Our host at Ericeira, Mr. Jose was kind enough to drop us off at Torres Vedres railway station. From there we took the train to Obidos. It took just 50 min.
I had traveled extensively by trains, but this train journey was unique. To start with the train had only two bogies, other than the engine. Never traveled by such a small / short train. Next, it was a very short stop; and the train left the station right away. The station was a quaint little building, not more than two rooms.
The railway station was closed, with a lock on the door. That meant there was no one to ask the directions. No transport outside the station; nothing. It was totally quiet ....
We were in a dilemma. Where to go, in fact how to go from there to Obidos castle? The network signal was weak, so could not find our bearings either. We picked up our bags and started walking in the only direction the road lead. Came to an intersection and waited for human movement. Every 5 or 10 min, one car would pass by. Jo refused to ask for directions. We could see wall walls which looked like they might belong to the castle. The road bifurcated into two; one seemed to lead towards the castle. Jo elected to walk in the direction of the castle.The issue was that this road was totally uphill. Either made was for automobiles or as a short cut to reach the top, meaning they did not bother if it was steep!! Imagine my mood as I had to lug two bags and climb the hill after a train journey! Not pretty at all. What was strange was that we did not come across any tourists, travelers on this road, as we kept climbing and some more climbing. Finally reached the North gate or Porte da Notre-Dame de Grace. Happy to know that we were on the right track! The railway station is locted on the North western side of Obidos, meaning, behind the castle. No wonder we were totally lost!
The walled city or the city inside the walls supposedly established around the beginning of the 6th century, has labyrinth of cobble stone paved alleys and paths. the main street has tourist shops and cafes lining it on either side. There is a whole town inside the castle walls; people are living there.
The quaint entrance doors, windows, the awnings, brightly painted walls, the flower pots hung from the walls, add to the charm and tranquility to the town of Obidos. It is postcard picturesque.
Since the town is perched on top of the hill, the streets are all up and down; make for interesting architecture....
Santa Maria church on the square
Traditional and medieval buildings with interesting roofs sprinkled all over the town
It was season for ripe lemons. All the trees were bursting with hundreds of them.
We loved walking around the town, taking in the views, appreciating the architecture.
In the front yard of this house, the tables had old sewing machine stands for legs! Recycle, reuse!
No comments:
Post a Comment