Know more about Portugal.

One of the few things I regret of my time in Ireland (probably the only one) is not having travelled enough around the Country. I did travel, but not as much I could have done in 3 years.
My Portuguese experience is starting in a very different way. Me and my Team, we go out of Lisbon nearly every week end. If the advance team is made of five people we go by Alain’s car, otherwise we rent one more car.

The Portuguese coast is astonishing. The first consideration is related to my perception; you see, the Portuguese coast is, before everything, Atlantic. While is not a new experience for me watching at the sea, watching at the ocean it is. The ocean is stronger, bluer, deeper. The ocean communicates what I call a glorious and scaring feeling of freedom. I haven’t found better words to describe it yet. And, trust me, watching at the ocean in winter time, when is windy, when God Neptune doesn’t forgive, is definitely a striking experience.

















Look at the pictures above, have you noticed that person walking on the beach? That will give you the parameters to understand the majesty I’m talking about, and the picture only takes a quarter of the beach’s dimension!!!! I’ve been mainly impressed by the waves. They are, sometimes, literally speaking walls of water crashing on the land. They raise and raise and raise again before crashing on the land with an impressive strength. At Samoqueira beach the optical effect is dazzling: even if you are at a safe distance from the wave, you have for a few seconds, the thought it will grab you!!

Porto Covo, (map and pictures below). We only got a coffee on its main square, and walked down to see the beach. (The village is well known for its beaches). Porto Covo is a little town, a tender and little village actually (1,400 inhabitants), about 170 km south of Lisbon. Tasting for a moment the quietness and the simply life of a tiny village overlooking the ocean Atlantic it was something I really enjoyed, despite I was hung-up with the same question: “Why in Portugal as much as in Greece (the two extremes countries of Europe) houses are painted with the same awesome combination of the same two colors, white and blue?
















Boats; there are boats everywhere in Portugal, and I love them. I am practically obsessed with boats, vessels, caravels, frigates etc.


Well, if you like boats and /or surfing, Ericeira is the place for you. Ericeira (map and pictures below) is a fishing town about 35 km north-west of Lisbon. The main beach is the Ribeira d'Ilhas Beach, which routinely hosts the ASP World Tour Surf Championship and is widely-regarded as one of the best beaches in Europe for the practice of this sport. The pictures speak by themselves:-) ( The whiskered guy on the picture is not a bad guy :-P He’s David. )

Ericeira tourist website: http://www.ericeira.net/index.php





















Yesterday we spent the day at Setùbal beach ( Below ). Setùbal is actually one of the best options if you are in Lisbon but don’t own a car. I didn’t take the bath yesterday, the water was too cold for me; Nevertheless, I must admit, the place is very nice, inspiring. I definitely enjoyed it. The water is blue, turquoise blue, sky-blue. The peculiarity is a narrow strip of beach that extends from the ground and forwards for a few hundred meters into the ocean. This strip of beach is regularly concealed and revealed by high or low tide. Colors were yesterday very singular, especially the sun's reflection on water. At the end of that tiny peninsula made of sand, a group of sea ducks looked at us suspiciously.:-) We didn’t disturb them.