Starting the day a bit later after a good lie-in, Colin takes us for a guided tour of Ericeira. This is a beautiful coastal town that originally was based around a fishing village but is now a full-on surfers’ paradise. Think Sandbanks with surfers. It is only 5km away from Colin’s home and he chats to a number of the local business owners whilst guiding us round the town. Of course it is the height of the season, so Ericeira is very busy, but as there are so many restaurants and cafes we soon find ourselves in front of the obligatory coffees and Pasteis de Nata.
A great start to the day, we say our goodbyes to Colin and set out for the capital city of Lisbon. The chat in the van en route is still about CasaBo. What are we going to build where, what are we going to need to do, what the next baby step is. The priorities go like this: power, water, toilet, shower, but maybe not in that order.
Kimberley has booked a nice hotel in Lisbon. The TURIM Boulevard on Ave da Libertade. We have both changed so much since we first met in many ways including our relationship with money. Kimberley’s taught me how to manage it well and I’ve taught her how to enjoy and deserve it which means that she will now splurge occasionally on something extravagant to expand our experience of life.
The hotel is super smart and probably hasn’t had a campervan pull up to its front door before. Part of the reason we booked this hotel was it had parking for TUT, and we emailed in advance to check they knew it was a van with a 2.1m height. However, upon arrival there is a problem. Their carpark has a height restriction of 2 metres but Tiego, the concierge, has already sorted this out in advance and the management have agreed for us to park immediately outside the front door of the hotel during our stay which happens to also be right next to the Rolex shop. Top man! Though I’m not sure Rolex would agree!
We go up to our room, which as you would expect is luxurious, and then we go off exploring the city. Today is going to be a 10,000-step kind of day. We wander down the main boulevard towards the port area and decide to have a burger at the Hard Rock Café just to be different.
Then, continuing to the port we haul ourselves up the steep climb to the cathedral and castle. The vibe of the city is reflective of the country, or maybe it is the other way round. Either way, for a capital city they have got the balance between pedestrian and traffic spot on for the tourist. I do know that for the inhabitants of the suburbs and beyond, getting into and out of Lisbon is difficult.
Long walk over, Kimberley fancies a coffee, but she has left it a little late as most of the cafes are shut so decides to have one at the hotel. This coffee at €4.00 is 2.5 times more expensive than any other coffee we have had on this trip but is still cheaper than most top hotels I have stayed in. In fact, our room, for the size, is half the price of an equivalent room at the London Hilton. Lisboa is one cool city and I heartily recommend coming to it for a stay.
And so, to bed with yet another interesting and varied day experienced. Our love for Portugal grows by the day. We know it is not perfect, but it feels right for us currently. This is becoming quite an adventure.