2 days ago
I visited the Ageas Cooljazz festival in Cascais, Portugal
Thankfully, I had plenty of help on my maiden visit to Lisbon's sunny sibling.
'It's cahsh-kaish,' explained Luis Leite, our swarthy skipper from boat tour company Palmayachts, while we sailed across the bay to take in the view of Cascais from the sea.
Luis Leite (Image: NQ) Having shrugged off its humble beginnings as a fishing community, its claim to being the Atlantic's counterpart to Monaco is well-founded.
It has a long history of hosting the social elite, first popularised by the patronage of King Luis I as a health resort in the 1800s and then hosting several European royal families in exile during World War 2 due to Portugal's neutral status.
An unexpected result of these factors meant it also became the epicentre of espionage, inspiring a certain spy named Ian Fleming to create the character of James Bond after staying in town.
Amid the rolling waves, Luis pointed to the hotel he stayed at - the Palácio Estoril – among a wide variety of architecture, including an English-style cottage, reflective of the cosmopolitan community here.
The town centre is known for its distinctive wavy floor design (Image: NQ) There were also signs that the credit crunch that crippled the country is being consigned to the past.
'You can see lots of cranes,' Luis said as he steered us towards Casa da Guia - a new clifftop shopping centre that has sprung up in recent years.
'Cranes mean money, money being spent on building and fixing things.'
One of the things guests most often ask the team is if they will see any marine life on their boat tours – most notably dolphins.
They cannot make any promises – but there are some tell-tale signs, Luis said: 'When the wind blows and you can smell sardines, you know the dolphins are hunting – because they are cutting through the schools of fish and the oil is hitting the surface.'
Our noses gave us no advance warning, however, when a few finned friends came to say hello, leaping and diving in the slipstream created by the boat.
It was the perfect way to round off the trip before returning to the marina.
Ten years ago, Luis said it was 'horrible' – but thanks to investment now it is a destination even for those who don't intend to go out on the water: gleaming white, filled with boutique shops, independent businesses and a cultural quarter that hosts concerts.
'That is one of the best things about the development,' Luis said. 'We have got a lot more cultural attractions now in Cascais.'
Karla Campos, founder of Ageas Cooljazz festival (Image: NQ) While this renaissance is something that has gone hand-in-hand with the economic recovery of the area, Cascais already had a strong foundation to build on in this department – thanks in part to the efforts of Karla Campos, founder of the Ageas Cooljazz festival.
Inspired by jazz festivals in San Sebastian and Montreux, the self-confessed concert fan decided to set up her own in her hometown in 2004.
But she too has noticed Cascais transform in the last decade.
'It is totally reenergised and revived in the last 10 or 12 years,' she said.
'The green spaces, beaches, the streets the roads, all the services, the parking, everything is so clean, so nice, so beautiful. I'm so proud to live here and contribute to the programme for the summer.'
The group before entering the festival (Image: NQ) Attracting big names through the years including Sting, Tom Jones, Lionel Ritchie, John Legend and Chaka Khan to name a few, while giving a platform to local acts and celebrating Portuguese and Brazilian music, the festival attracts tens of thousands of people across several weekends in July.
She said: 'I thought we should have a concert where you could reserve a chair, have a seated area, and have the performances in a row, rather than simultaneously.
'This lets people who come chill and relax; there's no anxiety.
'We already have so much anxiety in our lives.'
I certainly felt pretty chilled out as Karla led us around the festival grounds in the Marechal Carmona Park.
The main stage was buzzing (Image: sarahawk) No litter-strewn, churned up fields in sight: revellers instead were sat on blankets among the trees and flowers, enjoying a drink as the sun went down.
Our tour ended at the main stage in the Hipódromo Manuel Possolo, which normally hosts equestrian events.
While Karla hopes that Santana and Sade will one day grace the stage, giving a platform for new acts is also one of her key priorities.
This year's line-up reflects the fusion of old and new: Seal performed the weekend before our visit, while we were there to see Ezra Collective: the jazz band whose members met at a London youth programme and have since gone on to win a Brit Award.
'Seal was a huge audience,' Karla said. 'More than 5,000 people were seated and he came down from the stage, it was incredible.
'For more than half an hour he was walking among the chairs in the audience. It looked like he was in your living room, that's the level of intimacy you get here.'
Ezra Collective (Image: SARAHAWK) Ezra Collective certainly embraced this ethos during their set.
Moments after coming onstage, bandleader and drummer Femi Koleoso told the crowd to say hello to five strangers next to them so that no-one would 'feel lonely'.
The chairs in the front few rows soon became redundant as the Mercury Prize winners' energy and Afrobeat-tinged tunes got the crowds on their feet – including an instrumental version of Angie Stone's 2002 hit Wish I Didn't Miss You.
'There is one thing that is very different about the UK and Portugal; you guys stay up a lot later than us in the UK,' Femi said.
'The first time we came I remember they told us that our show would start at 1am in the morning and we hadn't done anything like that in our lives.'
Femi Koleoso at Ageas Cooljazz (Image: SARAHAWK) Despite not a single vocal in earshot, the energy in the crowd didn't dip thanks to the potent cocktail of talent and charisma onstage.
The band chucked out the rulebook when they invited some of the standing crowds into the front section for the finale – telling us to 'get low' and leap about during their signature song, fittingly named God Gave Me Feet for Dancing.
Femi described the gig as part of a 'beautiful journey' they had been on while touring across the globe during the summer festival season.
'These spaces where people gather to dance and listen to music together, they are very precious, beautiful and important spaces,' he said.
'I will tell you something: they are more important today than they ever have been before, because every time you pick up your phone and look at the news, it is very easy to be heartbroken about everything happening in the world.
'But sometimes you need to dance with people in the evening to remind yourself there is still beauty in the world.'
The name's Butler - James Butler (Image: NQ) There was one last treat in store before I packed my bags and headed home: a helicopter ride over the town courtesy of Lisbon Helicopters.
Given the connections to Bond, this seemed a fitting way to end the trip.
But would I be left shaken, stirred or on the rocks?
I'm happy to report that it was the second, emotionally at least; I was lucky enough to have the ideal weather conditions, so the flight was as smooth as 007's signature tipple.
Taking in the sights from above this time, I was struck by Cascais' proximity to the capital – yet how comparatively unknown it is in the UK.
Here's hoping that in a few years' time, Cascais will roll off the tongue of us Brits in the same way as Saint-Tropez and Cannes.
O Pescador's signature dish (Image: NQ)
Where to eat?
A family-ran institution, the walls of O Pescador are adorned with photos of famous diners that have visited over the years. I only spotted several Brazilian soap actors on display – but our waiter assured me he had served Tony Blair and Gary Oldman.
Specialising in seafood, try the barnacles to start if you're feeling adventurous (if you don't have any nails like me, you might struggle to pierce their tough hide to get to the sweet flesh inside) followed by the signature roasted sea bream, tomatoes and potatoes in olive oil. If you still have room, the berry cheesecake manages to be both rich and light.
Almost getting blown away outside the Fortaleza do Guincho (Image: NQ) For a meal that'll blow your socks off (in both senses of the word, potentially) visit Fortaleza do Guincho, situated on a rocky outcrop sandwiched between the Atlantic, long sandy beaches and mountain ranges.
The 17th-Century fortress has been converted into a boutique hotel with a restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide.
Watch the sun drop below the sea while sampling some dried fish croquettes, market fish ceviche and catch of the day with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
The view from my hotel room (Image: NQ) Where to stay?
Hotel Vila Galé Cascais is within walking distance of the town centre and two minutes by foot to the sea. With many rooms offering sea views, breakfast included and facilities including an outdoor pool, it is a good option for families.
