Food and Night Sights

 We've had some delicious and unusual food here. I love this, as one of the joys of traveling is tasting local dishes. 

We found this dried cod in Pingo Doce, one of the grocery stores near us. It was also seen hanging in some other markets. 

For lunch at the Café at St. George’s Castle, I chose a salad with salmon. The salmon was smoked with lots of vegetables and a delicious creamy dressing. Gates got vegetable soup, and we also ordered a platter of roasted vegetables. All tasty and beautifully presented. 

 

 

 

 

Another night we went to an Italian restaurant. First they brought a bowl of crackers with a spicy dip. Gates had black linguine scallops, and I had spaghetti and meat sauce. Yum.

 

 

Another night, I had octopus and Gates had masada, a fish and pasta stew. The octopus can look daunting, but it's very tasty with a lobster-like flavor.

In Sintra, we were very hungry, so we ordered an array of dishes, mussels, pork/bean stew, cauliflower salad, bread, roasted vegetables, and baked pumpkin. 

The sangria has been wonderful. But we’re realizing that there is quite a difference in the way different restaurants make it. The first night was the best with lots of fresh fruit. The next sampling was almost as good but without as much fresh fruit. The last time was slightly less tasty – too strong – and accompanied by a few lemons and oranges. Who knew one could become an expert on sangria? 

 

There is a much slower pace here. The wait staff lets you linger as long as you want. Everything seems to be more relaxed, giving us a very enjoyable dining experience. Lisbon is very much a friendly, happy city.

Night views from the terrace of our apartment.

Teatro da Trindad, the national theater

                             Rossio Square, very close to our apartment.