Day 11 to Sagres

We left Lisbon in the early morning traffic. In Portugal that is 10am. Just south of Lisbon there is a peninsula that stretches out to the west into the ocean. There are 5000 foot high mountains. There are really no towns of any size. We drove out along the edge of the water. It was like the Big Sur coast. There were sheer cliffs  and we would wind up the mountain and then down to the water again. It was a great road and no traffic. Coming back east we followed the upper road that followed the ridge, again with many curves. We had views of the ocean to the south and all the way to Lisbon on the north.

We had the choice going south to take the expressway or smaller roads that went through the towns. Some places we had little choice as the small towns were full of traffic and stops. This time we chose the small road; it was a delight. The tolls on the expressway are about 25 cents a mile so we try to avoid them. On the back road the towns were spread out, there was no traffic and they went through some of the nicest countryside we have seen. It was all farm country with pretty little villages. As we got closer to the south shore of Portugal we started seeing more palm trees.

We drove west along the south shore. The coast is one town after another of beach towns. We stopped at one that still had some of the old charm with narrow streets and old buildings and went for a walk. We like to stop at the small grocery stores and get drinks, fruit and cookies to eat in the car.

Our hotel is out on the very southwest tip of Portugal and of Europe. It is called the End of the Earth. It is rather a barren but beautiful place. It was just at sunset when we arrived. We could look out over the sea, the New World was out there somewhere. We imagined what the Portuguese and Spanish explorers must have thought when they sailed away from the mainland not knowing what was out there.

Our Pousada is a not in a real old building. It was originally a two story country house. It is by itself out toward the sea. It is a nice hotel.