Lourinha - The Dinosaur capital

Not to far from Peniche is Lourinha, a busy market town which calls itself the "Dinosaur Capital".
Nearing Lourinha, it's obvious that they want to establish themselves as the Dinosaur capital. On the roundabouts, statues of Dinosaurs provide some entertainment for the kids.
The excitement was building in the car when we entered this busy town. After having parked the car outside the town, we decided to walk through the small streets towards Museu Da Lourinha which is right in the center of the town.

The museum (adult: €4 ; teenagers: €3 ; Kids: €2 ) has some rooms devoted to local trades and crafts. Displays showing tools used by hairdressers, toolmakers,... are very interesting and allow you to get some insight in Portuguese daily life during the 20th Century, but there was no stopping the boys who were eager to reach the Dinosaur pavillion.

In the pavillion, the excitement of the boys was huge. From dinosaur eggs to the oldest dinosaaur embryos in the world to the Dinosaur skeletons, the boys loved it. This museum, although small enough, is great for old and young. Where the boys loved the dinosaur pavillion, I really enjoyed the trades & crafts displays which ranged from old toys to barber tools to farming tools.

But before you reach the Dinosaur pavillion, you get to walk through an authentic Portuguese cottage which shows you how a Portuguese family would have lived around the 20th Century. The cottage, located in a small square, is suprisingly cool in the summer sun, mainly due to the large trees outside it's door which provide shade during the course of the day.

In the workshop, located on your left just before you enter the gift shop, you can observe an archeologist cleaning some dinosaaur bones. Most of the Jurrasic era fossils on disply were found locaally along the central coastline.
After our mueum visit, we walked back to the car admiring the old houses within this lovely market town.

After having arrived back at the car, we decided to enjoy a picnic on the beach at Areira Branca. Some smoked ham, cheese and fresh bread was a welcome treat on this beautiful day.