October 31, 2018

Portinho da Arrábida

Location: Azeitao

Summertime Happiness

Post-wedding, we turned a 3-hour journey from Lisbon to Porto into a one-week family road trip, stopping by Azeitao, Obidos, Mealhada & Coimbra.

The first day of our itinerary was to Serra da Arrábida, Azeitao, which unexpectedly became my favorite memory to look back now & surely, for as long as I live. Hitting the road felt GREAT, as it signified transforming paper plans into reality. Not just any reality, but one where we were responsible for creating memorable experiences for 9 first-timers in Portugal.

Our carefree lunch of grilled fish & seafood freshly caught from the sea we were overlooking at Restaurante Farol Arrábida was heightened by the addition of É’s genial family. The sight was surely a rare one for every other eyeball & even me to see. After lunch, we captured some photos to preserve such special moments before taking the return buggy ride uphill.

Next stop was to Jose Maria Da Froncesa for Periquita wine tasting (renowned for being Portugal’s first ever bottled red!). Opposite the winery establishment, we sampled the award-winning goat cheese where we converted my anti-cheese cousin into a cheese lover (yay). For dinner, we went to O Fuso, famous for their grilled bacalhau, with 70% full stomachs – the worst best decision made that unforgettable summery day.