them spread on the bread. I had Portuguese pork with fries, and Janet had an escalope of rump steak with boiled potatoes and broccoli. To drink I had a 375ml bottle of Mateus Rosé, and Janet had a Coke Zero. We were well satisfied.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:11:50
Cascais: Sign in Restaurante Dom Pedro I “No smokers”


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:14:50
Cascais: Restaurante Dom Pedro I


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:27:06
Cascais: Leaving Restaurante Dom Pedro I


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:28:22
Cascais: Going back to the “pousada”


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:29:06
Cascais: Going back to the “pousada” — view down a side-street


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:29:30
Cascais: Going back to the “pousada”


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:30:40
Cascais: Going back to the “pousada”

As we approached the church we’d passed twice already (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção), we became aware of extremely loud pop music being played, and indeed there was a light show being played on the church. There were various sources of this din here and there, so there was a similar scene in Avenida Dom Carlos I.


Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20:35:12
Cascais: Light show in Avenida Dom Carlos I

A young woman tried to block our way through the gateway in the curtain wall. There was the audible and visual evidence of another painfully loud sound and light show going on in the now crowded courtyard. Presumably, entrance to it was by ticket. I bellowed at her something like, “I am a resident at the hotel. You have no fucking right to stop me!”, and pushed past her. Janet followed me. Even shouting, I’m not sure if I could be heard above that hellish din. I expressed my extreme displeasure to the hotel receptionist as we passed. The perhaps six-foot thick walls, double glazed windows, and feint whirr of the air-conditioning blocked out most of the sound. As yesterday, connecting the camera to the computer failed to activate MyFinePix Studio; so, again as yesterday, I removed the SD card from the camera and inserted it into the computer to transfer 61 photos from it to the WD Elements HDD (20:54–20:55). Opened them in Windows Photo Viewer, and using that rotated five that needed it (20:59–21:01). “I had an uncomplicated and easy shower,” Janet wrote, i.e. in comparison especially with the situation at the last hotel. “It was almost 9.30pm. [John] had gone to bed. I needed to update this [journal] so I sat at the desk and did so. It is now 10pm and the music has suddenly become deafening — I’d had the window open and had to shut it, but can feel it thumping in my head and making my head hurt.… How I’ll sleep is beyond me. It was ca.10.30pm when we finally ‘hit the sack’.” The cacophony came in turns from different locations, one of which seemed to be just outside our window, or not far away. While ever the level of sound, as perceived in the room, was moderate, I dozed off, but came wide awake on two or three occasions when it became very loud outside the window. As far as I’m aware, the disturbance ceased just before midnight; and Janet wrote, “I think I dropped off soon after that.”

[Sunday 23 September 2018]