WISHES WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE BELLE ÉPOQUE

Photo taken at an exhibition held in Lisbon

Last week, I travelled to the northern area of Portugal, more precisely Vidago, a spa town that's well known among Portuguese people and foreign visitors who travel to the region in search of relaxing vacations immersed in a natural environment.   
Vidago is also known for the therapeutic effects of its mineral waters, the golf course and the magnificent Palace that was originally built as a summer retreat for the last Portuguese king but days before it was scheduled to be inaugurated, a coup d'état forced the king into exile. The regally appointed building became a hotel instead and so, a hundred years later, following a restoration program, the hotel reopened on October 6, 2010, its centenary.
As I hadn't been there for ages, I really enjoyed the long weekend,  not only because of playing golf but also the opportunity of wandering the sprawling parkland that surrounds the hotel. I imagined the old days when long skirts swished along the ground and guests arrived at the impressive entrance by horse-drawn carriages. How different from nowadays! 

One of the characteristics of the golf course that I found interesting and different from the other courses was the existence of great contrasts that shared the special respect for the natural surroundings, with paths and pink granite retaining walls here and there.
Trees were well preserved and the panoramic views from the elevated tees often distracted me.

After playing and for the pleasure of my friends and I, outside the Clubhouse there were several stalls exhibiting local products, such as liquors, honey, jams, wine, puff pastry, and typical bread filled with pork sausage. All of us returned back home with our luggage heavier than we had it at the departure from Lisbon.
Before the dinner party, some of us drove up to the nearby spa resort Pedras Salgadas (Salty Stones), also famous for its thermal waters and beautiful cabins that were built to fit the gaps between the trees. They have a minimal effect on the local nature, so that whoever  stays in them can really experience the park. 

It would have been great to spend longer at that resort but we had to hurry back to the hotel and get ready for the dinner party. On the following day, we returned back to Lisbon with a stop at Amarante, a city that was holding its festival. I'll post about it, next week.

In the meantime, enjoy the slide-show (with background music) and...

~~ Have a great weekend ~~