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LISBON
can cost upwards of €500, but a stay in a local car park, alongside a few other campervans? Totally free. You can save your money for slap-up seafood suppers by the sea, wine tastings or pretty objets d’art from one of the many chic boutiques inconspicuously housed in the town’s white-washed, blue-striped buildings. After some idle wandering and lustful window shopping, we devour choco frito, a local speciality of delicious, deep-fried cuttlefish at Pica Peixe (Avenida 18 de Dezembro 21A, +351 265 490 277), in the nearby town of Carvalhal before hitting the road again. Whilst trying to pinch and zoom into the route we’ve planned on Google Maps, we make a wrong turn as we leave and find ourselves on a dirt track right through some of the region’s famous rice fields – I giddily can’t believe my luck. Elegant storks fly overhead and every now and then you glimpse some of the striking holiday homes that lure the likes of Christian Louboutin to the area. Of course, there are the usual uncompromising complications that come with baby life but it doesn’t take us long to learn a few practical lessons: keep snacks in the cooler box so you never have to hurriedly prepare things from scratch; baby carriers are handier than buggies almost all the time and driving during naps is key. Depending on the age of your baby and the number of rests needed, you could cover quite a lot of ground this way. After just 48 hours with Elia, we marvel at how much we have managed to pack in and how fun and relaxed it has all been. Waking up to a new view every day (without having to haul any bags) feels like the ultimate luxury. Our tiny home on wheels is a forest cabin at night, beachside breakfast bar in the morning and chic seaside town retreat by lunch. The constraints force you to get creative, help you stay in the moment and lead to some genuinely authentic adventures. For once, the hype is real. Clockwise from top, Pego beach in Carvalhal; sunrise through the trees in Arrábida Natural Park; Carolina Campos Costa serving up at Bar Mar restaurant on Figueirinha beach. Following page, freshly grilled sardines at Tasca do Isaías, Sesimbra.
SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to LISBON 11 times per week and from Cork twice weekly.