Vale de Canada

Having a car is such a treat for us. We'd never have seen this treasure otherwise. Bacalhoa is a huge company that owns multiple wineries across Portugal. Don't confuse it with the national dish, Bacalao. They're big and rich but the owner was pretty upset when the Taliban destroyed Buddhist temples in Afghanistan. So he built this amazing sculpture garden with not just giant Buddhas, but lots of other intersting statues, ponds, and art. There's even a re-creation of the Chinese terracotta soldiers for some reason. It's located just south of Obidos, so it was right on the way for us.

For $6, it's a steal. We loved it and spent a few hours walking over 2 miles to enjoy all of the outdoor art. There are at least 3 large ponds/lakes with walking bridges. There's a veritable zoo of animals done in metal, dozens of other African themed statues in stone, and the piece de resistance is a massive reclining Buddha not unlike the one I saw in the Thai Royal Palace in Bangkok years ago. We had the place practically to ourselves, even though the parking lot is huge and you can see they get loads of buses here.

On the way out, we noticed there was a buffet restaurant. We usually say no to those, but it was so convenient. The price was right and the food was delicious. As we drove off, it seemed as if the smiliing Buddha waved goodby. Next up, the walled city of Obidos.

More photos are here. https://photos.app.goo.gl/6z6SK4DZHKWKqLMGARead more