Porto - Barcelona Day 7 Figueira da Foz - Obidos

Good bye Figueira da Foz and unfortunately it was a brief stay, we could have stayed a bit longer maybe a next time as Portugal is really interesting.

Breakfast was provided at Marina Charming House and a good satisfying loading for the start of the day.

All set after a good breakfast and ready to head to the train station.

Figueira da Foz Train Station is about 1.5km away from Marina Charming House.

A train ride of about 115km from Figueira da Foz to Obidos for €11.50 with a connection train at Caldas da Rainha.

It was another relief to be able to catch the train for another set of journey ahead.

One shot before the station master shoo us into the coach.

The interior of the local train.

Crossing the railway lines for another platform at Caldas da Rainha Station.

Obidos Train Station is soul-less the old building is all locked up. We were kind of lost as to whether we are in the right station. The famous castle on the blue ceramic tiles said it's the place hehehe....

The word "Obidos" is right on the building so it must be Obidos, we went round the building and it was deserted.

Anyway let's get help from our GPS devices and locate the accommodation for the evening which showed that it was not too far away from here.

Let's follow the route and check it out!

The road is of countryside quiet and secluded.

The anxiety continued as we rode on the earth trail and we were still feeling unsure of our position. Sure or not ......

We found it at last, Capitão Polvo Residence located at Largo Nazaré Fortunato GPS : 39.353954, -9.162943 after a bit of knocking at wrong places.

Restaurant Infusion Albergaria is also part of  accommodation runs by two brothers Thomas & Bruno, they are such a great host. 

Bruno showed us our accommodation and later we went over to Infusion Albergaria for lunch. It was Bruno who took our orders, the best part was Bruno did the cooking too. His food is undoubtedly delicious and indeed he is such a good cook. Thumb up to Bruno!

After our lunch we were recommended to walk to the Castle of Obidos, an authentic mediaval castle of Portugal.

The castle and the village has been here for ages going through early period of the Roman, Muslim and the in fighting taking over throne after throne. A place for the Queens and many more stories of them coming out from this place.

There are plenty of narrow passages and corners that you might get lost but it was fun exploring this walled community of Middle Ages.

The construction of this castle was kind of continuous from one reign to another and went on for centuries. It was a home of the broken hearted queens and a safe harbor for some kings.

We enjoyed taking photographs in the place there are so many interesting structures to capture.

Cars are seen driven into the area, it would be ideal if these cars are prohibited making the place cleaner and closer to the olden time.

Shops and food outlets are found at every corners and a good place to learn admire and shop the local produce.

In the 12th century, during the Christian Reconquista, the site of the castle in Óbidos was conquered by the first Portuguese king, Alfonso I. Since January 10, 1148, the site became strongly connected with building the power of the Kingdom of Portugal. However, the fortification itself did not belong to the Portuguese crown until a little bit later, during the reign of King Sancho I. According to the document called Torre do Facho this event took place in 1195.

Alfonso II decided to expand the castle and gave it to his wife as a gift in 1210. During those times, the castle was already a significant fortress. The tower of the castle was adapted as it was necessary to have a jail inside, but other parts of the construction began to flourish. The castle was expanded on during the next century, so much so that when it became a wedding gift to Denis (1279 - 1325) and Queen Elizabeth during their stay, it was already one of the most impressive castles in Europe.

Besides narrow and interesting alleys there are also linkages from one building to another.

Another place to chill out with good local wine and fantastic ambiance.

A typical clothes line at Obidos.

We sneaked into a narrow alley for a shot.

A resort hotel with within the vicinity of the castle with amazing view over looking over the lower land.

Now the Óbidos castle is a famous site, two centuries ago it was just another Roman settlement. 

This location was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, and it is known that it was an important place for Romans until it became a Visigoth territory in the 5th century. Later, the area belonged to Muslims, who fortified the town during the 8th century. This was the beginning of the castle’s construction.

Lot of souvenirs on display.

Many have cautioned about the narrow walk path without railing. One should be careful when going up for a view.

The castle is one of the official wonders of Portugal, and it’s a source of national pride. The rich story of the area of the settlement sounds like a movie scenario. 

The castle was a witness to fights for the throne, political changes, and even Roman activities. It continues to be one of the central sites related to the colorful history of Portugal. 

Got myself a tube of antiseptic for my eye infection.

Dinner was back to Infusion, thanks to the two brothers Thomas & Bruno fro specially opened for us. The dinner was fabulous so was the drinking session. Thomas gave us a challenge for to dismantle and fix back the wooden bottle and if it is successful the bottle of wine is on the house. Anne took the challenge and successfully fixed back with much of a problem. And it was more to drink fro the evening.

The mood and atmosphere continued to be joyous and lively, Thomas went back to the bar and came back with this bottle of Kraken. Kraken Black Spiced Rum is a Caribbean black spiced rum. It is distributed in the United States by Proximo Spirits, and named after the kraken, a mythical giant squid-like sea monster. However, the bottle has a rendering of the actual giant squid with a reference to its scientific name, Architeuthis Dux.

Thank you so much Thomas for your superb hospitality and a good story teller. We hope you and Bruno will be successful in your business and become popular in Obidos.

We did a "yum seng" toast at the closing, one for Obidos and indeed it was the highlight of the night. A wonderful night for everyone to remember.