He Sells Seafood Down by the Seashore

"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.