Fatima, Batahla, Nazare & Obidos

Day 4-Fatima, Batahla, Nazare, & Obidos

Yesterday when touring with Claudio, we discussed one of his favorite day trips north of the city. His son Daniel was available, so why not-we’re in!Picking us up at 9, we headed an hour north to FATIMA, the site of the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by close to 100,000 people on October 13th, 1917. Apparently this was one of three major prophecies predicted by three shepherd children who were visited monthly by Mary from May 13-October 13, 1917. Being here on a Sunday, we witnessed the full power of this place from people overcome with emotion at the site of the Fatima statue, others crawling on their knees a football length on cement while reciting prayer, to a 3 hour long line to light candles for loved ones. A veritable must see for Catholics and a pilgrimage for most, this was definitely a site (sight) to see!

Next on to a site less traveled, BATAHLA for a traditional Portuguese lunch of stewed pork with cabbage and one of the most beautiful churches/abbeys I have ever seen. Built in 1385 in commemoration of a victory over the Crown of Castile, Portugal’s underdog victory was a “clear rejection of the idea of Iberian union and constituted a defining moment in the evolution of national consciousness.” Reminding me a lot of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the outside was clearly Gothic and ornate which laid juxtaposed to its simplistically beautiful interior. It too is partially unfinished. When mentioning the similarities, Daniel obviously did not like the comparison to its Spanish counterpart so I suspect this National rivalry exists still today!

Stopping next at NAZARE, we were about a month too early to see the massive 100 ft waves that draw surfers from all over the world. The geographic conditions that make waves that big are fascinating and the scenery was still spectacular!

Our last stop of the day, the medieval walled town of OBIDOS. A quick visit, we managed to get in some cobblestone street shopping and desserts as well as postcard worthy pictures of this traditional whitewashed town.

A doozy of a day trip, my favorite part of the day was 9 hours hearing about Portugal from a Portuguese young adult who spoke immaculate English. Close in age to our own kids, we talked nonstop about travel, politics, finances, schooling, religion, partying, medical care, insurance, future plans. . . it’s experiences like this that makes the world feel much smaller.Read more