Replace this canal with a sea view, now take me to the beach…
So far I have only been to the beaches in the south of Italy. Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento, Capri, and others- I love you all still so much but it was time to explore more. We drove from Lisbon to Sesimbra which was about an hour’s drive. With Pino Daniele serenading Jenny to sleep; I lay back and let my thoughts wander off to what my unborn Sara would look like. I talked to her while feeling for kicks, and every so often stole glances at THE man.
Sesimbra was recommended to us by his barber. After a quick deliberation which I must add did not conclude in my favor; we ended up at this little gem that gets too little praise than it deserves. Nestled in the Setubal District; with the Serra da Arrabida national park looming over this serene and picturesque fishing town. Sesimbra is where you go to get some sun, lot’s of chill time and make friends. Yes, they are extremely friendly there.
You will not miss to see your usual houses decorated with azulejos which i cannot seem to get enough of.
Now let me put it out there; if you’re looking for something a bit more loud and intense then this isn’t the place. I recommend it if you want some quiet village type environment and if you love fish.
A bit of a contradiction to hear a hospitality graduate rave with excitement about lodging options which have caused quite a bit of disruption in the industry but i guess my hypocrisy knows no bounds. We stayed in a holiday home which was most suitable having a toddler and all. It just made things a whole lot easier as we had the whole place to ourselves and could do laundry at no extra charges and most importantly cook.
Yes, I know most might not want to touch foot in the kitchen when on vacation but picture this scenario. You wake up and have breakfast whenever you want because the buffet is always open. Then make a sandwich or two, pack that up with some pre-cooled water and leisurely make your way to the beach. When you get there; you sprawl on the beach towel and soak up some sun or dive in for some of that healing salt.
Soon you’re hungry and that packed lunch comes in handy. Crave something sweet so you walk up to the little kiosk by the shore for some ice cream or popsicle for the little ones. It’s time to head back, you get up and shake the sand off and walk back not having to worry that the restaurant is closed. You get home and quickly whip up some pasta with fresh seafood while the little one plays (and you don’t have to worry about other guests being disturbed or giving you ‘angry bird’ eyes). After-which you all have a siesta in preparation for doing it all again. Or maybe dining out. See what I mean? Freedom
Let’s talk food
First stop, breakfast of course!!! Something this grumpy non-morning person cannot do without! It was 7:30 am as the rest of the fishermen set sail in hope of a bountiful catch I bet. A different kind of morning, one I could probably get used to. But who wouldn’t if they had that beautiful tranquil view to wake up to. Some early mornings were spent with coffee in hand slouched on the sofa thinking of many things or nothing at all. My phone was almost non-existent and I liked it that way.
I slid the large glass balcony doors to get a whiff of the fresh ocean breeze which smelled a little like seaweed and fish. Crawling back onto the sofa to enjoy the view shielded from the cold air, I tried hard to enjoy yet another cup of weak coffee. As seemed to be the norm, I had dozed off to be woken up for lunch. Our pact was to pack in as many seafood delicacies as we could before returning home!
Pastel de nata and a chocolate twisted pastry There are bakeries offering a variety of Portuguese style croissants and pastries so breakfast is never a bore!
There are plenty of small and intimate family-style owned restaurants from which to choose from. After eating fish on almost a daily basis we needed a break and had a kebab which believe it or not was very delicious. If you are like me and prefer the meat nicely browned with a little crunch here and there then make sure to tell them so. No need to worry Dusseldorf, you still gave me my best one yet but credit must be given where deserved!
If you are in the mood for a cocktail and a mind-blowing view then head over to the tap house restaurant. It serves Portuguese and what one might define as European food. Seems that starters here almost always include a fish pâté (some restaurants offer this for free). I normally shy away from pâtés however I must admit after a lot of coaxing from Fran I tried it and it was so good I’m salivating as I write. Or could it just be that I’m hungry? Oh well, you must try the various pâté options when in Portugal for sure. If anything we did make a run to Aldi for a couple of tins to share back home. There is a wide variety so you’re sure to come across something you like. What we had at the restaurant was a spiced up tuna pâté served alongside sourdough bread.
Now one thing I really loved about the restaurant is the view as it’s placed right in front of the beach so your eyes can feast on the tranquil or sometimes stormy sea and the shore from one end to the other. It is also a bar, I cannot speak much about this because i was on a dry spell.
Taberna Isaias came highly recommended so we dropped by as it was also a 5-minute walk from the house. It was lunchtime so we had to wait almost 30 minutes before we were ushered in. When you walk in there are seats to your right and a small bar to your left and further down to your left is another compartment or area which could fit in another 40 or so. The walls are filled with what seems to be souvenir plates either from travel or guests- I don’t know which, but that made it a little homier. (Excuse the poor images- kind f hard to stand in a crowded restaurant at lunchtime taking pictures of plates on a wall. I do get a little shy so …)
In front of us was a little window separating the dining area to the kitchen. Inside were women in headscarves and simply floured dresses with aprons preparing sides from french fries, salad, and potatoes which would then be passed through as the men came to deliver the fish that had been grilled in a grill outside connected to the restaurant.
We ordered the swordfish and an array of other fish which I must sadly say left me unhappy. I will not get into the details but will say there were many other little family-owned restaurants with much better to offer. It could be that we were just unlucky or they were overwhelmed by the busy lunchtime schedule. If you have a sweet tooth then just opposite tap house restaurant is a dessert take away with jaw-dropping delicious churros and pancakes.
When night falls, the streets are deserted save for a handful of people and a car or two every few intervals. It’s deafeningly silent but I don’t mind as my ears are filled with the sound of wave after wave crashing onto the shores and rocks- and for a few seconds my mind is blank; something I strive to do every day back home. The wind is cool and the weather slightly warm, good enough to lean over the balcony or just sit and meditate.
The weather was unforgiving during this trip, it mostly rained so whenever we could we escape in search of sun or warmth. We drove uphill to castelo de Sesimbra (Sesimbra castle) which served a breathtaking view of Sesimbra.
What I would do differently when we return would be to definitely ‘town hop’ on a daily basis. This is because there is so much to see and you have the chance to visit quite a few tourist locations because they are not too far from each other- in Portugal I mean. We also stayed 2 nights in Lisbon which I do not think we would have managed to see everything in 2 weeks even. But we did manage to visit Oceanario de Lisboa which you absolutely must visit when in Lisbon.
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