Portugal for the weekend

This weekend Jose, Cooper and I headed to Portugal to spend one more relaxing weekend before the madness of the holidays descends upon us. We stayed at Jose's parents' apartment in the small town right across the border, Vila Real de Santo Antonio. It was especially festive this weekend with a Christmas market right in the town square.
Holiday goodies
We had to go to the beach for a long walk since Cooper loves it and we visited our normal haunts (see beer and Indian food) that we always frequent when we are in town. While walking at the beach we came across this gem of a truck driven by one of the many fishermen we encountered. I love hilariously small European vehicles. So silly.

Tavira
On Sunday we decided to visit another town nearby that we had never been to before, Tavira. It was less than a half hour away. We drove there, parked and wandered around a bit. They have a big, central plaza and lots cool, tiled buildings (one of my favorite aspects of older houses in Portugal). Plus there was a castle (like there wouldn't be) in which they had created a botanical garden. 


I really like these retro-ish houses. Portugal is famous for their ceramics and these buildings show off their tiles. Everything in Portugal in general is a bit run-down, a bit more shabby than it is in Spain but that in itself has its charm.
In the castle
Our weekend was great. The weather was sunny and surprisingly warm, plus we watched a couple other holiday movies (including Scrooged which was super dumb) and It's a Wonderful Life (which is wonderful, of course)! We love going to Portugal to relax and get away from it all. No phone, no internet, just hanging out.

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 9, 2013 at 10:13 PM

    Hello Allie: I found your blog several months ago but have just gotten around to writing this post to let you know! I love Spain and enjoy reading about your life there, even though I'm 54 years old. I think my main reason for enjoying your blog is because when I was your age, I had an opportunity to marry a Spaniard but did not and try not to regret my decision. I am so grateful for the internet, because when I read about you and other young (and older) expats living abroad, I feel I made the right decision. However, every once in awhile, coulda, woulda, shoulda takes over...darn!
    Take care and keep writing about the flea markets, vacation spots, cooking recipes, etc. I love them all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AllieDecember 10, 2013 at 9:07 AM

      Thank you so much for visiting! I am glad to hear that you enjoy reading about my experiences here in Spain. It's true that you never know where life will take you, if you would have asked me 5 years ago I would never have thought I would be living in Europe. I still sometimes wonder what the heck I am doing here! Sounds like you made the best decision for yourself though : )

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La mesa camilla

Image
The mesa camilla is a very Spanish invention (in fact I believe it to be a very southernly Spanish invention). It consists of a table, a heater and a heavy, long tablecloth-like fabric that drapes over the sides. The idea is that you put the heater under the table and when you sit down you put the fabric over you like a blanket. The truth is that it does keep you quite warm. The downside is that once you get up and move, you lose the heat. Since the houses and apartments here in the south of Spain are not created for the cold (no central heating) a mesa camilla can be found almost every where.  We didn't have one last year and survived with blankets, space heaters and flannel pajamas throughout the winter. This year Jose decided we needed to get a mesa camilla. I fought the good fight (since often times they look very similar to the option in the picture above) but we ended up ordering one not too long ago.  Typically the mesa camilla is made of wood and can be stored throu
Read more

Simple Spanish recipe: Chipirones a la plancha

Image
Ok so I know this picture is a bit blurry and I apologize but it is the final result of my having cooked chipirones a la plancha for the first time. Let me explain, chipirones are small squid and a la plancha means grilled. They are served in an olive oil, parsley and garlic sauce. At first I wasn't sold on the idea of this recipe but believe me, it is pretty awesome and super healthy. It is a really typical tapa that you can order at almost any bar here in the south of Spain. Chipirones a la plancha is usually served on a bed of lettuce or with a small side salad. Yum! Here's the how: First you need the chipirones (small squid that come with the heads and tentacles attached). I can buy them at my local grocery store in the fresh seafood section. I bought a package of 400 grams though the good thing about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little as you like. Allow me to also explain that here in Spain people tend to eat a lot more fish and seafood than
Read more

Spanish names

Image
Maaaaaaaria, I just met a girl named Maria Hopefully you just read that and sang the song from West Side Story in your head. Let's just say that from what I have experienced here in Spain, people really, really like this name. In fact, there are times when it seems like EVERY woman or girl is named Maria (or Maria de/l something) and though they might go by the second part of their name, their given one is still Maria. People definitely opt for traditional names here, unlike the US where names go through trends.  Recently a friend on Facebook posted a link which contained a GIF  (originally from The Atlantic)  showing the different female names that had been popular in the US since 1960. It is interesting to see how a name like Jennifer would be popular in one region and then would sweep the nation. Such a map would not be as cool here in Spain since not a whole lot would change. Maria. Maria del Carmen. Miriam. Marian. Mirian. Variations on a theme. Religious names I
Read more