"Turn around!" my husband called out. We were driving along the coast outside Lisbon, looking for a place to eat - as we rounded a bend he spotted a restaurant along the road.
Lunch in Portugal - in fact almost every meal - is about the seafood. Fish, like a seabass we selected from the tray...
...shrimp...
and a delicacy I haven't seen often......barnacles.
Plump, juicy little critters harvested just offshore
"Just crack the shell right here," our waiter shows us, "and pull them out with your teeth." A little strange at first, but they grow on you. We finished the whole plate.
But my favorite part of all
is the garlic and olive oil sauce
(my daughter agrees)
as well as this view
followed by an almond torte
and entertainment provided by the sea.
I love your daughter's hat. I'm not a jealous type but all of a sudden this post fills me with all the unnameable tugs. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteAmazing, light-filled images, as usual, my dear.
Yes, now I can't wait to go to Portugal and see and taste all this marvelous spread you laid in front of us.
ReplyDeleteThere just seems to be an incredible lightness about it all!
ReplyDeletethe food looks enticing but the sea more so. i'd be on the rocks eating candies from my pockets i'm afraid. it wouldn't be an easy thing to strike distance from that vista.
ReplyDeletetrust your trip is enriching. and you mention your husband. i'm curious about him. what might your life together look like, your spirits, your passion.
xo
erin
I wandered as close to the edge as I could get. Beyond the food, there is something so captivatingly alluring about a dangerous sea.
DeleteErin, I don't want to overlook your question, so will reply in a private email :))
This meal seems so very perfect. The location, the food, and the company.
ReplyDeletewow wow...I feel like I could just sit down with you and have a lovely meal
ReplyDeleteThat extra chair had your name on it......!
DeleteWhat a fabulous lunch spot! I had no idea that barnacles were edible. I love those random places you discover on vacation that are simple and not touristy. Your daughter looks so happy. You make me want to return to Portugal.
ReplyDeleteUntil that day, I had no idea barnacles were edible either - a memorable taste, mostly the saltiness of the sea coming through.
DeleteAh, wonderful! Another great adventure turning out well. Though I didn't know your daughter was with you.
ReplyDeleteErin asks an intriguing question about you and your husband. I wouldn't ask, but since she has, . . .
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)
Rob, ditto re my response to Erin~
DeleteThe food is so beautiful and enticing. Garlic and olive oil make life deliciously rich. And to have seafood so fresh sounds like a dream. I can almost hear the crash of the waves on the rocks. Just heaven.
ReplyDeleteOh yum!!! I adore Seafood! (Although I confess - with great envy - that I have NEVER sampled Barnacles!) As much as I adore *Poseiden's Bounty - if I had to do the catching...I would be a total Vegan....but I don't...so...ummm.bring on the garlic, the olive oil....the white wine....the roar of the ocean waves...the warmth of loving family sharing a great adventure!
ReplyDeleteLove,
♥ Robin ♥
I can almost taste that wonderful sea-food. Yes, garlic and olive oil taste heavenly together. They are a summer staple for me.
ReplyDeleteOh my word!!! What an amazing place ... an amazing lunch! Wish i could teleport myself.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos .... now I feel like I need to eat some seafood!
Seafood, the sea, garlic and olive oil, almond tart? I'm shouldering my pack right now with a one-way ticket to Iberia.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can set out from Santiago de Compostela and meander down the Portuguese coast.....?
DeleteIt's a possibility... there is a shell-marked pilgrim route all the way to Lisbon...
DeleteThat meal looks heavenly! It's so perfect for these sunny spring days, my mouth is watering :)
ReplyDelete