{"id":1839,"date":"2023-12-20T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T15:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/?p=1839"},"modified":"2024-05-09T15:44:06","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T15:44:06","slug":"excursion-to-obidos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/2023\/12\/20\/excursion-to-obidos\/","title":{"rendered":"Excursion to \u00d3bidos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u00d3bidos is a famous Medieval village on top of a hill. Its wall encircles the hilltop with its castle at the highest point. It is near the coast of central Portugal, inland from Peniche. You can get there in about an hour by car and two hours by train north of Lisboa. In 2023, before our trip back to the United States for Christmas, we made a 3-day trip to \u00d3bidos.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Photos of \u00d3bidos<\/h4>\n\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#foogallery-gallery-2322 .fg-image { width: 200px; }<\/style>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"foogallery foogallery-container foogallery-carousel foogallery-lightbox-foogallery fg-carousel fg-ready fg-light fg-border-thin fg-shadow-outline fg-loading-default fg-loaded-fade-in fg-caption-hover fg-hover-fade fg-hover-zoom\" id=\"foogallery-gallery-2322\" data-foogallery=\"{&quot;item&quot;:{&quot;showCaptionTitle&quot;:true,&quot;showCaptionDescription&quot;:true},&quot;lazy&quot;:true,&quot;state&quot;:{&quot;enabled&quot;:true,&quot;mask&quot;:&quot;foogallery-{id}&quot;},&quot;template&quot;:{&quot;maxItems&quot;:5,&quot;scale&quot;:0.12,&quot;gutter&quot;:{&quot;min&quot;:-40,&quot;max&quot;:-20,&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;},&quot;autoplay&quot;:{&quot;time&quot;:0,&quot;interaction&quot;:&quot;pause&quot;},&quot;centerOnClick&quot;:true}}\" data-foogallery-lightbox=\"{&quot;thumbs&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;thumbsCaptions&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsBestFit&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsSmall&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsCaptionsAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;info&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;infoVisible&quot;:true,&quot;infoOverlay&quot;:true,&quot;infoAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;hoverButtons&quot;:false,&quot;fitMedia&quot;:false,&quot;noScrollbars&quot;:true,&quot;preserveButtonSpace&quot;:true,&quot;buttons&quot;:{&quot;fullscreen&quot;:true,&quot;info&quot;:true,&quot;thumbs&quot;:false},&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;autoPlay&quot;:true}}\" style=\"--fg-title-line-clamp: 0; --fg-description-line-clamp: 0;\" >\n\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"fg-carousel-prev\" title=\"Previous\"><\/button>\n\t<div class=\"fg-carousel-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"fg-carousel-center\"><\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-120218_PXL_20231214_120218197.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Our rideshare car from the train station was a Tesla.\" data-attachment-id=\"2263\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Our rideshare car from the train station was a Tesla.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-120218_PXL_20231214_120218197\/1307259037.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Our rideshare car from the train station was a Tesla.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155551__D7A1514.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"View of the castle from the wall on the other end of the village.\" data-attachment-id=\"2292\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"View of the castle from the wall on the other end of the village.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155551__D7A1514\/791629005.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">View of the castle from the wall on the other end of the village.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155440__D7A1512.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"View of the castle and the castellated walls of \u00d3bidos from the other end of the village.\" data-attachment-id=\"2290\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"View of the castle and the castellated walls of \u00d3bidos from the other end of the village.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155440__D7A1512\/2478868377.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">View of the castle and the castellated walls of \u00d3bidos from the other end of the village.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-130107__D7A1465.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Igreja de Santa Maria, the main church of \u00d3bidos.\" data-attachment-id=\"2265\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Igreja de Santa Maria, the main church of \u00d3bidos.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-130107__D7A1465\/3711481359.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Igreja de Santa Maria, the main church of \u00d3bidos.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144525__D7A1478-Enhanced-NR.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"S\u00e3o Pedro Church.\" data-attachment-id=\"2284\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"S\u00e3o Pedro Church.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144525__D7A1478-Enhanced-NR\/3670401377.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">S\u00e3o Pedro Church.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-191916__D7A1556-Enhanced-NR.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Christmas decoration outside the main gate\" data-attachment-id=\"2312\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Christmas decoration outside the main gate\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-191916__D7A1556-Enhanced-NR\/2829965514.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Christmas decoration outside the main gate<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185117__D7A1542.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"The main street inside the walled village.\" data-attachment-id=\"2304\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The main street inside the walled village.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185117__D7A1542\/3154617380.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">The main street inside the walled village.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184952__D7A1540.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Decorated shops on the main street.\" data-attachment-id=\"2299\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Decorated shops on the main street.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184952__D7A1540\/1967696437.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Decorated shops on the main street.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184232__D7A1532-Edit.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Musicians were playing inside the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel Bacalhau.\" data-attachment-id=\"2298\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Musicians were playing inside the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel Bacalhau.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184232__D7A1532-Edit\/3179948956.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Musicians were playing inside the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel Bacalhau.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184125__D7A1531-Enhanced-NR.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos_20231214-184125__D7A1531-Enhanced-NR\" data-caption-desc=\"Ginginha, a cherry liqueur, is a special Christmas drink, as well as summer and other times too.\" data-attachment-id=\"2296\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ginginha, a cherry liqueur, is a special Christmas drink, as well as summer and other times too.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-184125__D7A1531-Enhanced-NR\/3578193640.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos_20231214-184125__D7A1531-Enhanced-NR<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Ginginha, a cherry liqueur, is a special Christmas drink, as well as summer and other times too.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-151939__D7A1491.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"The Christmas decorations at the entrance, by day.\" data-attachment-id=\"2287\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Christmas decorations at the entrance, by day.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-151939__D7A1491\/1714447108.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">The Christmas decorations at the entrance, by day.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-154002__D7A1500-Pano.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Christmas lights hanging from the wall in a panorama photo.\" data-attachment-id=\"2281\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Christmas lights hanging from the wall in a panorama photo.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-154002__D7A1500-Pano\/3136016742.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Christmas lights hanging from the wall in a panorama photo.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-125141__D7A1460.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Go up the stairs and beyond the wall to get to the Christmas village.\" data-attachment-id=\"2264\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Go up the stairs and beyond the wall to get to the Christmas village.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-125141__D7A1460\/40310608.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Go up the stairs and beyond the wall to get to the Christmas village.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-161614__D7A1516.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Side street in the village - foot traffic only.\" data-attachment-id=\"2294\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Side street in the village - foot traffic only.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-161614__D7A1516\/2439174163.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Side street in the village &#8211; foot traffic only.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144241__D7A1475.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Pam in a flowery corner.\" data-attachment-id=\"2282\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Pam in a flowery corner.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144241__D7A1475\/3960463260.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Pam in a flowery corner.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155311__D7A1511.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"At the main gate, this covered area probably served to protect the entrance. Great acoustics for musicians!\" data-attachment-id=\"2289\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"At the main gate, this covered area probably served to protect the entrance. Great acoustics for musicians!\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-155311__D7A1511\/3613903118.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">At the main gate, this covered area probably served to protect the entrance. Great acoustics for musicians!<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-153508__D7A1495-Pano-2.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"The entry gate, with an upper tier of beautiful tile, looking like a beautiful chapel. (A vertical panorama)\" data-attachment-id=\"2280\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The entry gate, with an upper tier of beautiful tile, looking like a beautiful chapel. (A vertical panorama)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-153508__D7A1495-Pano-2\/1486660733.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">The entry gate, with an upper tier of beautiful tile, looking like a beautiful chapel. (A vertical panorama)<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-133023_PXL_20231214_133023629.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Yum, lunch!\" data-attachment-id=\"2266\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Yum, lunch!\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-133023_PXL_20231214_133023629\/3019143922.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Yum, lunch!<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185034__D7A1541.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Nutcrackers in a shop.\" data-attachment-id=\"2301\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Nutcrackers in a shop.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185034__D7A1541\/1812657983.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Nutcrackers in a shop.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-150624__D7A1487.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Ceramic animal figures available for sale.\" data-attachment-id=\"2286\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ceramic animal figures available for sale.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-150624__D7A1487\/3812841999.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Ceramic animal figures available for sale.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185239__D7A1543.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"Obidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Folk art in a shop\" data-attachment-id=\"2310\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Folk art in a shop\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-185239__D7A1543\/198561052.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Obidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Folk art in a shop<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-145826__D7A1483.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"More ceramic animals.\" data-attachment-id=\"2285\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"More ceramic animals.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-145826__D7A1483\/3657245368.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">More ceramic animals.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-152622__D7A1492.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Nativity figures in a folk-art style.\" data-attachment-id=\"2279\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Nativity figures in a folk-art style.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-152622__D7A1492\/3013051381.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Nativity figures in a folk-art style.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144313__D7A1476-Edit.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Shops near the entrance gate.\" data-attachment-id=\"2283\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Shops near the entrance gate.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-144313__D7A1476-Edit\/2731696010.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Shops near the entrance gate.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-140922__D7A1471.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Shopping street. More and more popular as the weekend approached.\" data-attachment-id=\"2267\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Shopping street. More and more popular as the weekend approached.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-140922__D7A1471\/446926669.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Shopping street. More and more popular as the weekend approached.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-183823__D7A1528-Enhanced-NR.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"\u00d3bidos\" data-caption-desc=\"Light show on the walls of the castle and the church-turned-bookstore.\" data-attachment-id=\"2295\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Light show on the walls of the castle and the church-turned-bookstore.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2024\/05\/Obidos_20231214-183823__D7A1528-Enhanced-NR\/3801412800.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22200%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20200%20200%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">\u00d3bidos<\/div><div class=\"fg-caption-desc\">Light show on the walls of the castle and the church-turned-bookstore.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"fg-carousel-bottom\"><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"fg-carousel-progress\"><\/div>\n\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"fg-carousel-next\" title=\"Next\"><\/button>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14 December 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We got ourselves out of the house at 9am to get the bus at the Sete Rios station in Lisboa. We took the Rede Expressos bus to Caldas da Rainha. It was direct and took 1 hour and 10 minutes. I enjoyed seeing the green countryside in December, much greener than in mid-summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Caldas, we got a Bolt to take us to \u00d3bidos, about 7km away. Our driver was driving a Tesla Model 3, which was a new twist on the ride-sharing experience. The displays reminded us of our Kia Niro, which we had really liked driving in Massachusetts. We talked cars and with the driver for the 10-minute ride. He also told us about the scenic estuary, Lagoa de \u00d3bidos, that was 10km west of us on the coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cars are mostly restricted from inside the medieval walls, and one of the main car gates behind the castle was closed because that was the site of the Christmas festival. Our driver brought us to the lower end of town, near the local bus stop. This was perfect, because the best way to experience the town was to walk in past all the shops and food stalls. There was even a group of young people exhibiting birds of prey. You could pay for a chance hold a bird on your wrist. They were very friendly even though we didn\u2019t buy. The girl we talked with was an enthusiastic naturalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main street is shops and restaurants with streetside tables and lots of ginginha stalls. Ginginha is a liqueur made from cherries. Many sellers make it themselves and there are subtle varieties of flavors. On the street, it\u2019s often served in chocolate cups. We bought two bottles of a friendly lady\u2019s peppery holiday version. We bought the chocolate cups too, so we could bring it to a holiday party back in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had reservations to stay at the castle &#8211; how fun is that! The castle, with its square and round towers, is at the top of the hill. One side of the castle is part of the wall. Pousada do Castelo has guest rooms in the castle as well as in another building just below. I hadn\u2019t realized that we didn\u2019t have a castle room, but we were upgraded, to our pleasant surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The room itself was small and looked onto the castle courtyard. The hallway had slit windows that looked out from the wall onto farmland.\u00a0\u00a0The room itself was dark wood with wooden beams in the ceiling. Wooden shutters on the inside kept out the nighttime cold. Our room felt like a charming Tudor cabinet. There was a very nice restaurant serving breakfast and dinner on another side of the courtyard. The courtyard itself was a lovely garden with big old trees. Outside the castle too, by the hotel office, was a grassy terrace that overlooked the village. You could order coffee and other refreshments there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On our first day, we had lunch at Tasca Torta, recommended by the hotel clerk. We had sardines on cornbread, plump mussels in seafood broth, lombos of fish (was it robalo or dourado?), and chicken kebab. Lombo seems to mean a loin of any meat or fish. Maybe &#8220;lombo&#8221; means that the fish is deboned, too. (It\u2019s more typical to be served a whole grilled fish, head, tail, bones and all. It was nice not to have to navigate the bones.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We checked out the shops. Some were very crafty and others had the same type of souvenirs as everywhere else. The quality seemed better though. We particularly liked the cork products. We found an art gallery with drawings of libraries, both imagined and real. The artists were people of all ages, including kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We climbed some stone stairs beside the castle to get to the top of the wall. The view of the surrounding countryside was magnificent. I (Pam) didn\u2019t want to walk along the wall though. It was narrow, with no railing on the inside.&nbsp;&nbsp;It would be a bit anxiety-producing to have to pass people, with no railing or barrier on the inside edge. We had a great view from the wall, looking out between the teeth on the top of the wall (the merlons of the crenelated parapet \u2013 I just looked up these words in Wikipedia). The view was great with no need to walk further. The wall went around the town, but it also matched the contour of the hill, so walking the wall also meant descending the hill from the castle at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We found a dinner spot at Petrarum Domus on the main street, across from the Tasca Torta lunch spot. We ate light, sharing a goat cheese with honey and nuts for appetizer and a smoked salmon salad and a sobremesa (dessert) of chocolate mousse. We had a lively conversation in our dinner alcove with a mother and her children, and a couple from Connecticut who now live in Praia do Sol in the Algarve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back at the hotel we did some exercises and stretching, reading, email, and wrote the first draft of this diary. Then a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15 December 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So relaxed! We both slept late, all the way until 9am. Then, in another wing of the castle, we enjoyed the extensive breakfast, with options for eggs, and great pastries and fruit. They had fresh maracuj\u00e1 (passion fruit), which is a curious texture with a sour taste. I like the juice and the fruit is fun to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The morning is cold here in December, but by 10:30am it was comfortable. I needed to buy a cap with a brim, because it was too warm to wear my light winter hat. I chose a wild jungle-print baseball cap saying \u201cPortugal\u201d across the front. I like it a lot but will I be embarrassed to wear it later?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We visited a medieval church and old stone chapel with a modern sculpture. A man was raising a woman out of hellfire, or he was cursing her and preventing her from getting out of a hellscape. There was no plaque identifying the theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We found a store with some very nice cork items.\u00a0\u00a0We bought placemats, wallets, a visor, and a hat. We also bought ginginha and chocolate cups, after having a chance to try the friendly vendor&#8217;s three variations of the cherry liqueur.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had lunch at Avocado, a restaurant with natural and vegan options. We had black bean soup with coconut milk, a baked avocado covered in sesame seeds with bacon and toast, and a beetroot burger. We chatted with a couple from Canada on vacation and an English man who lived by the lagoon nearby and had a lot of fruit trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the later afternoon we got tickets for the Vila Natal, which was north of the castle, but within the wall. The theme was Harry Potter. There were live owls, as well as a train for kids, a skating rink, a zip line, and a tubing hill. There were, of course, various food vendors and a tent with a stage. We watched an enactment of a fairy tale, but we didn\u2019t understand the dialog. The fair was entertaining, but definitely mostly for kids. All day long, large groups of school children went up the hill to the Vila Natal. Other small groups of kids included parents and grandparents, and probably aunts and uncles. Very popular!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">16 December 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We woke up earlier that yesterday and went to look for birds along the wall. The west wall had a doorway and there were hiking paths along the outside of the wall, with plenty of tree cover. The hill was steep below the path. Along the path, there were picnic tables. In summer, people could find very pleasant shade at midday there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The breakfast had so many nice choices that I skipped my habitual yogurt and granola. We had scrambled eggs, beans, stewed mushrooms, pastries, fruit \u2013 delicious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had lunch at Alcaide, a traditional restaurant. Their dining room had a view out over the wall. We tried to eat light. We had vegetable and seafood crepes as appetizers. Then I had sopa alentejana, which was hunks of bread in a garlic broth with cilantro. David had a salad. For dessert, we shared Toucinho do C\u00e9u, a conventual dessert made with almonds, eggs, sugar, and almost no flour. The name means \u201cbacon from heaven\u201d. Some of the traditional recipes actually include bacon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We discovered we didn\u2019t need to go back to Caldas da Rainha to get a bus home. There was a bus stop right outside the wall that had a bus to Lisboa every hour. This bus company is&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/rodoviariadooeste.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rodovi\u00e1ria do Oeste<\/a>.&nbsp;Here&#8217;s a good web page about it: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.obidosportugaltourism.com\/guide\/how-to-go-from-lisbon-to-obidos-by-bus-train-or-car.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">BUS AND TRAIN TO \u00d3BIDOS FROM LISBON<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00d3bidos is a small town, and on Saturday it was getting even more crowded. It was a good plan to come on Thursday and leave on Saturday. Let the people who work all week have the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00d3bidos had plenty of international tourists too. We talked with several Canadian vacationers, and expats living in the Algarve, Aveiro, and near \u00d3bidos. We overheard lots of Americans too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00d3bidos is a famous Medieval village on top of a hill. Its wall encircles the hilltop with its castle at the highest point. It is near the coast of central Portugal, inland from Peniche. You &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-portugal-life-2023-2024","latest_post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1839"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2324,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions\/2324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transitorythoughts.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}