Just returned from a wonderful two week trip in Portugal. The scenery, history, and people were excellent, but food-wise it was some what disappointing. We expected better fish, but only found it to be mediocre. The bread on the other hand was good at almost all the restaurants. You are charged for bread and butter, and we expect our butter budget for the 2 weeks was around $75.00, because all four of us ate bread and butter with every meal.
The above photo was from a daily market in the small coastal town of Nazare. The different shaped crusty loaves look so inviting.
While food is better in France and Italy, (and maybe even Spain), we found the red wines of the Douro valley to be excellent. The reserves from 2009 or older could stand up against some serious contenders. One winery we visited sold their reserve for 11 euros per bottle, that we later saw in a restaurant for 47 euros. Very sorry I only brought one bottle home. Of course the Douro is known as the source of all port wines, but they are making some great reds and whites as well. The scenery was spectacular, with the terraced vineyards dropping steeply to the Douro River. This area hasn't been overwhelmed with tourists yet, which is one of the reasons we chose to stay there for a few days. The lovely town of Lamego is a perfect example.
No comments:
Post a Comment