We’ve crossed over to the Portuguese corner of the Iberian peninsula for the remainder of our trip.
The entire day was spent traveling from Seville, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal, mostly by freeway. But it wasn’t all just blurred views and bathroom breaks.
We made a side trip to a horse farm located in the middle of nowhere–or so it seemed. A long-time friendship between the farm’s family and the local Grand Circle manager made this visit possible. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the owner, Marie, a widow with five grown children, who had prepared a meal for us. We dined on a delicious lunch of soup, chicken & rice, salad and a fantastic ice creamy dessert.
Then, we regrouped in their riding building where she told us her story and how her farm operates before we witnessed two of their animals. The first, a young stallion, showed off his high spirit by circling the ring a number of times in both directions under the guidance of his trainer (Marie’s eldest son). The second, a white beauty, performed a number of dressage movements.
They raise only Lusitano horses, a pure blood Portuguese breed that are prized for their qualities of character and genetic antiquity. With a lineage that goes back to 20,000 BC, today they remain an excellent horse for Equestrian Art and Bullfighting.
We thanked our hostess and got back on the road to Lisbon.
As the landscape of olive trees in Spain was given over to one of oak cork trees in Portugal, we learned about one of the country’s major export industries, harvesting cork.
Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork. And after a lot of discussion (and a few too many questions from Juanjo’s perspective), we had an impromptu Discovery moment after leaving the farm for a photo opportunity of cork trees up close and personal. Some of these had had their cork harvested and were in their 9-year cycle to regenerate another layer of cork bark. The numbers on some tree trunks indicate the year they were “un-corked”.
Also, from our bus windows, we had seen numerous wild flowers in bloom all along the roads we traveled. In particular, during our drive over the unpaved roads and lanes to and from the horse farm, there were countless clusters, both big and small, of white flowers everywhere. Our “cork” stop gave me a chance to capture some of them.
The weather for most of the road trip so far had been pleasant if cool. Then we neared Lisbon. Fog had settled in. And it started raining….again! What should have been magnificent views of the city as we crossed the suspension bridge over the Tagus River were a hazy blur…as if from behind a fine veil.
We checked in to the hotel. Dinner was on our own. The three of us wandered the side streets of Lisbon until we found a tiny place packed with boisterous local diners. (That’s always a good sign!) We were seated at a table for six, joining a man already there in the corner. Conversation ensued as we tried to navigate the menu. He was in the Portuguese Navy (computers, not sailing) and comes here regularly for the great, inexpensive food. He made some recommendations. And he was right.
Spain and Portugal in Depth 