Summer Adventures: Portugal + Spain

This year's summer travels took us to Portugal and to the northern part of Spain. We explored castle ruins, took in breathtaking views of Portuguese vineyards and oceansides and ate so much delicious, fresh seafood. My feet were much happier this trip thanks to my new Altra shoes and Flojos flip flops. 

The Sites: 

One of many stairs in Lisbon | Boca de Inferno, Cascais | Porto | Douro Valley vineyards | beachside Nazaré | Moorish Castle in Sintra

The Pastries: 

There were several delicious (and not too sweet Portuguese pastries). 

• the famous pastel de nata from Pastéis de Belem
• pastries from Sintra: travesserios (pillowy almond pastries) and queijadas (little cheese cakes). 
• tarta de Santiago, a gluten free traditional almond cake from Santiago de Compostela in Spain. 
• took a quick bread making class to make traditional bread from Favaios, in the Douro Valley of Portugal. 

Ubiquitous Portuguese Cuisine: 

4 octopus salads + 3 chorizo links + 2 cod cakes + (2 other cod dishes) + 1 plate of sardines over the course of our 10 day trip. My favorite dish was bacalhau á brás, a cod dish mixed with eggs, potatoes and onions (served alongside a night of fado music). 

Portuguese Sandwiches

• Bifana-a marinated pork steak sandwich that can be saucy although ours was not.
• Francesinha-a steak sandwich originating from Porto, topped with cheese (egg optional) and a beer sauce; quite decadent but an interesting eat! 

Other Delights: 

A wine tour in the Douro Valley, Portugal (day drinking is getting hard these days) | a 13-course colorful and incredible meal at one of the best restaurants in the world: Belcanto in Lisbon.