It was a wonderfully relaxing day here in Carcavelos. I had a bit of a lie-in today, guess I was knackered after my big epiphany last evening! Had a healthy breakfast, then after a few tasks, headed out for 5km trundle to and along the beach. I could get used to going for a walk/run on the beach every morning!
After getting cleaned up, headed out for lunch and happened upon a square with a gourmet market/shop, an excellent seafood restaurant and a few cafes. Had a fantastic lunch (it’s called a completa) here, where I got bread, butter and pate, plus a generous main, glass of wine (beer was also an option) and coffee..all for $10! It pays to get away from the touristy areas. Since I saved so much on lunch, opted for a cheeky scoop of gelato at a crackin’ gelateria! I tried the ricotta with pear jam…yum!
I decided to go for a bit of a wander, and ended up discovering a whole other section of the town. Carcavelos is what I suppose you could call a small beach/surf town. There aren’t any historical sites or museums to visit, but it has a terrific beach…one of the best on the Lisbon/Estoril coast, with 1.5km of soft, golden sand. It is so laid back, despite being just 20mins by train from Lisbon. I’m really glad I decided to come here…on a complete whim of course!
After my wander, spent the afternoon at my makeshift home-office, looking at options for my project. I’m staying in this 200-year old chalet, which at one point was owned by some aristocratic family, but has over the years been divided up into 2 flats and sold off. Thankfully, when my host purchased the lower section and renovated, he kept all of the original charm. My bedroom is what was probably once the front parlor, overlooks the front and side gardens, with wide-planked wood floor, massive windows and 12 ft ceilings. It is not a bad place to spend a week figuring out next steps!
Susan S. Singh Art 
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