Cabo da Roca . The views to the Atlantic from here are stunning. The cliff rises 144 meters in height above the cape. Expect strong winds when looking down from the cliff-top. You have to be very careful on windy and rainy days. Take care, it’s a long way down!!

A cross has been erected in this spot as a monument to celebrate the end of the European mainland, and the beginning of the Atlantic ocean. The cross basement bears the words of the famous Portuguese poet, Luís Vaz de Camões (1524-1580), born in Lisbon.

‘Aqui…
Onde a terra termina e o mar começa…
Ponta mais ocidental do continente europeu’

‘Here…
Where the land ends and the sea begins…
Westernmost point of the European continent’

View from Cabo da Roca on the fabulous beaches. On sunny days Meco Beach (Praia do Meco) can be seen. (ca. 45 km). The small house is still a remain of the long Moorisch occupation (700C - 1400C).

Cabo da Roca is at the end of a 30 mile stretch of the coast known as the Portuguese Riviera, 40 km from Lisbon. The Atlantic coast, which stretches to the north and west of Lisbon, is of surprising beauty: here the landscape swiftly changes from high, sweeping cliffs to beaches of white sand, backed by lagoons.

The construction of the lighthouse (farol) was completed in 1772. It is still active and staffed by a crew of three keepers. Lighthouses in Portugal are owned by the navy (Marinha de Portugal) and operated by the navy’s lighthouse directorate. Portugal has a long distinguished maritime history; the Portuguese first traveled out and around Africa, launching the European age of discovery 600 years ago.

Cabo da Roca’s church is being restored at the moment. According to construction workers apartments will be built in this church.

Beautiful tiles (azulejos) inside the church. The azulejo is a typical form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture. Azulejo comes from the Arabic word az-zulayj, meaning polished stone.

Wherever you go in Portugal, azulejos are to be found inside and outside cafes, churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even ceilings, train- or subway stations. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

During our stay in Meco village we ate in several restaurants in the previous days. Our favorite: Restaurant/bar ”Tropical do Meco”. At night the weather is turning a bit colder in this time of the year (end of September and close to the Atlantic!), so we enjoyed our dinner at the veranda (smoking allowed).

Restaurant’s specialties (especialidades): Mexilhões de cebolada (Mussels prepared with onions) ; Caldeirada de Peixe-espada com amêijoa (a fishstew of scabbard fish and small clams); Filetes de Peixe-espada preto fritos com arroz de tomate (Fried black scabbard fish fillets with tomato rice).

Our choice: Espetada Tamboril Camarao, € 12,50 and Picanha Carvao (Grilled Picanha, € 11,00) . The espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made of chunks of beef or fish rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers and left to grill over smouldering wood chips. Other meats including pork and chouriço are also commonly used, but there are also other types like those made from squid. It is literally named “sword”. The dish can be served on a skewer which hangs from a hook on a stand as it is presented.

Picanha (meat from Brazil) is generally considered to be the number one cut, even better than beef fillet. Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh) is much better than a steak, meltin-in-your mouth !

The restaurant service was really great, professional and friendly. ‘Tropical do Meco’ owners Hugo, Sergio (brothers) and their mother Teresa. Besides being a great restaurant, Tropical de Meco is also thé place for the Meco beachcrowd for late night cocktails and other drinks (try a caipinrinha!). Especially high summer, the bar is a favourite hangout for Meco-visitors to end the night with a drink or two or more.

We also got invited to a tour of the kitchen: Teresa, Isabel, Gladys, Clarice and Niso.

To accompany our food we enjoyed a bottle of Montado white wine from the Alentejo region (€ 5,50), a superb choice! While drinking our coffees a glass of a delicious liqueur was offered by the restaurant: ‘Moscatel Roxo’, a liqueurous wine from the Setúbal Peninsula.

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’, Rua do Comércio 28, Aldeia do Meco, Sesimbra, Setúbal. Phone 212 683398, mail tropicaldomeco@hotmail.com. Closed Tuesday.

In the big garden behind the house you have a lot of privacy. Price per cottage (for 2 persons) € 35 per night. July and August € 45 per night, linen and towels included. 

Maria José and Nuno Nunes Botas with baby Marianna.  Rua da Fonte 14, Fetais, Aldeia do Meco. Call 00351 964454832/963200468 or mail maria.botas1@gmail.com. A few rooms are for rent in their house for the same prices as mentioned above.

Aldeio do Meco is a small rural village, about 1 km away from the fabulous and famous sandy beaches and ca. 40 km from Lisbon. More info on this site. In Meco village you can find a few trendy bars (try a caiparinha!) and a number of restaurants offering the best local gastronomy, in particular seafood and fish dishes. If you like grilling by yourself there’s a big BBQ in the garden.

The nearby village of Alfarim has a small local farmers market at the weekend which sells a variety of fresh vegetables from the region. Public bus service from Alfarim to the beach is available .

Kitchen in our cottage and our lovely, cute little friend Simba.

Costa da Caparica beach in summertime. The boulevard of the village itself is undergoing major reconstruction. A huge boardwalk is being built, where half of Lisbon is parading on a warm summer day.

Take the little train (in season) at the end of the boardwalk (€ 5 return) and it will take you 8 kilometres south to the quiet stretches of sand. The train has 21 stops (the first three are under the new boardwalk now, so it starts at stop (paragem) number 4 (September 2008).

The best ones are Morena and Sereia, surrounded by dunes and with good bars. At almost every stop there’s a beachclub and the further south you go, the more you have the place to yourself.

The ‘Trans-Praia’ train.

Stop (paragem) 19, also known as Beach 19 or Praia de Bela Vista,  is where the nudist beach starts, also world famous for being Portugal’s most popular gay beach.

As everywhere in the world: where the nudist beach ends, the gay cruising begins and this is the largest in Portugal. In the vast bushes behind the railway track, guys from all over Europe and beyond, meet for some fun and relaxation.

Beach 19, September 2008

From Lisbon to Costa da Caparica: by car, go South to Caparica and south again all the way to the last access to the beaches. When the road goes uphill, you have just passed the access you want to go! Go past Praia do Rei until the parking at the end of the dust road. Upon Bela Vista, walk south, to the left of the restaurant. It’s some 2 miles of white sand beach and dunes! A taxi will take you there from downtown Lisbon for a little over € 20.

By bus: from Praça de Espanha take bus 153 to Costa de Caparica busstation. Walk five minutes south along the boulevard and you’ll see the little train, that leaves every half hour (until end of September). The 161 bus from Praca de Areeiro will also take you to Caparica. An alternative route includes a mini-cruise on the ferry from Cais do Sodré across the river to Cacilhas. Get on bus 138 (directo) to Costa da Caparica (bus 124 via Almada will provide you with a long detour past 1960 highrise architecture, that’s better avoided).

By train: cross the Tagus river to Pragal railway station and take bus 196 to Caparica. The train may be a good alternative on weekends, it’ll help you avoid the traffic jams on the 25th of April Bridge.

Fonte da Telha

At stop (paragem) 21 at the end of the line where the train turns, there’s the village of Fonte da Telha (’Fountain of the roof’). This little fishermen’s village is perfect for that holiday feeling. This is the real Portugal, with some trendy beach cafés added to it. Fonta da Telha can also be reached by bus from Cacilhas harbour. Beach 19 is just a short walk from the centre of Fonte da Telha. A taxi there from Lisbon will put you back a little over € 25.

Even further south, about 10 kilometres from Fonte da Telha: Meco Beach, a real mecca for nudists & surfers

The beach of Meco got famous in the 70s as one of the first nudist beaches.  Website Young Naturists.  At the beach, facing the ocean, on the left side is a high dune from where onwards start the naturist area, opposing to the right side, where the beach amenities are situated, frequented by families.

Protected by a high cliff, with small springs (drinking water) and excellent green mud for skin treatments, which is a common sight.

Beach restaurant ”Bar do Peixe (Fish)”, an excellent bar/restaurant with a chill out area (closed Tuesdays). Traditional Portugese meals. Our choice for lunch: Salada Russa con gambas (Russian salad with shrimps) € 7.50, Salada Atum (Salad with tunny) € 7.50, a small bottle of white wine (vinho branco) € 3.80, agua (water) € 1.00. Rua Praia do Moinho de Baixo, Meco.

Fishermen with their nets, September 2008. The village lives mostly from the local tourists; when the season is over, people like to visit Meco because of the good restaurants and to walk on the beach.

If you travel by car: from Lisbon, take the A2 South Highway, then towards Sesimbra and after Fernão Ferro turn right to Alfarim, and right again to the beaches (”Praias”). Meco Beach has several paid parking lots. Once agricultural fields, nowadays transformed into car parking lots during summer time, as it is much more profitable for the local families. This friendly lady will take care of your car for the whole day: € 1,00. Closer to the beach the price is € 1,50 per day.

Public transport: from Lisbon this beach is not the best to be reached. You’ll need to catch the bus to Sesimbra from Praça da Espanha bus terminal in Lisbon and get off at Santana. Several buses run to Meco on a regular basis. Don’t forget to ask for a timetable to go back to Lisbon.

Meco Beach: excellent for activities such as surf, parapente, fishing or windsurf. On windy days the sea can be quite rough.

Mouraria, Calçada de Santo André. This ‘Bairro‘ (neighborhood) is a maze of little, narrow streets, situated between Graça, Alfama and Costa de Castelo, given it’s name by the first Portugese king, Dom Afonso Henriques (1109 - 1185) , after Lisbon was taken over again by the (Christian) Portugese army from the Moorish overlords. The Moors however kept on living in the city after the conquist and gathered in this area. (Three bedroom apartment with patio in Mouraria)

It is said that the melancholic sounds of the music and singing of the Moorish people was at the base of Fado (meaning fate) music, often described as the Portuguese blues. Its passionate songs overflow with saudade ( yearning), with sorrowful themes like despair, loss, betrayal, jealousy and unrequited love. The little streets of Mouraria are full of typical small grocery stores, old bars (some Fado taverns) and cheap traditional restaurants. More history of Fado (and the sad story of the legendary fadista Maria Severa (1820 - 1846) on this website.

Picture: Jef Aerosol. Stencilled paste-up of Amalia Rodrigues, Beco dos Cortumes, Alfama, Lisbon, August 22nd 2007 

Amália Rodrigues, Rainha do Fado (‘queen of Fado’) was born near Mouraria on Rua Martim Faz in 1920. She was a genius and worldwide famous Fado singer and lived for many years on Rua de Sao Bento 193. Nowadays her house is a museum, it’s just like she’s still living there…  Casa Amalia Rodrigues ; 30 minutes guided tours from Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00-18:00. Metro: Rato. http://amalia.no.sapo.pt/casamuseu.htm.

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=QsgVb4swGfg, Amália Rodrigues, live in Lisbon singing a very famous song: Ai, Mouraria (Oh Mouraria), da velha Rua da Palma (near the old street ‘Rua da Palma’), onde eu um dia (where one day), deixei presa a minha alma (my soul became a prisoner)…

On October 6, 1999, Amália Rodrigues died at the age of 79 in her home in Lisbon. Portugal’s government promptly declared a period of national mourning. She is now buried at the National Pantheon alongside other Portuguese notables.

‘Discoteca Amalia’ Rua Aurea 274, a shop specialized in traditional Fado music. Very friendly and professional staff.

Amália Rodrigues casa http://amalia.no.sapo.pt/casamuseu.htm.

For those interested in knowing more about fado music style: the Fado Museum is located in front of Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (the historic Alfama neighborhood) including a permanent exhibition, a temporary exhibition area, a documentation centre, a store, a small auditorium, a school, and a restaurant/coffee-shop. The website includes a Fado Guide of Lisbon and recommended Lisbon Fado houses.
Open from 10:00 am - 18:00 (closed on Mondays)

‘Lisbon Calling’ Hostel, living area. Buffet breakfast is included in the
overnight stay, wireless internet connection and cable TV are free of
charge.

The hostel is composed of tailor-made wooden bunk beds and raised sleeping platforms.

The kitchen: bring your own recipes!

Hostel ‘Lisbon Calling’ Rua São Paulo, 126 - 3 D
phone: 00351 21 33 23 81
info@lisboncalling.net
http://lisboncalling.net/index.html

It also brings a lot of fun! The universitary students follow a special dress code.

Drinking Ginjinja near the tiny Ginja bar on Largo de São Domingos, Ginjinha is a liqueur made of a cherry-like berry called (not surprisingly) ‘Ginja’. The berries are fermented into a brandy that’s slightly bitter, slightly sweet and very sticky. You can order a ‘Ginja’ for little money and with or without a cherry in it. The taste of a Ginjinha is one you won’t forget!

A beautiful dress code!  Mouraria, Largo do Terreirinho

Starting a new academic year with rituals, traditions and ceremonies.

Largo de São Domingos: ‘Lisbon, City of Tolerance’. What you’ll find here is a real Portuguese atmosphere: a variety of little shops, a typical Portuguese restaurant, a ginjinha café and a delicious Charcutaria (deli-shop).

Charcutaria Tábuas, Rua Barros Queiróz 45-51, selling Portuguese hams (presunto), sausages, smelly Portugese cheeses, fresh herbs, spices and bounties of tropical fruit and vegetables.

Presunto is the name given to dry-cured Portuguese ham similar to Spanish jamón. There are a wide variety of presuntos in Portugal; among the most famous are Presunto from Chaves, produced in the north of Portugal, and Presunto from Alentejo, in the south, made from local Alentejano pig.

Ginjinha cafe Rubi, Rua Barros Queiróz 27. Ginjinha is a liqueur made of a cherry-like berry called (not surprisingly) Ginja. The berries are fermented into a brandy that’s slightly bitter, slightly sweet and very sticky. You can order a ‘Ginja’ for little money and with or without a cherry in it. Small one: euro 0,45, big one: 0,75. The taste of a Ginjinha is one you won’t forget!

‘Cafe Rubi’ inside, beautiful tiles (azulejos)! The azulejo is a typical form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture. Azulejo comes from the Arabic word az-zulayj, meaning polished stone.

Wherever you go in Portugal, azulejos are to be found inside and outside cafes, churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even ceilings, train- or subway stations. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

Grande Big Bazar, Rua Barroz Queiróz # 13

What an amazing dress!

Market ‘A Feira da Ladra’ (Lisbon’s flea market). Alberto Gourgel and his old-fashioned suitcases decorated with original Portuguese magazines. This famous market is held every Tuesday and Saturday from dawn to dusk.

”The last six years, I’m in to ‘vintage’, and I’m fascinated with the beautiful 20th Century Portuguese ‘vogue’ magazines. It’s not easy finding them, sometimes I’m lucky in a small museum or in very old bookshops”.

Alberto Gourgel: ‘The vernis is made by hand, an ancient procedure. It takes a lot of time because it’s very important to keep the original colours”. Besides Alberto decorates posters, walls, doors and room separators.

Flea market “Feira da Ladra”is visited by lots of tourists from all over the world. The market in Alfama dates back around 800 years, though it may have been named ‘Feira da Ladra’ as late as the 17th century. More information on this website

Alberto’s work is also for sale in some antique shops in Lisbon and in loja (shop) ‘A Vida Portuguesa’. Owner is Catarina Portas. She has a passion for Portuguese identity, and everyday Catarina brings objects of the past back to life to inhabit modern-day homes.

‘A Vida Portuguesa’, Rua Anchieta 11, Chiado Lisbon