Historic Places Part Two, March 14, 2023

 After going through the impressive Monastery in Alcobaca we headed to Obidos, a 14th century walled hill town.  The name Obidos, dates from ancient Roman times and translates to "walled town".  The town is now protected by the Portuguese government from modern development.  In 1282, king Dinis brought his bride here, she liked it so much he gave it to her.  Later Kings carried on the tradition-the perfect gift to give to a queen who has everything.  It has been preserved as a national monument since 1951 and survives solely on tourism.   

The 45-foot-high walls, built in the 14th century, surround Obidos with the castle ruins sitting on top of the hill. 

The entrance into the town is through the southern gate, Porta da Vila, whose interior is embellished with 18th century tiles.  Its a perfect place for buskers as there music echoes off the walls.  

                                Looking down at the town from the path at the top of the walls.

Coming down from the walls we headed for a narrow street called "restaurant row" as its filled with restaurants and cafes as it was way past lunch time.
 
We stopped at a tiny restaurant called Madok and sat at one of their outside tables.  We chose a selection of Portuguese tapas (mussels in orange sauce; mushroom, tomato and cheese bruschetta; cod fillet in a cream sauce with vegetables; ground pork and mashed potatoes; local cheeses and olives).  It was all so very tasty and ended up as our main meal of the day.
 
After our delicious lunch it was time to finish exploring this enchanting hill town.  One of the few squares in this hill town houses the Church of St. Mary of Obidos, one of 14 churches within the walls of this small town.  The bell tower and major renovations took place in the 1600's.

One of the many interesting streets inside this historic town

As you can imagine, there are many shops designed to attract the tourists.  Comur is a beautifully designed shop that specializes in Portuguese canned seafoods in attractively designed tins.  Rita purchased a couple of tins of sardines and octopus to take back to Canada. 



  

















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