May, 2018

Getting ready to leave for France.
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Lisbon, food and music

after being sent to touristy restaurant night one, i had a name of a tiny beer place (cervejaria)  that was recommended by portuguese chef in NYC.  he said had the .. "arroz de mariscos, a seafood rice served in a cast iron pot with lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams. It almost had the texture of a risotto, but it wasn't made with Arborio rice and it had no fat. At the very end, they finished the dish it with thinly sliced cilantro and lime. It came to the table covered, and as soon as the waiter took the lid off the pot, I got this waft of seafood, rice, intense broth, lime. Everything was so harmonious. The textures were just sick. I have never had rice this good in my life.”

SO  - had to go, right.? restaurant had changed name and and decor (no longer beer dive but still in odd part of town.  totally not touristy)   we were talked out of the mariscos by passionate waiter that could not have been more wonderful. that said …  I ATE RAW FISH. 

i don’t eat raw fish.  we had tuna tartare with mango! also, scallops with truffle and almonds.  oh my god.  just amazing. they gave us extra dessert (something called ‘bacon from heaven with strawberries”. 

 WE WENT BACK a second time in four days. (and yes we had the Mariscos .. but there was no lifting of the cover to reveal the odors!)   anyway -  it was very good and overall  a  perfect experience. 

and, of course, FADO.

Lisbon

Famous Pasteis de Belem tarts

tombs of explorer series, i guess …  here is:

Vasco da gama tomb - Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon

I guess FAVORITE part was Lisbon - although i could never get the hang of where the hills were.  they say there are 7.  I’m pretty sure there are 700.  the maps don’t really help - distances look short because you don’t know that you have to go up and down hell.  Example - we walked up a giant hill by mistake only to find that 2 streets down … at the top … was a fucking cable car route.  oh dear.

Seville

i love tombs.   

this is the christopher columbus tomb - cathedral of Seville

one of the families on board had gone to a bullring tour on a previous port…  they also went to a farm where they killed chickens.  their little girl was so upset about the chicken death.  but at the bullring their guide told them how the bulls lived the best life imaginable and were treated royally.  the little girl was somehow ok with seeing the bullring.  I then decided that maybe the bulls were so honored - so we 

walked across Bullring - didn't buy a t- shirt tho.  

Gibraltar

Gibraltar.  Should have spent the day with the apes. we took the tour with less walking - so there were not many apes and we missed the cable car ride … but at least we did get to see these guys. but i was hoping they would steal a camera or two or at least try to pick something out of my hair.

i did want to recreate the classic photo with the rock in the back … but i couldn’t find the exact place as there has been a lot of building where this was probably taken: pretend this is us:

Malaga

Malaga - (where Picasso was born). loved the museum there.  loved the town.  Drank sweet malaga wine.   i realize i should post all the wonderful Picasso works i'd never seen before, or paintings from the Lucien Freud exhibit, possibly the bar with the sweet malaga wine ... but i prefer to show you the restroom sign.

Granada, Spain

port 2 - Granda and our day at the Alhambra.  carved crazy.  specatucular - but so empty.  i couldn’t really imagine life there.  i had started to read “tales of the alhambra” before we left but never got past page 3.  :-( may have to try again.

wished we had more time to also see Granada and possibly the gypsy cave dwellings in the hills.  I think people live in them part time now for the sake of tourists??  but it seemed so bizarre to see the caves next to the palace.