Another day, another country.
Thanks to A&J and Deb for their comments.
I do indeed remember my sporting injury which necessitated my visit to A&E. The cause of which I rarely mention. But those kerbs on the crazy golf course were lethal!
I have been keeping check of footie results where possible. Loved beating Liverpool and then great result yesterday!
Before we left the UK our policy stated that we eat out one or two days a week and cook for ourselves the other five days. In fact it has been the reverse. But I maintain we did not overspend: we were merely trying to bolster the downtrodden economies of France and Spain.
We have noticed that food is getting cheaper in Spain; 3 courses for 10 Euros is quite normal but the ingredients are often a bit more basic. Rabbit, pigs cheeks, eggs, pasta etc especially when you get out of the towns. So to Portugal and if you thought food was cheap in Spain then this is a real shock.
We are staying half way up a mountain in a pine forest near Tomar. The benefits are the views
And the lovely walks through the forest.
The downside is the one bus a day at 7am into Tomar. Fortunately on market day there is an additional bus at 9.30 which meant we got to see a very busy and old fashioned market. We have seen most things in our world travels in markets, including skinned dogs for sale in Vietnam But this is the first time we have seen a live swan. I imagine for eating but it's not been on the menu yet. It would probably not be on the menus we have had. In the hamlet next to the campsite in a place called Aboboreiras which is not even on the map, they offer 3 courses for 9 euros. The starter is a selection of tapas, olives, black pudding, spicy sausage and bread, main is either chicken or fish with loads of tasty potatoes and salad and pudding is a sort of Portuguse trifle. Not gastronomy but tasty all the same. With it we shared a litre of house white and finished with two coffees which we were to find were all included in the 9 euros per head!
Tomar is a delightful large town with lots of little cobbled streets but its main attraction is the World
Heritage Convent which is beautiful.
And the town itself is nicely laid out.
And the beer here is 90 cents for a bottle of 5.2% Superbock (33cl) or a litre of the draft for just 1.6 euros. Sounds ok to me and the weather is warming up nicely if a little windy. Can't complain though!
Adeu
J&P
Snotty has told us she has eaten swan! (It flew into power lines near them in Dorset). I don't think she is hoping for another.
ReplyDeleteNot quite as cheap as the old Escudo days in Portugal but a welcome change after the deluded French, I bet!
Cheers
A + J