Trip to Cascais, Portugal

In mid September, my team from work were sent to this seaside resort near Lisbon for a few days of work, teambuilding and play. The weather was pleasant and sunny ( mid 20s ) throughout the stay and it was a very enjoyable experience and I have added some photos for you all to see.


We were housed in a pleasant 4 star hotel and here is the view from my balcony. In the distant background is the sea. They also have an indoor heated pool which I had a relaxing dip in one afternoon. Mid 20s is a bit cold to swim outdoors, despite the lovely sunshine.


In the evening, I took a walk along the beach and took this picture of a fort from the 1st or 2nd world war. This place is full of forts. Each one reminded me of Melaka's 'A' Formosa. The Portuguese must really be fond of these buildings.


At night we took a walk into the town centre and this is the main area where all the bars are and where tourists frequent. It was early and midweek, hence not many people yet.


Opposite the hotel was a small supermarket. It seems they have a fishmonger in even the smallest stores. I saw this on the counter but had no idea what they were. Anyone got a clue? They dont look edible to me.


Earlier that evening, we were treated to a slap up meal in a seafood restaurant, apparently frequented by the rich and famous! It was said that Bill Clinton had visited there when President and so has many other dignitaries. You could tell it was really upmarket when there were loads of old men with their 20 year old girlfriends with plastic boobs eating in there. See details at www.portosantamaria.com

Upon entry, we were greeted by a tank of live lobsters. It may look appetising but these lobsters seem to have very small claws.


Next to the lobster tank was a live seafood display. Very impressive! Unfortunately I did not get to pick my meal from there as it was a set menu.


When we sat down, we were presented with a couple of side dishes. This was a prawn fritter and deep fried minced fish meat.


We also had some Portuguese ham (like Parma ham) and some bread rolls on the side.


Next came our starters. This was a lovely prawn with marie rose dressing salad.


My second starter was the highlight of the evening for me. Huge prawns, grilled and lightly seasoned. These were about 7 inches long each!


The main course was nice, but not as good as the previous dish. A pleasant seafood rice dish consisting of tiger prawns and lobster meat with a lightly flavoured seafood sauce, a bit like a paella, but not as strong in taste.

The bill was fairly reasonable too, considering we had a few bottles of the finest wines included in it. If you google for this restaurant, you will see what the fuss is all about.



And that was the first part of my visit. Next time I will have more pictures of the local sights and more seafood!