Road Trip: ES/PT Day 10

On day 10 of last May's road trip, we awoke in Spain and took to bed in Portugal.

 

On our way west, we stopped in Alcántara (ES) to see the 16th century Conventual of San Benitoin

and a 2nd century six-arch granite Roman bridge (which has had to be restored many times over centuries of conflict).

Later that morning, we took an early lunch by the ~17th century Puente en el río Salor (ES), which was also constructed with cut granite.

Continuing southwest, we crossed back into Portugal and walked about a village officially named "Very Noble and Ever Loyal Town of Marvão" (PT).

Originally, the town was named after an indigenous rebel leader who adopted Islam and built the first castle on a quartzite cliff.

Renovations, by alternating rulers, continued more or less from the 10th to 20th centuries.

Although declining in population, the village of white, tile-roof houses on the hill is quite charming.

To this day, growth is constrained within the 13th century walls that surround it.

Continuing west, we only briefly stopped to view the 12th century Almourol Castle above the Tagus river, which proved to be a popular background for Gen Z selfies.

We then zipped toward the coast, stopping only to explore the charming town of Óbidos (PT) en route.

Inhabited by Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Muslims and Christians, it's been a  little downhill since a damaging earthquake in 1755. 

Once again, it was the Moorish conquerors who brought in massive stone to build up the already fortified settlement.  The Castelo de Óbidos we see today dates mostly to medieval times.

As is demonstrated by the imperfect perspective in the interior ceiling paintings.

 

Arriving on the west coast, we finally started to understand why Americans are wearing out their welcome.  The gated communities and golf courses literally fence off access to prime coastal real estate in the Praia do Rei Cortiço (PT) (which they insolently call "Praia de Rey").

At the end of a depressingly long fenced corridor

we came to the coastal dunes smothered in the cute but invasive Hottentot-fig (native to South Africa)

on the limestone cliffs above the surprisingly deserted smooth sandy beach.

Our final stop was Peniche (PT), protected since the 16th century by a massive fortress (which fortunately for us was restored just last year).

Staying nearby on this peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean,

we rounded out our day enjoying the (okay, invasive) flowers amidst the dramatic Jurassic limestone formations

and watching Atlantic waves roll eastwards for a change.

And thus ended T-2!