TODAY’S TOURING
I wasn’t feeling well so we had a leisurely start. We considered whether to visit Obidos, the Buddha Winery [Buddha Eden (Bacalahu) Bu] & Garden, or both. We selected the Buddha Eden Winery & Garden. We heard about this place from friends. After they described it to us, it became a must see. Our friends also said the wine was terrible. It’s a very different garden with many varied modern art pieces and a number of unique themes.
- Stone sculptures
- Metal animals
- Giant Buddha statues
- Large Chinese statues including a number of life size blue terracotta warriers
It was a very hot day and we were exhausted after we toured. We appreciated the espresso and rest.
We had dinner at Versus. It was more upgrade than other restaurants:
- Cloth napkins
- Upscale decor
- Wonderful food, lots of it, inexpensive for quality & quantity
REFERENCES
Buddha Eden (Lonely Planet)
What have the Taliban got to do with a rural winery 12km south of Óbidos? Well, when they blew up the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001, the millionaire art collector José Berardo was so incensed at the wanton destruction of culture that he decided to do something to balance it out and created a large sculpture park on the grounds of his winery. The result, Buddha Eden (www.buddhaeden.com; Carvalhal; €3; h9am-6pm), is an astonishing sight, with monumental Buddhist statues standing proud above the cork trees, a phalanx of terracotta warriors looking down on a duck-filled lake, modern contemporary sculpture among the vines, and a little tourist train (adult/child €3/free) doing the rounds for the sore-of-foot. It’s a great place to relax, and there’s a cafe here, as well as a wine shop.
