First Meal--Octopus!

It might seem strange that I chose octopus as my first meal in Portugal, but the picture on the menu just looked too intriguing. Besides, you know what they say, "When in Rome..." So, I ordered this for my first meal just a few hours after I arrived in Lisbon, or Lisboa (sounds like: lish-bou), as the Portuguese call it.

You might think octopus is tough to chew, but on the contrary, it is quite tender and incredibly delicious. If the menu option were all you could eat, I would have eaten another! They served the dish with a light sauce, delicate seasoning, potatoes, a salad already dressed and seasoned in wine vinegar and olive oil, and a glass of vino Verde (green wine, which is also quite light and lovely with fish.)

Here in Portugal, when you are at a sit-down restaurant, there will always be rolls, olives, and butter or cheeses served on the table. Each item is wrapped (except the olives), but I'm sure the staff counts each item (even the olives) before they bring them to the table. They're sitting there looking incredibly delicious, especially when you've been in the air or at airports for 24 hours and have not had a decent thing to eat for two days. But beware--though the cost is minimal, there is a price for any item you taste while waiting for the meal. Mind you, you will not be disappointed, though. The bread, cheeses, and olives are also incredibly delicious here in PT.

The photos I posted reflect my first taste of Portugal, in Lisboa--not just the food, but the white concrete buildings, topped with rusty-colored clay roof tiles. As I've gotten to know a little more of the sites in small villages, valleys, mountainous terrain, and smaller cities, I've come to know Portugal as having state-of-the-art technology in some ways, yet filled with the pride of rich culture, exquisitely detailed craftsmanship, hundreds of years of ancient history, and much natural beauty. I'll post photos and describe some of the other tastes, sights, and smells of PT, at least from my five senses, in future posts (so be sure to subscribe for more!).

But if you are ever in Lisboa, you must ride part of the city on the trolly! They climb steep roads, curve round and round the city structures, and somehow avoid all those climbing the hills on foot! At one point, we were so close to the buildings that if my hand was wrapped around the vertical bars holding up the trolly roof, my hand would still be healing from the scrapes and cuts on my knuckles.

Since I started this post with food, I'll end with another surprise food item. Last night my friend asked me to slice up the melon. I honestly thought it was some version of a watermelon, so imagine my surprise when I opened it and found this...

This is not a watermelon. It's smaller. It's called Green Melon or Melao Verde. (There's a til over the a) but I don't have a Portuguese option on this computer.) It tastes a bit like honey dew melon. It's refreshing!

Let's see what next week has in store. Ate' para a semana!

To subscribe click here.