Portugal 2014: Day 7

The rains stopped and the morning of our seventh day in Portugal dawned clear and bright, which was good because we had outdoor activities planned for most of the day. Our first stop was the forest of Bucaco for some hiking. We saw the Bucaco Palace, now a hotel, from the outside.

And then we set off for our hike through the tranquil woods.  

In the early seventeenth century, the Bucaco Forest was settled by the Order of Barefoot Carmelites, who were in search of a quiet, removed spot to build a monastery. By 1630, a simple stone structure was in use.  

The Carmelites loved their forest so much that they received a papal bull that called for the excommunication of anyone cutting down even one tree. They planted exotic species and monks spend months at a time alone in the forest. 

Henry found a snail shell.

Many of the trails had trees down, so Gene and Pop did some exploring on their own. The boys got a bit goofy while waiting for their return.

The Fonte Fria.

After a morning of hiking, we went to Curia for lunch. The specialty of the region is suckling pig, and we chose Pedro dos Leitoes because it was written up in our guidebook and was easy to find.

With full bellies, we continued our drive to Ilhavo, where Pop's parents were born. After checking in to our hotel, we went straight to the Ilhavo Maritime Museum to meet with a former captain and family friend for a special guided tour. The museum is filled with boats, models, artwork, and even a small codfish aquarium.

The Captain commanded the Santa Maria Manuela, the tall ship that we saw in Lisbon, back when it was used to fish off the coasts of North America.

Salt!

Bacalhau

These are the luckiest codfish in all of Portugal.

For dinner, we headed to the beach area called the Costa Nova. We ate at the restaurant where Pop's parents had their wedding reception back in 1932! 

Henry decided that he was not a fan of fish on this trip, but he did love these tiny fried fish, which he, Will, and Gene ate, heads, tails, bones and all!

Gene's favorite meal of the trip was this pot of eels. He ate them first with his nana back in 80s.

Henry gamely tried the eels, but they weren't a favorite, so he switched to steak. Will loved them, though!

We finished dinner just in time to catch the sunset over the water. 

 

   

All was well and fun until a big wave came crashing onto shore, knocking Henry to his knees. The poor kid was soaked, and we took that as our cue to leave the Costa Nova.

What an unforgettable day!