Surfin' Portugal

Our first stop after Obidos on the way to Coimbra was Nazare, famous for the tallest waves ever surfed.  Several friends told me we had to go there, including surfers Dave Blondin and Gene Laporta.  Jamey Piland told me we had to watch the “100 Foot Wave,” but it’s only on HBO, so I gotta wait till it makes it to Netflix.

I didn’t have the heart to tell Dave and Gene that we were already planning to go.  Instead I noted “That’s a great idea” so they think they actually helped me with my trip planning!  I always welcome input.

We drove up to the top of the bluff and parked at the Belvedere in Sitio neighborhood of Nazare, where we walked part way to the lighthouse at the top of the cliffs.  It afforded us awesome views to the South and North of both the Nazare Beach and the famous North Beach (to help readers, the North Beach were the north views).

Editor: Wow, it’s amazing the way you condescend to your readers.  Writer, smugly: I do what I can.

The main beach of Nazare

The beach plus town.

The contemporary statute (2016) of

the deer head, surfer body, and surf

board is a clever homage to 

Nazare's history and present.

It's located high on the hill

above the beaches. Name: Veado.

Wind turbines are ubiquitous in this area.

The famed North Beach.

We didn’t go all the way to the lighthouse, because it is not what we think of when we talk about lighthouses.  This is no Maine beauty, standing tall and defiant.  It’s more short and squat.  There were no surfers on the north beach (waves were 10-14 feet), but a bunch on the main beach.

Alas, we didn’t see anyone selling percebes, but I think they are out of season.  Hard to take a trip to Portugal and not have any percebes; such is life.

Then we went into the Church of Our Lady of Nazare. Built in the late 16th century, It was near the site of the, until Fatima, the most important religious discovery in Portugal, a black Madonna that, legend has it, was brought to Nazare by the last Visigothic king in 714.

Hidden to protect it from the invading Moors, it was discovered when a local nobleman was hunting deer and nearly went over the cliff.  The Virgin Mary appeared in a vision and stopped him, whilst the deer plunged off the cliff.  When locals came to venerate where Mary had appeared, they found the Black Madonna hidden in the rocks.

A representation of Mary saving the

nobleman from plunging to his death.

I actually like the Veado statue more.

The altar

We then hit the road for Batalha.