Hochmuth Adventures 2020 - PAIR - Portugal, Alaska, Ireland and the Rhine: Trip to Portugal - Day 7 - Sunday, January 19, 2020

I have to say something about driving in Portugal. We have done very well with google maps and I think we only rerouted once. The roads we've been on so far have been good and well marked but we haven't had to do much city driving. All that being said, these people love roundabouts. I have never seen so many before in my life than I've seen here this week. I previewed today's route to Sagres and there are 54 traffic circles on our trip of 91 km. Crazy!

Today in contrast to yesterday, it was bright and sunny as we headed off to Sagres, a desolate point at the end of Portugal or the end of the world as they say. Despite the beautiful sun I had on 4 layers and a scarf on my head since it was really windy there. I suspect it always is with its location. Reminds me of Maine. The trip was about an hour and twenty minutes and our first stop was the Fort of Sagres. It was an impressive sight and you could see why this was the perfect vantage point for a fort. We walked the entire grounds and saw the batteries, a church, caves, mammoth cliffs, the sentry lookout and the powder magazine. There were all kinds of warnings to keep off of the cliffs but there were numerous fishermen still fishing from the sides of the cliffs. You had to wonder just how they got there. Next it was on to Faro de Sao Vincente. It was only a short drive away and you really could only look at the lighthouse so we didn't stay too long. We then went to Mareta Beach to admire another picturesque Portuguese panorama. There was a nice restaurant on the beach but a local had given us the name of another restaurant that he thought was better so we just stopped in for a glass of white wine at Telheiro do Infante. They say Sagres is known for its white wine. Following the young man's suggestion we ate at Carlos' restaurant. Ron wanted to try the chicken piri piri that we had been hearing about and I followed the recommendations of an expat couple who raved about the cuttlefish with beans. Both were excellent but after seeing what a cuttlefish looks like it's lucky I ate it before I googled it. It is not a fish but a mollusk and looks scary and prehistoric but as I said it tasted great. It was an easy drive home. Let's hope we do as well tomorrow driving to Lisbon. Too full to eat dinner. We will read and call it an early night.