Portugal – Perfect Place for a Gourmet Escape with an Olde World Touch
Portugal – proud and pretty – an amazing country with fabulous Ports, delicious local foods and cheeses and nowadays, good red and white wines too is a perfect place for a romantic gourmet tour, with a touch of olde world charm.
Not far from Lisbon – about an hour away – is the picturesque town of Obidos – which has changed little over the centuries. This old medieval town is surrounded by the castle wall, in length just about one mile! The little village of Obidos was given as a gift by the King to the Queen in the 13th century as a wedding present and is a veritable treasure chest of churches and palaces. Many consider Obidos to be one of the most beautiful villages in Portugal and walking around the narrow streets you will perhaps agree too! In the town square there is the church of Santa Maria, impressive and with an admirable collection of glazed tiles and paintings. Obidos is also famous for Ginjinha – a cherry liquor that you will taste from a little chocolate cup – it is delicious, but beware, it is dangerously strong!
A short way from Obidos is the Alcobaça Monastery or the Monastery of Santa Maria of Alcobaça, a medieval Monastery which was one of the first Gothic buildings in Portugal and contains also the monuments in memory of King D. Pedro I and D. Inês de Castro (characters of a true romantic Portuguese story from the 14th century, very similar to “Romeo and Juliet”). Just north of Alcobaça, is the Monastery of Batalha, the largest example in Portugal of the late Gothic Portuguese style which also contains Manuelino Art.
See these wonderful medieval treasures and taste port, wine, local foods and much, much more on a Gourmand Breaks Luxury Tour of Portugal.
