Portuguese poet, Luis Camoes, (1524-1580) described Cabo da Roca as the area as “Where the land ends and the sea begins.” That is where we are headed now. The most western point of continental Europe! Remember how sunny and warm Cascais was? We are traveling up, up, up, following the coast line and it is getting foggier and foggier. Hmmmm……. As we twist and turn with the curves, we are following several hundred mortorbikes! It must be what you do on an early Sunday morning; take your bike out for a spin up to Cabo da Roca, or the Cape of the Rock. They weave in and out and pass each other roaring past us….then we are there…

We pass a small, very small village. The village house looks green, since I am taking the photo through the bus’s tinted window.

It is dark, foggy, and there is a gale wind. The tourists already here are all bundled up and scurrying up to the lighthouse to get out of the wind.

The lighthouse is the first purpose-built lighthouse in Portugal and was completed in 1772. It stands 492 feet above the ocean and the 1000 watt light can be seen for 28 miles away.

The constant strong winds means all plant life is low lying and must be able to grow in salty, windy and harsh conditions. The most prominent plant of the headland is the Ice Plant, (Sour Fig) which is not native to Portugal. Decades ago villagers planted this plant in their gardens and it became invasive. It now covers most of Cabo da Roca!

And hubby managed to snare a photo of the lone bloom that day!

Well, I’m cold and seen enough of the Rock, so back to the bus…..The bikers are not staying long either. They’re racing back down the hill. One more stop today, before going back to the ship! I hope we go back to the beautiful sunny weather!