It will be a problem for us to find explanations for such a modest enjoyment by Figueirans of the Abbey Park, in what is considered the city’s green space of excellence.
It’s true that today’s pitches no longer allow for the soccer matches that used to fill the Abbeys at the weekend in the 80s, and that the younger generations get more pleasure from playing FIFA on the console. However, the huge expanse of lawn, which crosses much of the heart of Figueira da Foz, from the Municipal Garden to the area of the Dr. Joaquim de Carvalho Secondary School, allows for a multitude of activities and hobbies, limited only by the scope of one’s imagination.
We are not here to convert anyone to Abadism, but it is our job to put into words the good sensory experiences that public spaces provide to citizens. Entering the Abbeys, stirring up the most sensitive being in each of us, is on that list. Faces!
There is no right time to go to the Abbeys to enjoy the grass (and no wrong time either, if you have the good sense to avoid coinciding the adventure with adverse weather conditions). But some hours are better than others. And without wishing to claim to be experts in “lawns in the Abbeys”, we dare to shoot with the following time slot:
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with due tolerance, according to factors that we will not now uncover.
Among the equipment considered mandatory in a foray to the Abbeys‘ grassy mantle, there is one that wins the epithet of indispensable: picnic towel/blanket.
Even if the purpose is not to enjoy a meal, its use is almost mandatory: it makes close contact with the grass more comfortable and at the same time serves as a support for other junk that we can carry.
Without wishing to dissertate on the towel/blanket, the same (or “the same”) should be of appropriate dimensions for the number of individuals wishing to use it (there are always those who simply prefer to roll over or sit their butt directly on the lawn) and we will leave the fabric and pattern to the discretion of the reader. And let’s not be weird: a beach towel serves the purpose of the lawn visit perfectly.
Relevant question. How to enjoy the splendor on the lawn of the Abbey Park? Our suggestions are many and not limited, of course, to what we have listed here.
– Let’s start with the obvious and take a few paragraphs:
A picnic on the grass is an extremely desirable, popular and generally satisfying activity, whether it’s lunch or a snack. Where there’s food, there’s entertainment and good cheer.
Before the picnic itself, we went to Volta e Meia to try their famous mini-escondidinhos, where alheira, fresh cheese, carrots, nuts and other delicacies are hidden inside fresh pasta.
Because man does not live by pasta alone, we accompanied it with a shrimp salad from Pizzaria Luzzo Figueira da Foz, which the day was pulling for freshness: fresh mix, sautéed shrimp, caesar sauce, anchovies, boiled egg, croutons and crispy bacon.
Bread, juice and fruit were not to be missed.
And because we left nothing to chance, lunch had luxury transport honors. Verde Hortelã ‘s baskets do not just present themselves as figures of impeccable aesthetics. They perfectly fulfill the role for which they were designed.
Perfect for a picnic or a shopping trip, these baskets are decorated by Verde Hortelã, a brand from Figueiredo that was born in the middle of the pandemic. In addition to baskets of various sizes and shapes, Verde Hortelã offers wallets, hats and other handmade items, using, among others, vegetable skin. For now, find this brand made in Figueira da Foz on Instagram.
In addition to the art of enjoying a picnic, Figueira da Foz Abbey Park suggests another idea:
– Alone or accompanied, the whole scenario is suitable for a light or deep reading.
– Nothing requires a more refined plan. The “amena cavaqueira” works very well anywhere in the world, and the Abbeys are no exception.
– There are countless games that fit on a simple picnic towel. Perhaps card games are the most obvious suggestion, but the limit is in one’s creativity.
– Is there any more romantic place to date? Maybe, but the Abbey Park will certainly fit on the list!
– Whether or not you are a drawing aficionado, the whole scenario around you pulls towards an activity more linked to the notebook and the pencil. And who says draw, can say write. Or play a musical instrument.
– And while we’re on the arts, why not dance? Or practicing yoga? Or, for the more inclined, how about meditation? Or just let yourself be?
If it can be simple and ordinary to enjoy a few square meters of grass and a piece of cloth, what about the sensations that come from it? You should experience it for yourself, of course, but allow us a short spoiler:
How nice and soft it can be to lie down. How tender it is to look at the immensity of the green that embraces us. How surprisingly pleasurable the contact of bare feet with grass is. How calming it is to enjoy the silence around, only broken by the random chirping of the birds. And so on.
Whatever the purpose, there is no shortage of spaces along the Abbey Park to enjoy a healthy contact with nature, which is so good for the soul. Whether in the southern Abbeys, or crossing the Avenida Dr. Joaquim de CarvalhoIn the increasingly desirable northern Abbeys, we are convinced that the well-being of the residents of the Figueira da Foz and of those who visit us, passes a lot through a rapprochement with this unique and grandiose and green space, which was offered to us in the 70s by the magnificent vision of the architects Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles e Alberto Pessoa and the then mayor José Coelho Jordão.
