Every Day Should Be An Adventure
I love when my birthday spreads over days & weeks! My friend Debbie is a good little listener….when I went to Portugal this summer, I told her that I had tried White Port & Tonic for the first time, and that I had really liked it. I was gone for my birthday in October.. look what she gave me when I got back!
FRENCH MACARONS!
I’ve heard of them. I’ve seen them, but I’ve never tasted one! Oh my…they’re so good! Fortunately, I discovered them toward the end of our stay. The first time I bought two and the second time I bought six! I can’t even imagine how many I’ll buy the next time.
You might be thinking—a macaroon? No! Read this little article, What are French Macarons? to learn the difference
Since the house is in such rough shape, we feel like we’re camping in it, rather than really living in it. We cleaned out two of the rooms and are using them as our bedrooms. We bought air mattresses, which are surprisingly comfortable, and Pierre also bought German blankets & pillows which are super soft and cozy.
The good news is that we have hot & cold running water and a functioning shower, toilet, and kitchen sink. These fixtures certainly won’t be featured in a Home & Garden Magazine highlighting their style and good taste, but at least we have them. We have two burners on the stove that work, so we can heat up a can of soup and the French version of ravioli. We also bought a little grill for the back yard, and Pierre has turned out to be quite the ‘Weenie Man.’ All-in-all, we’ve made it work!
We’ve started to meet people in the area and they’ve graciously invited us over to their homes for dinner. The first couple, named Wolfgang and Iris, are German and they’ve lived in the area for 18 years. They moved here to open a bed and breakfast, and they bought an old farm house. They can host up to 17 guests at one time! Pierre met them when he stayed with them in the spring when came over to meet with the lawyer (called a notary, in France), and to see our house and property for the first time. Wolfgang and Iris are fantastic hosts, and we’re looking forward to getting to know them better in the future.
Wolfgang and Iris had invited several other people to the dinner, and one of the guys asked us what brought us to France, and he also wanted to know about our house. We told him that France had essentially ‘found us’ and then we told him about how we were camping in the house.
He laughed and said, “First it’s camping…then in will turn into glamping, and before you know it, you’ll be living in France full time and hosting your own dinner parties!”
That sounds good to me!
Later in the week, we were invited to Ian and Sue’s house for dinner. They are British and have lived in France for slightly over a year, after living and working in the Middle East for fifteen years. They also run a Bed & Breakfast, and Pierre stayed with them in the spring as well. They invited another couple (a Brit & an American) over that night. We talked about the joys and pitfalls of living in France as newbies. They also told us about a group they belong to (I don’t remember the name of it), that’s like The Welcome Wagon. The group is great for meeting new people, learning French, learning about French customs, etc.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures, but we had a great evening. Lots of laughing, talking, and drinking! We also brought Ian & Sue a bottle of Pierre—we just couldn’t resist the humor of it!
If any of you want to visit us in France and we’re still in the ‘camping phase,’ we know two great places where you can stay!
Portugal/2019–Part 15
The National Tile Museum had a really nice outdoor seating area where we had lunch. They offered green wine, which I’ve never heard of before, so we split a bottle–it was nice!
I found an interesting blog explaining the colors of wine, the one I tried is about 1/2 way down the page.
Portugal 2019/Part 10–
We’ve been eating well in Portugal. When we were in Sintra I had traditional Portuguese Cod cakes for lunch, and when we got back to Lisbon that evening, we opted for Italian. We went to a place near Christina and Sussie’s hotel called, Mercantina. We all ordered one of their specialty pizzas. I’ve eaten a lot of good pizza in my life, but this pizza was amazing!
In addition to cheese, ham, and arugula, the surprise topping was pistachios, if you can believe it! Pistachio is my favorite flavor of ice cream…but pistachios on a pizza? I just had to try it, and I’m glad that I did. After giving it a big of thought, it actually does make sense because nuts and cheese go well together. (And with wine—of course!)
Portugal 2019/Part 6-
After spending most of the day at the LxFactory, we decided to head back to our hotels to relax for a bit before heading back out again. Christina dropped us off, and then picked us up again when we were ready.
Christina asked if we liked gin, and when we told her that we did, she told us that she knew the perfect place to take us. She had already made dinner reservations for us, and she thought we could have a before dinner drink at the Gin Lovers Bar & Restaurant. When we arrived, we found out that a special Fado event was happening, and that the bar was closed until the singing was over. It was scheduled to conclude at 8:00 p.m., the exact same time that we had our dinner reservation at a different restaurant.
We were disappointed, but Sussie sweet talked the guy at the door and she convinced him to let us into the bar, which was located behind the Fado room. We had to wait until the end of a song before we could enter, and as we waited we could hear the Fado music through the closed door. Fado is traditional Portuguese music that typically consists of a solo singer and a guitarist. The theme of the music is deeply nostalgic, often focusing on the harsh realities of life.
We were escorted to the back, and the gal behind the bar greeted us and began by asking which was our favorite gin, and about whether we preferred citrus, juniper, etc. She asked several other questions and then began making our drinks. I am by no means an authority on G&T’s, but she knew what she was doing! Our drinks were delicious!
I was actually disappointed when it was time to leave for dinner. Next time, I would plan to stay here longer. We headed out and walked about 7-8 minutes before arriving at our restaurant. The streets were filled with people, both walking and dining at little outdoor restaurants, creating a really nice vibe.
We shared an appetizer of fried fish cakes and we all ordered Bacalhau (salted cod), which is a typical Portuguese dish. Ours was roasted in olive oil and garlic, and served on a bed of cabbage with roasted potatoes on the side.
I wasn’t a fan, and it was the only dish that I had during my stay in Portugal that I really didn’t care for. I won’t rule Bacalhau out in the future, but this restaurant didn’t win me over. We had great wine, the fish cakes were good, and we had a wonderful evening in spite of the fish!
Portugal 2019/Part 5–
Christina, our taxi driver from yesterday, picked us up from our hotels and brought us to the LxFactory in the morning. She spoke English very well. She was really friendly and answered all of our questions about the area, and she filled us in on good places to eat and drink, and good sites for sightseeing.
The LxFactory is located in an old manufacturing complex nestled under the Ponte de 25 Abril Bridge. Framed in street art, it’s and indoor/outdoor market that’s home to restaurants, bars, artists selling their products, and kitschy shops that sell all sorts of stuff that you don’t really need, but you end up buying anyway! The FxFactory is a fun place to explore.
I laughed out loud when I saw a set of wood stumps tucked off to the side of the walkway. It’s hard to see in the picture below, but the little sign next to them says in English, “Seat reserved for those who gave their credit card to their better half.” Sussie, Christina, and I had fun weaving our way around the market. We all bought cork items (surprise, surprise!) and a lot of other things–jewelry, clothing, funny metal signs, etc.
One of our favorite stores was the sardine store–yes, you read that correctly! The brightly colored store (pictured above) was filled, top to bottom, with sardine cans. We each bought a few to give as gifts. The “year you were born” cans were fun to read. While in the store, I dropped my coin purse, and a man graciously picked it up and returned it to me. I was so thankful.
After several hours of walking, shopping, drinking, eating, more walking, and even more shopping, we decided to go to Landau Chocolate to get the one and only thing that they serve–chocolate cake. The cake was dense, rich, and delicious. The coffee paired well with it, oh…and the port wine certainly added to the yumminess!
I talked to the woman behind the counter about their decision to sell just one item. She told me that years ago, their competitors laughed at the idea of only selling chocolate cake. They ignored the naysayers and their business thrived. Do something different–and you’ll always stand out!
Portugal 2019/Part 4–
After we finished lunch, we decided to take a Tuk Tuk tour around the city. Several were lined up at the edge of the plaza and we arranged a ride with with a guy named David. He was born locally and was a lover of history and art, which was lucky for us because he told us so many interesting tidbits as we were driving.
Before getting in the Tuk Tuk, we asked him where we should try Ginja. He pointed to a narrow road off the back of the plaza, and he offered to walk us to a little place that he knew. The side streets were too narrow for vehicles, so we took him up on his offer. We walked up and down a few streets before he stopped in front of a teeny tiny store front where we stepped into a very small room, about the size of a decent walk in closet. Including the store clerk, there were five of us in the room, and it was a tight squeeze.
David told her that we wanted to try a shot of Ginjinha, which is a Portuguese sour cherry liquor. Ginjinha, or sometimes referred to Ginja, is often served in a little chocolate cup. Okay, sour cherry and chocolate…doesn’t it already sound delicious? It was!
After our Ginja tasting, we zigged and zagged our way down several narrow streets until we found ourselves back in the plaza where we had first started. David pointed out that the watering trough on the back end of the plaza was from the Roman occupation of Lisbon.
We opted for a 1 1/2 hour ride (which actually turned into two hours) because we wanted to catch the flavor of Lisbon on our first day. I’ve always felt that if you do some kind of touristy hop-on-hop-off kind of thing toward the beginning of the trip, it gives you an idea of the city layout.
The Lisbon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church built it 1147, making it the oldest church in Lisbon. It survived many earthquakes over the years, but what makes this structure so interesting is that as it was rebuilt and renovated so many times over the years, several distinct building styles were used including Romanesque, Gothic, and many others. The architecture was magnificent and I could have easily spent a few hours here looking at the details. However, there were hoards of people inside (which is an instant turn off for me) and David was waiting for us.
It’s virtually impossible to capture the wonder of these Roman ruins in photos because (obviously), you can’t get close enough to get detailed pictures. David told us that the unofficial mantra of private property owners in Lisbon is, “Don’t dig!”
There have been countless cases of people who have bought and old home or apartment, and during the renovation process discovered an archeological site. Anytime something is discovered in the city, it needs to be inspected by the local government. If the find is deemed important enough, it can lead to huge delays and possible loss for the property owner. Don’t dig!
Next, we headed to the Portas do Sol which provides a beautiful view of the Tejo River and the surrounding area. The São Vicente statue, the patron saint of Lisbon, can be found here as well. It’s a lovely area to walk around to capture the feeling of the city.
After stopping for a brief look at the Panteão Nacional, our Tuk Tuk tour was over. We asked David to drop us off at a nice place to have a glass of wine. Unfortunately, I don’t know the name of the plaza where we stopped. The architecture was stunning! We enjoyed some wine, laughed and talked, and did a bit of people watching. It was such a relaxing way to end our first day together.
Portugal 2019/Part 3–
Shortly after I arrived at Christina and Sussie’s hotel, we decided to head out to explore the area, because their room wouldn’t be available for check-in until much later in the afternoon. We decided to take the subway to the Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon. We walked up and down a few of the narrow back streets and I was absolutely fascinated by the azulejo tile. Some of the buildings were completely covered with tiles, where as others had small decorative tiles near the doors and windows.
It was a really hot day, so after walking around for a bit, we decided to stop in the main plaza for something to eat and drink. I ordered, of all things, a grilled cheese and banana sandwich. I’ve never heard of that combination before, so I had to try it! I love cheese and I love bananas, so it sounded like a win-win. It was good!
As we were eating, I glanced across the plaza just at the right moment to see a young kid careening out of control on a Segway. Just as I said, “Oh, no–he’s going to hit…” he slammed into a small stand that was selling homemade Ginjinha. The old woman who was manning the stand must have seen him, because she was able to move out of the way before the crash. The entire stand was wiped out and her wares (small bottles of ginja and chocolate cups) were strewn all over the pavement. Ginjinha, sometimes called Ginja is a Portuguese sour cherry liquor.
Another woman from a neighboring stand immediately started yelling at the kid, as the group he was riding with slowly made their way over to him. Nobody from the Segway group made a move to help her set her stand back up, and nobody checked to see if the boy was okay.
The group stood and stared at the mess for a long time, and they appeared not to know what to do. Before long there was lots of yelling. Were not really sure if they paid her for the damage, but it was quite a scene to watch from afar. You might say that we had dinner and a show!
Welcome to Lisbon!
During class on Friday one of my participants told me that there was a local restaurant that I “HAD” to try before leaving the area. I wasn’t flying out until the morning, so I took his recommendation and went to ‘Who Dat’s’ in the nearby town of Bald Knob.
The restaurant was decorated with a wide variety of taxidermy (an Elk was staring down at me) and an assortment of funny signs and pictures—think southern kitsch, and you’ll probably be able to conjure up an accurate image.
To better understand the restaurant and the food it serves, a quote on the menu reads, “All of our recipes are created by a “Real” Cajun Chef. You don’t have to go to Louisiana to get the real deal.” Doug Stelly, the owner and chef, hails from Louisiana. He’s self-taught and has over fifty years of cooking experience.
The menu was huge with many offerings, but I opted for the ‘Bayou Platter’ which included a bit of a everything—gumbo, crawfish étouffée, fried catfish, fried shrimp, frog legs, boiled shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, snow crab legs, AND hush puppies. Even for a Northern girl like me—you ‘gotta’ have hush puppies!
I opted for this platter because of the frog’s legs and the crawfish étouffée. I tried frog leg’s years ago and I wanted to try them again, but I’d never had étouffée, even though I have heard of it.
When my meal was brought to the table, I looked at it in stunned silence. There was enough food on the plate for three people! The woman at the next table laughed and said, “It looks good!”
I agreed, “Yes—it does, but I don’t even know where to start!
My meal was excellent and I especially enjoyed the frog’s legs and the hush puppies.
Would I go back? Absolutely!
