Bits and Pieces of Portugal

     The Pastelleria, the heart and soul of Portugal. Stop in before work for a quick espresso and a sande misto, a toasted ham and cheese sandwhich. Add a couple of small delicate pastries and you're off. Come for lunch and get a pork loin sandwhich or a roasted half chicken. That will also work for dinner. Add in more pastries, football, draft beer, vinho verde on tap and it's a complete food and social life extravaganza.

    Everywhere you go there is an unofficial national symbol plastered on every conceivable item you could purchase. Plates, postcards, aprons, posters, weather vanes, notebooks, hairbrushes.  It’s related to a story about a man  wrongly accused and convicted of a crime. While standing to be sentenced before the Duke , who was eating chicken,  he stated that if he was innocent the chicken would stand up and crow which of course it did.

   The roofs of buildings for the most part are tile and at each point on the roof is a small stupa or pergola. Occasionally they are decorated with by cats with an arched back and upright tail.

    The campgrounds are frequent on the coast and directed to the service of motor homes.  Small campgrounds house 500+ people while large campgrounds 2-3,000.  The tent areas in most cases are just a small area to squeeze into that was probably unsuitable for a motor home, although we did find wonderful exceptions to this .

    Most campgrounds come with internet/wifi, swimming pools, game rooms, bars, restaurants, laundry. The showers are push buttons which give short bursts of water then shut off to save water. It’s a great idea.  On the other hand the campgrounds are lit up like a football field 24/7.

     We also like the light system in the hotels. Your key is attached to a flat plastic piece that slides into the wall by the door which activates the electricity for the room. And it’s a handy key holder so you don’t lose it! When you leave the room you cannot leave any lights or electricity running.

     Electricity is addressed different here and money is not wasted on huge rows of open refrigeration, even at the big stores. A few beers, wine, sodas  and juices are refrigerated for immediate consumption otherwise everything is warm. Cold items also cost more.

    There is no soap or toilet paper in bathrooms. Pretty much any bathroom, anywhere. You bring your own. Exceptions are occasional restaurants and residencials, hotels. Always bring your own.

    Somehow, maybe during the Salazar regime, a disintegration of homes and buildings occurred.  In some areas we saw as much as 50% of the homes unoccupied, walls crumbling, no windows, roofs caved in. Even in the major cities there is an overall rundown feeling and disintegration. The buildings are beautiful and intricate and it is nice to see a process of restoration occurring.

     Distances.. it’s always 20 kilometers or 1.5 kilometers. If we ride the 20k and ask again how much further, it will be 20k and the same for the 1.5k.

    Men wear sparkle-y clothes.  Glitter, rhinestones, silver lame’.  Little old men all wear caps, older people wear dark clothes, the women in all black. 

A selection of bread in a pastelleria

   

   Che’  is plastered around. We see him in pretty much every country we go.  Graffiti is found along the railroad tracks in extensive and intricate murals. Posters advertise bullfights and concerts. The big news being U2 playing in Coimbra. 

Cups of Vinho Doce

    The Minho area is famous for vinho verde, or green wine. Some of it does look a little green. It is a young wine, tart and is slightly carbonated. It sparkles on your tongue like little exploding stars. It’s cheap and very good. It also comes in a Tinto, or red, which has no bubbles.  Then there is the vinho doce, which is the pre-wine juice. Stomped traditionally by feet, it is then placed away chilled.  It is deep, rich and fabulous and is served in fat, handle less earthenware cups.

     Crosswalks. We love them. Cars always stop. Even if they think you may be crossing when all you are doing is looking.

   There are no front wheel walkers in Portugal. Not a one. Everyone uses double canes or arm wrap around crutches.  The sidewalks are small cobblestones, black and white, in patterns, are often uneven .  Mobility is a risky proposition here yet you see many elders on the street going about daily purchases and business.

   The latest in fashion are Nike high-tops in super bright colors, like purple with lime green trim and sandal/boot combo. The foot of the shoe is a sandal connected to the leg of the shoe which is a boot.  Men and women’s neck scarves are huge as are stiletto heel platform shoes.  You will see these fashions in the US in about a year or so.