A Creative Spirit
For this week's #foodiefriday, I decided to focus on Bacalau (salted cod) because in Portugal, Christmas is not Christmas without it. I don't know why, because it is as stiff as a board, smells disgusting, and looks about as appetising as the prospect of munching on cardboard. In fact, it’s so stiff that it has... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! Chestnuts roasting by an open fire ... not quite, but you get my drift. When we were in the UK, we never ate chestnuts... it wasn't a thing. However, in Portugal, we quickly discovered there is even a day dedicated to them: Dia de São Martinho, celebrated on November 11th, which... Continue Reading →
This week, we were recommended a traditional Portuguese restaurant in Lagos, Restaurante o Lamberto. The restaurant is located well away from the tourist trail. I think we were probably the only English people there. I ordered a Bifes à Portuguesa to see how it was presented and compared to the one served at restaurant Cais... Continue Reading →
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock is situated on the promontory between the beaches of Praia da Sra da Rocha and Praia Nova, Porches in the Municipality of Lagoa. We stumbled across the ancient chapel purely by chance while looking for the Vilarinho Beach restaurant. After lunch, we drove up to the chapel... Continue Reading →
This little pig went to the local market and bought a piggy sweet. yum yum! Doces do Algarve are traditional handmade marzipan sweets. They are super-sweet so if you want a shot of sugar they are perfect! They are normally shaped and carefully painted as fruit, vegetables or fish, (or at least the ones... Continue Reading →
Shopping in Intermarche this week we (actually the OH) noticed this Bacalhau Christmas tree. What a creative way to display and promote Bacalhau! This certainly made me smile. Related Posts: Bacalhau anyone? It’s as stiff as a board, smells disgusting and looks about as appetizing as the prospect of munching on chipboard. In fact,... Continue Reading →
While driving through the sleepy village of Brejão in the Alentejo, we happened upon the most amazing street art painted on the side elevation of several houses. Curious to discover more I took several photographs and sent them to my Portuguese blogging buddy, Sami, in Oz. Sami quickly identified the lady in the series of paintings... Continue Reading →
One of the highlights of our trip to Porto was not the port, but the magnificent vestibule and azulejos tiled images at São Bento railway station - Estação Ferroviária de São Bento. Further research revealed that approximately twenty thousand tiles were used to decorate the station's vestibule which I think you will agree is spectacular!... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress photo challenge is Heritage. Thinking of the words 'heritage' and 'Portugal' in the same sentence the first thing that comes to mind is Fado. We were fortunate to see the highly acclaimed Fado singer Mariza in concert in 2010. It is one of those treasured memories that will always... Continue Reading →
The statue of Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator), sits pride of place in the Praça do Infante Dom Henrique within a few metres of the "Slave Market". Born March 4th, 1394 Henry was an important figure in the Portuguese Age of Discovery and sponsored exploration voyages in search of new trade routes down the coast of Africa.... Continue Reading →
I don't have any pictures of Easter Bunnies or Easter Eggs, so hope a picture of Folar da Páscoa will suffice. I'd planned to drag Mr. Piglet along to a Folar da Páscoa festival today. However, as it's being held outside and the weather is SO awful I will have to wait until next year!... Continue Reading →
Since moving to Portugal one of my favorite meals, when we eat out, is a fish stew (Caldeirada) but the type which is cooked and served in a copper dish called a Cataplana. As you can see from my photograph the dish has two hinged clam-like shells which are clamped tightly together during cooking. Researching... Continue Reading →
But not as we know it! Perhaps looking at this photograph you would be forgiven for thinking the shot was taken in the heart of the country, and not in a small town in the Western Algarve. When I captured this moment it was if I'd stepped back in time to another era and a... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is "Wrong". I often reflect on the heated and ongoing debate about the traditional spectacle of bullfighting which is popular in several countries including Spain and Portugal. While some people refer to bullfighting as an "Art" others refer to it as "Sport". Either way should people... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago we returned to Praia do Vale dos Homens to show friends the pair of white storks we'd discovered nesting on an outcrop of rocks. As we drove through the back streets of the sleepy village of Rogil we noticed a group of elderly men gathered on some waste ground. Some were... Continue Reading →
I was given a wonderful surprise present this afternoon - my own Piggy Assador de Barro! It's really cute. Thankyou so much! 🙂 What unexpected presents have you received recently? Related post: An Assador de Barro is NOT a Portuguese Toast Rack
For many years I believed the clay dishes sold by the Artesanos in Portugal (Pottery shops) were toast racks. Yes, toast racks! I pondered over the design of these strange dishes, as you would, and decided Portuguese “toast racks” were extremely impractical as they would not hold many slices of toast. Well what else could... Continue Reading →
I’ve always been intrigued by the brightly coloured cockerels (roosters) that are for sale in all the souvenir shops here in Portugal. Why are they so popular? Curiosity finally got the better of me so I decided to do a little research. The brightly coloured rooster is called the Galo de Barcelos and is one... Continue Reading →
Try as I may, I just can’t understand the Portuguese passion for Bacalhau. Why is it so popular when there's such a wonderful selection of fresh fish readily available and far cheaper? It's as stiff as a board, smells disgusting and looks about as appetizing as the prospect of munching on chipboard. In fact, it's... Continue Reading →
"Fado cannot be explained, it must be felt and experienced” (quote from http://www.fado.com) The word fado I am told means fate but the music portrays a far wider range of emotions from love, betrayal, sorrow, death, hopelessness, passion and more - in truth all the emotions we feel and can relate to. I personally believe... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 