Parede Tour: an Ode to my Hometown in Portugal
Parede, the Portuguese word for “wall” or a small town in Cascais, where I spent most of my childhood.
Even though I left Parede when I was fifteen, I often go back to see friends and family. It was there that I learned how to ride a bike, where I read my first book, where I had my first arguments with my parents and where I cried over my first crush.
There are endless stories that I could tell you about this lovely town written in old diaries and printed in old photographs. Parede will always be a part of my life.
My parents are now living closer to Cascais, but I meet them in Parede sometimes to visit my grandmother or for someone’s birthday.
In my recent visits, I started noticing different things — how the buildings look, how close the beach was, and how quiet my life was here.
The New Parede
A lot of things have changed since I moved away. There are more cafés (yes, Padaria Portuguesa has made it this far), a shisha bar and SMUP — the place where I had my ballet performances, that has turned into a meeting point for youngsters in the area.
SMUP offers drinks, snooker, badminton, and occasional gigs, and it makes me wish I was back so I could indulge in all of it.
Last weekend, I took Nick to this dead-end in Parede, and before you start getting any ideas, this dead-end is where I spent fifteen years of my life.
This is where my old house still stands. It’s strange to see how it became someone else’s home. Now, it’s a tourist stop every time I show Parede to some of my foreign friends.
I know Lisbon is not that far from here, especially considering that Nick has moved from the UK, but sometimes it feels like a galaxy away!
Maybe I’ll go back one day, buy a house with a sea view, cover myself with Parede’s famous beach mud and watch my children play at the “Ducklings Park” (Parque dos Patinhos).
That is if I’m not traveling somewhere around the world….
Things to do in Parede, Portugal:
- Eat seafood at Eduardo das Conquilhas: this restaurant in front of the Parede train station serves delicious seafood. It’s a bit pricey, so find someone else to pay the tab 😉
- Visit SMUP: a cultural centre which hosts a variety of events. Make sure to check what’s happening on their Facebook page before you go.
- Walk around the Parede beach: I used to call it the “old people’s beach” because you wouldn’t find many young people here. Things have changed, and the beach is now famous for its therapeutic mud that hides somewhere in the rocks.
- Visit Parque Morais aka Parque dos Patinhos: a quiet park close to SMUP known by locals as Parque dos Patinhos (Ducklings Park), because there’s always ducks waiting to be fed 🙂
- Grab a coffee at Jardins da Parede: technically in São Pedro do Estoril, but within walking distance from Parede. This garden is larger than Parque dos Morais, and it’s the perfect place to walk your dog or relax on a sunny day. There’s a café here where you can grab a drink.