Seven sunsets

 Though I spent lots of time during my week in Nazaré inside, in front of my computer, I did get outside every single afternoon for one or two or three hours and stayed out at least until sunset, walking endless back-and-forths along the promenade or climbing the bluff or struggling through the sand on the beach. It was lovely. As were the sunsets. I thought I'd show you all seven of the ones I got to enjoy while there.

The day of my arrival I got off the bus after sunset, but luckily my walk to the apartment I'd rented took me right along the beach promenade, so I was able to snap a shot before the light was gone. All the others were taken at sunset, even if there was enough cloud cover that you can't really tell...

I have a few questions.

I know it's supposed to be bad luck if a black cat crosses your path. But does it become good luck if you cross the path of a black cat...or maybe four black cats?

Wait, what if there are six of them?

Also, what exactly happened in the twenty-four hours between when I was standing basically right at the foot of this lighthouse, at the end of a concrete pier, to take this picture...

...and the next evening when there was Portuguese caution tape and a "DANGER" sign stretched across that pier??

Cheated death--and bad luck--again!

Nazaré

I had some work to do and a writing project and an application I wanted to work on, and--I'll be honest--I kinda just wanted to kick it somewhere for a week straight. The Atlantic Coast beach town of Nazaré ended up being that place and it was awesome.

Above the main town is a bluff with an upper part of town and that bluff points out into a rather famous part of the ocean: Praia do Norte, which is one of the world's most impressive surfing spots when the weather is right. The weather was NOT right this week, which means that it was really beautiful and not windy out, which was fine with me. But it was still fun to go check out the gorgeous point...

...and gorgeous lighthouse...

...which sat atop an old fortress that is now a surfing museum. I don't really know anything about famous surfers, so all these boards donated by different luminary athletes were wasted on me, but even so the vibe in that room was eerily reverential and cool to experience.

The view back down at the main part of town, also not so shabby.

Bluff-top church.

I couldn't stop taking pictures!

It was especially cool to see those fishing boats coming in at the end of the day. There would also be fish drying on racks on the beach all the time.

And a bunch of older Portuguese women selling the dried fish along the promenade.

I suspect this boat had a good amount of fish on board.

And I suspect I will not forget this lovely spot anytime soon.