Monday 8th June 2009
After a lazy morning just sitting around reading (and searching for ever-elusive wi fi networks!) we headed off to Obidos.
A wonderful, picture-postcard walled town another 30 mins north of where we are, Obidos is full of white-washed, red tiled buildings. It is obviously a very touristy town, but was very quiet since it’s Monday - I’d imagine it gets quite packed at weekends since it’s not really that big! We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around its narrow cobbled streets where we found some bird boxes for Gramps, before stopping for lunch in the aptly named ‘Bar Typico’, where we had a lovely plate of cold meats and cheese and a humungous cheese salad - not cheddar as we had both (very Britishly) assummed, but Mozarella. Yummy!
After lunch - we took the walled walk which goes right round the town’s ramparts with some beautiful views of the town and the surrounding area. No health and safety issues here with no handrails or railings to hold us in - Great to be trusted for your own safety for a change! 
Then we headed a bit further up the coast to a beach on the other side of a big lagoon called Foz do Arelho. The Atlantic ocean was wonderfully wild on the other side of the lagoon, rushing through the small channel, while the lagoon was still and calm. They’re doing some dredging work which looks like they’re taking some sand out of the middle to make the beach wider (it looks as if it’s been worn away by the ocean). Time for a quick ice-cream in the sun then back to do some grocery shopping (and more searching for a wifi connection).
All in all a nice relaxing day :) Although I’m really struggling with the Portugese - usually being able to communicate with people fairly easily, it’s frustrating to realise you don’t even know how to say yes and no or please and the basic one to ten. Portugeuse is both so similar and so different to other languages it wrong foots me every time! I find that I can generally understand signs and stuff, its just the speaking, I will perserve though!!!