Carcavelos

In another move to delay premature winterfication, last weekend was spent in Carcavelos, a spot just 30 minutes by train from Lisbon along the ocean.

Carcavelos is a popular surf beach for locals and tourists. I had been warned that much of it was overrun (similar to a few other places in the south of Portugal and Spain) by Brits and also German tourists and settlers. As such, I was prepared for the wurst.

But this particular weekend, thanks to some lingering stormy weather (soon vanquished by an awesome morning sun on Saturday), there seemed to be pretty well just Portuguese locals in the area.

A 3-hour beach and boardwalk stroll, filled with that salty spray that comes off the swells after the tail end of an ocean storm, was just what was needed as further storm clouds had arisen offshore (to be continued later in the week...).

But for now, a photo essay on Carcavelos. Here you can stay in an excellent 4-star hotel like the Riviera for some 70-90 Euros a night, depending on the season. I would add both the town and the hotel to your "must-visit" list when heading to Lisbon.

This was a group of mostly 50-plus (and over 60 in some cases) of local recreational footballers. They played at a pretty high skill level for at least 90 minutes in the morning sun. They took it very seriously, full of theatrical bellowing and admonitions. And I even saw a real-life soccer dive - as pathetic on the beach as it is on the pitch.

El 'keeper. One might have been tempted to suggest to the British tourists nearby that they should sign him for their next World Cup. One did not, however.

The storm from the previous day brought with it all kinds of stuff from the ocean depths.

More post-storm debris.

Just an awesome dog.

Not a lousy photo-taking job, only early-morning mist.

The walk takes you along the neighbouring town of Oeiras, with a large yacht club and oceanfront cafes and restaurants

I think this is a "Danger: No Diving" sign but they kinda make it look like fun.

Forte de Sao Juliao da Barra - an old military fortification and home to various political prisoners in past centuries. Now apparently it's just a bad-ass summer home of the Minister of Defense.