Nazare

As I said in a previous post, I spent some time in Nazare on Sunday. While once a dainty seaside town that was engrossed by the fishing and textile industries, I think the world has discovered Nazare’s natural beauty and come knocked down the door. It was by far the busiest of places that I have visited yet but that distinction could also be a byproduct of the weekend.

With strikingly long and sandy beaches and an even longer commercial viewing corridor, Nazare looks as I have always imagined the Boardwalk to have looked like. Everyone out, just to be out. Some sit on the beach but more occupy coffee and ice cream shops. Two people toss a frisbie for twenty minutes before heading to the ocean’s shore. I abandon my good senses and lie directly on the sand and am a coated with the remnants of past waves, rock, and sea shell, causing me to shine and sparkle in the sunlight. Among the amazingly homogenous kernels lay an occasional brilliantly blue clam, radiant like an opal. There were not many, and while I have no idea of this is actually true or not, I cannot help but feel that I have found the inspiration. The one. I’ve wondered since we began exploring Portugal what could have inspired such an obsession with blue paintings. Whether fictional or not, now I have an answer that satisfies me.

After soaking things up for a while, I packed my “tennies” and flip-flopped away. Nazare has one escalator (tram) that takes locals and visitors from the beach level a couple of hundred feet diagonally up to the city’s second half which is perched above. With the gorgeous ocean views, this area seems another haven for tourists and those wishing to sell to them. While I was expecting to see pottery, clothes, and other such little trinkets, I was not expecting to see nuts. Yes, nuts. Lots of them being sold by a glut of vendors. Haven’t seen nuts sold anywhere but Nazare on the street.

While I did gnaw on a few cashews, I snuck in a more an adventurous snack of mussels on my way back to the bus depot. I am not a seafood guy, but the crowds at this little restaurant were impressive, so after initially walking past in defeat, I turned around and sat down. In about 3 minutes, my order was out, and I was loving it. Yummy sauce, onions, and great toasted but soft bread were a great compliment to the natural freshness of the day’s catch.