It was an out of the way village and Dolores seemed to be the only restaurant in town. This was a good thing because the food was the best cooked food we have experienced in Portugal. From the most tender beef to the tastiest chicken (hard to find) with vegetables (don’t often see), a fresh salad, a beautiful wine, and a home made version of creme brulee for a stunningly low price from engaging hosts – ‘dinner at Dolores’ was superb.

Back on track after a cake breakfast we spent over 10 kms on cobbled roads. Cobbles and maybe the huggingly close high stone walls gave the approaching cars the sound of a train or a plane which is what we thought they were because often they were hidden behind winding walls. We loved the under foot feel of the cobbles as they appeared to massage our feet and simply the look is old and seems to add a little mystery to our walk.

We aren’t on the coastal walk and a long way from the ocean but our book told us about a hill where we could climb to see it – an extra bonus on the way. We also re-met a delightful Dutch woman whom we chatted with as she took our photo. Back down from our viewing hill we continued our village crawl. 

We stopped twice to sit and eat in a local cafe. Like it is in other european countries, there is a lot of noise. There is always a tv with no-one watching, mostly showing a game of soccer, sometimes a competitive radio, nearly always someone who thinks their voice must be heard above the rest, but most others are there just to enjoy their coffee.

Our first room without a heater (it’s cold) means we might be having a late dinner before we snuggle up with the extra blankets given to replace the a/c.