Today featured a longer walk through sand dunes and up and
down cliffs along the Atlantic Ocean.
Our final destination was the Cabo da Roca, the westernmost end of
continental Europe.
One of the first things I should mention is the Portuguese habit of letting buildings fall into ruins, and just leaving everything there. You see abandoned buildings both in urban and rural centers, often side-by-side with something more current. I don't know if this became standard practice after the earthquake in 1755, or was the case for centuries.
As we walked, we could see the back of yesterday morning's castle in the distance.
I mentioned that this area is famous for its surfing, and every beach featured surfers and surf shops. This gentleman was doing warmup exercises in preparation for going out on the water.
We had a brief stop to explore some Roman ruins for a small site.
The trails were sandy, and vegetation was somewhat sparse, but you could come around a corner and get breathtaking views of the beaches below.
Finally, we worked toward Cabo da Roca, the westernmost end of continental Europe. The obelisk was a hot spot four tourist photos, and getting into the line meant hopping in and out like a type A grasshopper. Brian finally succeeded in getting his picture.
On the way back, our bus driver obligingly stopped so we could get pictures of some of the old fashioned windmills.
Tomorrow we have a free day, with sleeping in constituting the highlight of the day!
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