Sardines in Sesimbra: Port 1.doc

Oh, to blog, to blog….

I’ve expressed before how hard it is to summarize a visit to a new place but the last week spent in Portugal is really difficult to put into words. So to give you an idea, please picture any film you’ve seen where characters visit a tropical or exotic locale for a wedding or some landmark event where havoc will ensue (I’m thinking here of Mamma Mia, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Beach). In these films, characters dine on delicious feasts, drink copious amounts of wine, get up to silly hijncks, party with the locals/family, and are changed by the awesomeness of their experience. In addition, the gorgeous locale provides a cinematographer’s dream as all of these events take place behind beautiful beaches, villas, and quaint costal towns. This is as close as I can come, dear reader, in trying to describe my week with Jessica, Terry (her father), Maria (her stepmother), Emily, and the host of wonderful characters that joined the story.

To say that Terry and Maria were hospitable and generous hosts would be beyond an understatement – they rolled out the red carpet for us. Upon arriving at the airport we met our hosts and their wonderful friend Louisa (her and Maria have been besties since childhood). On the ride from the Lisbon airport to the fishing village of Sesimbra (the place where we set our scene) Terry was having Emily and I navigate signs and answers mobile phone calls. I quickly learned that Terry is someone you’re instant friends with – he insisted we eat and drink right the whole weekend, taught us Greek swear words, pointed out local history, and didn’t stop calling me Doctore once he heard about my nickname. Similarly, Maria is a wonderful woman who radiates warmth, is a fantastic cook, and did not hesitate to provide us with anything she deemed we needed for the week. I could go on and on with no amount of hyperbole being sufficient, but it was these two fine people (and now new friends) who made the week so memorable.

Most of the week was spent on the beach so you can picture how that went – sun, sans, the beautiful Portuguese tanning away, and scheduled coffees and beers throughout the day. The water was unexpectedly ice-cold but it didn’t dissuade us from jumping in to cool off from the hot sun. I’m as tanned as I’ve ever been; like I’ve actually turned a shade darker. One special beach day was at a place called Meco (one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been to) where a flurry of waves provided forty minutes of pure enjoyment for me. In addition to the beach, Jess, Emily, and I walked around Sesimbra on foot, spent the mornings having breakfast on the terrace, and hit the downtown for some evening entertainment. With beers at the steep price of 1E per half pint and a bottle of wine a presumptuous 6E, we obviously saved our pennies and went to bed early. Evening entertainment included a night of karaoke, a bevy of scenario photo shoots, and a beach bar that was giving away free drinks.

One of the highlights of this trip for me was the food. Yes, it’s a bold statement but I think I can say with confidence that I have never eaten so well or so plentifully in my life. Lunches and dinners spent out, or cooked by Terry and Maria, were family style affairs with always more food than necessary. The meals cooked my our hosts were always wonderful. Me being the 24-year-old growing boy, I was usually (read: always) the one who would be asked to eat a large portion so nothing would go to waste. I think by the end of the week the group was curious to see just how much I really could eat. I was in my glory. We had sardines, cuttlefish, ribs, pork chops, black scabbard fish, octopus salad, and wonderful desserts and pastries.

On one of the afternoons Terry and Maria held a party to celebrate Jessica’s return to Sesimbra. There were fourteen guests seated around two tables going back and forth between Portuguese and English. Like the movie scenario, all the elements came together to make for a memorable party: a baby, a dog, great music, sixty sardines, a dozen bottles of wine, and some obligatory dancing. It was great to meet so many of Terry and Maria’s friends. Rui and Louisa especially kept me laughing all week. I can only hope that when we’ve matured our friends will be hosting parties as fun as this one. As Terry predicted, lunch made its way into dinner and everyone stayed to continue the merriment. It was one of the highlights of 2009!

In addition to all the eating, partying, and beaching, Terry and Maria took us to some wonderful spots in the area. We walked through Sesimbra Castle that provided a wonderful view of the estates down below; we drove up through rolling hills on our way to two other beaches nearby; we peered over cliffs where an old monestary sits on the second most Western part in Europe; we waltzed through Cascais a very ritzy spot just outside of Lisbon where celebrities flocked in the 1950s; and we stopped into five star hotels along the coast to check out their facilities and admire the view. I learned that Portugal is extremely clean, relatively cheap, easy to navigate, and filled with warm and friendly people.

The week with the gang was pure paradise. I didn't touch the internet for eight full days and instead was happy to spend the time on the terrace, beach, or stuffing my face with seafood. All this wonderful treatment left me with an incredible appreciation for Portugal, and an itch to travel up and down its coast. I have a funny feeling I'll be back there sometime soon. I also made two new friends in Terry and Maria who I'll see again in Canada or Europe. I hope to be able to invite them to my summer home one day. I try to stray away from picking travel favourites since every country has something to offer, but Portugal just has everything I could ever ask for - it has been the most memorable stop in ten months of traveling.

Port 2 will be photos from Sesimbra!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: When I mention that I gorged on sardines, please do not waste your time imagining the poor excuse for fish that you can buy in a can at the grocery store. Picture eight inch plump little fish that have been tossed in coarse salt and roasted on the BBQ. I put away seven in one sitting at lunch.