February 14th arrived a little cooler and cloudy. Valentine’s Day is usually like that. . . a lot of hype about a cold day in the “F” month. This day, however, we finally got to take a train to Cascais. The seaside beckoned out the windows of the train as we moved along the Estoril coast.

The wind was biting as we walked along the waving bricks through town, but the sea was glorious. Wind surfers braved the cold under colorful sails. Sailboats bobbed in the harbor. Flags snapped on castle walls. And as many others have been before me, I was charmed by the seaside village.

We wandered through the castle turned hotel to the marina. The smell of the ocean and the sound of waves never fails to excite. We watched boats and fishermen while we ignored the cold wind coming off the sea.

We visited an exhibit on Portuguese advertising and chuckled at ad campaigns no longer relevant. We visited a tiny museum of the sea. The exhibits were unexceptional and contained plastic models of sharks. A strange cartoon explained the motion of the ocean. It would have likely scared or bored actual children. Artifacts and photographs from the last king of Portugal, who loved Cascais and the sea, filled rambling rooms. A small room held items from the men and women who worked the sea. Here at last, was life and memory. Women who cleaned the fish and men who went to sea in tiny boats looked with shining eyes out of early photographs. Their pride of place was evident.

We walked across the road to a large and lovely park. Turtles swam in ponds. Peacocks lurked in the shrubbery as people enjoyed coffee in the cafes. At the far corner of the park we visited a turn of the century mansion with stunning views of the sea. The original owner was Irish and Portuguese. Shamrocks linedthe ceiling, making me smile.

We walked back through the park downtown and found an Irish pub. Fish and chips seem appropriate. We ate outside despite the chill. The lure of the sea was too strong. We needed to watch for as long as we could. The day wouldn’t last forever.

When we got too cold, we headed to city hall. The museum was free and full of interactive delights. We took a cheesy photo in a photo booth with Cascais beach as our backdrop. We stood in the dark for a LED light extravaganza extolling the virtues of life in Cascais. I was already sold. No light show required.

As we left town, a realtor pressed a bag of candy into my hand. She wished me happy Valentine’s Day and asked me to remember her when I am ready to buy a house by the sea. What a lovely dream.

I was content as we rode the train back to Lisbon. Before heading home, we visited the lovely corner restaurant by our flat for a Valentine’s Day dinner. It was warm and cozy, just the way you should feel when you spend the day with your Valentine.