Dia 5: Olives, Oaks and Óbidos
We wake up early and go in search of coffee. In the breakfast area, we discover a full house. It is packed with non-English speaking tourists hurriedly eating everything in sight. There are slim pickings at every food station. We become concerned there will be nothing left for our group. Silly us. We soon discover this large group have a very early departure. Once they leave, the staff replace the stained tablecloths and replenish the buffet. With coffee in hand, the caffeine hits our bloodstream - all is good.
ArraiolosWe board the bus for a 9:00 am departure. Our first stop is to Arraiolos where we see a round castle on the hill. There is a walkway along its side that we utilize for views of the village. The Romano-Gothic castle, known as Paço dos Alcaides, was built in the 14th century. It sits upon a small hill called Monte de S. Pedro. Cristina tells us it is a fortress inside. At the base is a sign with the town's name in letters that looking like stitching. Beside it is a large playful-looking chair that holds a pair scissors and ball of yarn in an homage to the craft of Arraiolos. The village is famous for its embroidered wool rugs and carpets. The southern region of Portugal developed wool rugs because silk was expensive.
Cork Safari - Rovisco GarciaWe arrive at the cork farm and climb aboard a safari vehicle hitched to a tractor. We meet Gonçalo, grandson of the estate owner, Maria Antónia de Carvalho Rovisco Garcia. We learn that people in the country have fewer opportunities and social tensions started early. The dictator Salazar conducted a Wheat Campaign. In the 1930's/40's during WWII, Portugal can sell wheat since it was not participating in the war. They gave bonuses to sell wheat. Trees began to disappear as wheat production took over. On April 25, 1974, the workers in the south of Portugal determined the land is to those that work it and they kicked out the landlords. Owners were besieged when the workers occupied their land, however there were very few cases of robbery and violence. Gonçalo's grandmother was barricaded inside her home and had 48 hours to get out. She packed up and went to Brazil and stayed there for 10-15 years. When she returned in 1989 and recovered her property, it was damaged. They had destroyed the land. The estate has been managed by women for over a century.
A farm that produces wine is called quinta. The Rovisco Garcia estates contain 5,000 acres. They grow alfalfa and supply the Lisbon zoo. They raise local breed of cattle, produce wine from their vineyard, oil from their olive trees; they lead tourism and support what is called sustainable hunting. We see white numbers painted on many of the trees and Gonçalo tells us they represent the harvest date. Trees are harvested every nine years. It takes 40 years of harvesting before they receive any commercial value. The Portuguese have a saying: "Cork is for my ancestors." It takes 83 years to receive payback. They harvest cork only when they have a buyer because it is sold by weight and dry cork is cheaper. We are told the more they harvest, the more it grows.
They harvest cork in teams of two using a round shaped ax to break the shell. The tree painted with the white "6" was harvested in 2006. At the farm, they practice natural harvesting. They have 7,000 cages around young trees that have taken root. It costs $27 per cage so it is a more expensive process but good for the long-term well-being of the land.
Portugal produces 50% of the cork in the world. Only 20% is extracted for stoppers. It looks like honeycomb under a microscope. Dense cork is better because it has elasticity and makes better stoppers but is more expensive. Cheap cork breaks.
Did you know ... The tip of the spaceship is covered in cork. Estate LunchOur farm tour ends near the family home, a peaceful cluster of white buildings with green shutters and red tile roofs. We learn that homes in this region are painted white to help with the heat. Worker homes have blue accents and noble houses have yellow and red. Worker houses have a chimney as a way to cook and also warm the home. There are small and few openings to help regulate the temperature inside.
We enter a building beside the pool into a space that looks like a game room. On the wall are mounted animal heads, a fireplace, clay tile floor and tables dressed with plaid cloths. We meet Gonçalo's grandmother, Maria, and his sister, Sofia. We are offered an olive oil tasting in which we are able to sample the three types of oil they produce. Afterward, we sit down for a hearty, home-cooked meal. The food is not pretentious. It's simple and fresh, typical cuisine for this region. At each of our tables is one of the family members. We have the pleasure of Sofia's company. She is gentle, open and engaging. She tells us about her role of marketing for the family business. We drink the wine produced at the estate and have our choice of red, rose and white. At the end of the meal, we have an opportunity to purchase the wines. It has been a wonderful relaxing day and we leave having learned so much about cork production.
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Tour GuidanceWe stopped in a small town on our way to Óbidos to pick up bottled water and any other necessities. Cristina told us there are no markets in Óbidos and suggested we not drink the tap water. This was especially helpful for us - we drink at least 2 liters of waters each day.
Back Door DiscoveriesBy a long shot, our best backdoor discovery on this trip is the cork safari and estate lunch. This is something we were able to do only because of the Rick Steves' connection. It is not listed in our guidebook so it truly felt like a one-of-a-kind experience. Our hosts were gracious and lovely, and it was something we will talk about for weeks after our trip.
What doesn't kill you fattens you up
Even though our lunch is divine, we have to list the ginjinha in the small chocolate cups because it is such a big part of the culture. The liqueur is not sticky sweet but instead has a tartness that is pleasant and soothes. The chocolate enhances the cherry flavor and is a brilliant capsule for sipping.
Fale em portugues, por favorToday we learn three words related to vinho (pronounced VEEN-yoo) = wine to help prepare us for our estate lunch: branco = white (pronounced BRANG-koo; tinto = red (pronounced TEEN-too, and verde = green (pronounced VAIRD). It is called verde not for the color (it's actually only slightly tinted green and looks more like white wine) but for the youth of the grape in this effervescent wine found in the northern region.
Lessons LearnedFollow instructions. If your guide tells you breakfast is being served from 7:00 am, then don't show up at 6:30 am. Hotel Real D'Óbidos is a set in a 14th-century municipal house. It has a medieval feel with back staircases, dark wood beams and ancient armor. Our room is small but well appointed with a stunning vista. There are no screens on the windows so we open them wide to a view of a church bell tower and the valley beyond. We see other members of our tour and we wave to each other, big grins on our faces. There is a pool here too, but the weather is too chilly for a swim. We slip out and sit on the deck with a glass of wine to enjoy the 360° panorama.
World Cup Craze!Cristina has another trick up her sleeve. On the bus ride to the cork farm, she tells us there is excitement growing over the World Cup football (soccer in the US). Today Portugal is playing Spain and it's a big deal. These two countries have one of the oldest football rivalries at a national level. She has purchased items for us to wear to surprise our hosts for lunch. We all get into the spirit and begin rooting for Portugal to win.
Did you know ... to harvest olives trees, they beat the trees with a stick and the olives fall to the ground. This process is only used by small farms. Large farms have a big machine that shakes them but they are still sorted by hand. Bruised olives contain a bacteria that releases sugar, turns into alcohol and impacts the taste. Estate FloraOn a card received from Gonçalo, this is identified as a roselha, a species of rockrose from the cistaceae plant family. It is a cistus crispus, a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family cistaceae with pink to purple flower native to southern Europe.
Estate Winery LunchEstate Winery Lunch Menu Shark Soup with Cilantro Chicken Pie with Mushrooms & Cream Sauce Salad with Ripe Tomatoes Shredded Fried Potatoes Shredded Carrots Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Fresh Sliced Strawberries Brownie Pudding Estate Wines Pit StopOn our way to Óbidos, we stop in a small town to pick up water. We are informed ahead of time that the tap water in the town we are staying in is not good to drink. We pay € .80 for one gallon water jugs. We also must pay with coins because they are not able to make change. We use the bathroom facilities but discover they are having issues with their plumbing so there is no water to wash our hands or to flush.
GinjinhaDuring our Óbidos orientation, Cristina stops at a stand selling ginjinha in chocolate cups. She surprises us by buying us a round. She demonstrates how to sip, then eat the cup. We all take turns. It's these unexpected moments that make a tour so much fun!
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Rovisco Garcia in Pictures
On the Road Again
HELPFUL HINT: During the bus ride, research places to eat dinner. Your guide is a great resource as is your guide book. You can read more about the restaurants online, check the Rick Steves' Travel Forum for reviews, peruse the menus in advance, and call ahead and make a reservation. This way you have a plan and can spend more time sightseeing.
We have a three hour bus ride to Óbidos (OH-bee-doosh). During the trip, there are several ways to pass the time. We have WiFi on board so Mark is able to catch up on work. Caryl is reading messages from home and Amy is updating her journal notes and cataloging photos. Others are sleeping, reading their guidebooks, talking among themselves, and some simply look out the window as the landscape changes.
As we near Óbidos, Cristina tells us it's a fortified city, meaning it's inside of walls. They have cherries, plums and apples. Tomorrow we will visit a genuine market and learn how life is outside the big city. Other markets are for tourists - appealing to the eye - but they are not authentic. In our guidebook, Óbidos is described as "postcard-perfect" and as we pull beside our hotel at the top of the hill, we see that it is indeed that. We check in and have a little time before we meet again for our walking tour.
As we near Óbidos, Cristina tells us it's a fortified city, meaning it's inside of walls. They have cherries, plums and apples. Tomorrow we will visit a genuine market and learn how life is outside the big city. Other markets are for tourists - appealing to the eye - but they are not authentic. In our guidebook, Óbidos is described as "postcard-perfect" and as we pull beside our hotel at the top of the hill, we see that it is indeed that. We check in and have a little time before we meet again for our walking tour.
Óbidos Orientation
Óbidos is tiny and very easy to navigate. The walls can be seen from all directions and help orient us. As we walk, Cristina points out places to eat. She tells us it is possible to climb atop the walls. She shows us the main gate and looking up, we see the tiles in blue and white that display angels and other religious symbols. There are flowering vines on the white-washed building trimmed in yellow and blue. Narrow pedestrian cobblestone lanes lined with quaint little shops lead our way. We stop to buy cherries from a local. They are sweet, juicy and delicious. We see the pillory where boys were tied to receive punishment for their wrongdoings. And finally we reach stairs that will bring us back to our hotel.
Óbidos in Pictures
Dinner for Two
Fellow tour members Beth and Gloria invite Caryl to join them for dinner. This is such a nice gesture and Caryl goes off with them for the evening. Still rather full from lunch, Mark and Amy eat dinner at a pizzeria recommended by Rick Steves named 1st de Dezembro Café & Restaurante. It is an unassuming place off the main drag. It is very inexpensive and surprisingly good. We enjoyed a moist piece of panko-coated salmon with rice and crisp sweet vegetables. It is a great ending to a long and wonderful day.