Happy Halloween! Not very many photos or stories today. It drizzled rain all day. Not conducive to taking pictures.
I have seen lots of Halloween decorations here in Portugal. I liked this window display because the little man with the hat is Santiago, also known as Saint James. He is the first one I have seen on this Camino. Evidently, some children in Portugal trick-or-treat, especially in urban areas where the tradition has become more common due to media influence. However, it's more widespread on November 1st, associated with a traditional custom called "Pão por Deus". During "Pão por Deus," children traditionally go out in the morning to ask for sweet breads, nuts, and fruits, but modern celebrations sometimes include Halloween-style candy.
The beautiful church bell of the Igreja Paroquial de Noss: Senhora dina Viage de Aguçadora.
A bit of a less ornate church, but perfect for a quick prayer stop.
I loved the tiles on the interior walls, and I was happy to see the seashells, the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. For those who think there is only one Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James), due to the movie “The Way,” there are actually many Caminos or routes. Even before the time of Christ, Catholic men were required to take one pilgrimage in their lifetime, and they left their homes in nearly every country in Europe. There are three acceptable designations: Compostela de Compostela, Rome, or Jerusalem.
Mostly, I walked through farmland. I rarely see these old-style windmills. They make me think of
Don Quixote.
These bright frogs are popular, and I see them in gardens.
Those are the biggest turnips I have ever seen.
Beautiful lawn and treescape in the middle.
More gorgeous vegetables in one of the many roadside shops that I passed today.
Peace, baby!
By this time, I was soaked to the skin. At least, he had enough sense to get out of the rain.
A children’s playground near my hotel.
Every time I am in Porto, I try to recreate a memory of the meal that Dennis and I had on our first visit. It was a rainy Sunday night, and we had taken the train to Porto. After checking into our hotel, we headed out to find something to eat. It was about 5:30, and neither of us realized how late the Portuguese usually eat. I was determined that we would have an authentic Portuguese experience. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, was open, and it was getting dark. Finally, we spotted a dimly lit bar down an alley. It was clearly a local pub, and we stood out like two senior citizens at a high school prom. All heads turned. We were able to point at the red wine and the white wine (we are a mixed marriage; he drinks red wine and I drink white). Porto was playing a neighboring district in soccer finals. We cheered for Porto, and they came out victorious. What fun. I am not sure we would have gotten out alive had we cheered for the other team. I watched the bartender making a sandwich on the flattop grill. It was a Dagwood. It had layers of bread, meat, and cheese. He kept mashing it down with the spatula, adding peppers and mystery ingredients. After the last layer of bread, he topped it with something that was a cross between enchilada sauce and gravy. It smelled heavenly. I pointed and indicated that we wanted one. The bartender, a grizzled fella of about sixty, shook his head, “no”. NO? I was about to be heartbroken. I was not giving up easily. Back and forth we went, and finally, he threw up his hands in resignation and made our sandwiches. OMG, this thing was great. I pantomimed proposing marriage to him, and finally got a smile out of him. He gave us some bar bites and even some more gravy. I made him write down the name of this marvel of a sandwich. It is called a "Francesinha “ and is a specialty of Porto. Every time I visit Porto, I try to find this bar or another restaurant/bar that serves one even half as good. I have failed every time. The above is called a Francesāo, which is the burger version. It also failed the test. Good on its own, but a poor comparison to my original Francesinha.
My included dinner at the hotel was a buffet. I don’t generally like buffets - all you can eat of mediocre food or worse, but this buffet was excellent. I had an esalada mista, which is a tossed salad with corn and peppers. The salad ingredients are so fresh here, and the tomatoes actually have flavor.
I was so tempted to just eat all the vegetables offered, but I thought I needed some protein. The chicken was moist and flavorful, and the vegetables lived up to farm-to-table expectations
For dessert, I chose a citus pie with a chocolate cookie crust, cool and refreshing with the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Yum!
Today was a much-needed shorter day - 13.8 miles. Considering it was my second day and I had the usual sore muscles, I was feeling pretty peppy. My hotel is on the beach and I have the door open. Surf’s up and I can hear the ferocious sound of the waves. The wind was blowing up a gale all day long. I bid you goodnight and God Bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment