Obisdos, before the shops open and tourists arrive
At the Cross Roads in Obidos
Colourful stripes to keep flies away
Medoeival Castle overlooking the town
Regional souvenirs for sale
Staircase for the belltower in local church
Sample of Azuleos in local Church
The internal walls of the little church are covered inblue and white painted tiles
Tranquil; back street of Obidos
Sky'scrapers' of Obidos
Abstract design made up of colourful houses and street lantern
Picturesque street scene
The Rooster, Portugal's national bird
It is called the 'medieval' town of Obidos, however it dates back to 308 BC. In line with ancient Portuguese custom of presenting a whole town as a wedding gift to a royal bride, Obidos has been re-gifted to a whole dynasty of queens, starting with Queen Isabel, who in 1282 was the happy bride of King Diniz, and the first recipient of Obidos.
Inside its massive town walls, topped by a fortified castle, built in Manueline style, time seems to have passed by without leaving too much trace of progress - only a handful of vehicles somehow made it into some unlikely corners of town. Cobble-stoned streets, curvy and winding lanes and steep steps wind through rows of whitewashed houses, accented with bright blue or ochre. The colour is said to attract flies, and keeps them away from the white-wash and the inside of the homes.
Although the whole town seems to be a forest of houses and narrow paved streets and lanes, there is room enough for colourful flowering bushes, calla lilies, roses of any hue, geraniums, and whatever else thrives in the local climate. There are a number of small churches and chapels, the one in Praca de Santa Maria is famous for it's 'azulejos' - blue and white hand painted tiles - which line the entire interior.
Painted tiles are a legacy of Moorish influence (before Christendom adopted them as integral building parts). Arabs and Berbers used painted tiles in the interior of their homes, Christians perpetuated the practice even after the 'Moorish' people were exiled from the Iberian Peninsula. A few centuries later, tiles also graced exterior walls of homes and other edifices, which gives some Portuguese architecture its unique flavour.
As MS Prinsendam was scheduled to sail away from Lisbon shortly after noon, a short 'organized' side trip to this charming town seemed to be a good option to use the last morning...even if the tour bus breaks down, the ship will wait for the travellers. If one ventures out 'independently' and experiences a similar mishap - good bye ship, next stop Azores!
What else - it rained and rained and rained, clouds scudding along the hilltops surrounding Lisbon. The countryside outside the City looked dismal: vineyards, olive groves, villages and pastures, orchards and vegetable fields were all pounded by hefty downpour. Miraculously, as soon as Obidos hove into sight through rain streaked windows, the rain stopped. I 'detached' myself from the crowd and set off without waiting out the obligatory toilet stop, the introductory talk, the standing around in little groups and moving 'en flock' to the next attraction, and suffering interminable little stops for 'shopping'. The town was just waking up, the streets empty, cafes and shops not yet ready for business - great time to see it 'as is' for the local people.
A little before 'back to the bus time' the sun made the whole village shine, restaurant waiters wiped rainwater off tables and chairs, and I had the pleasure of being the first guest for a little cappuccino and a local cherry aperitif (served in a tiny edible chocolate cup).
Pleasant, relaxed, and leaving just before the daily tourist crunch starts - that was Ovidos, inolvidable, unforgettable.
