I owe more to Portugal

I feel like I owe much more to Portugal. My visit there was magical, as always. The people are lovely, the food is amazing, it is ridiculously cheap and so so beautiful. Having spent a lot of my summer there growing up, unfortunately, it is also quite sad.

 I spent a lot of my time in a beautiful fishing village west of Lisbon called Cascais. I remember the generations of families hanging out on benches, the beaches full of locals and some tourists, the shops catering to the locals, the smell of sardines and cod wafting through the streets. Now all shops are catered to tourists, apparently the locals can barely afford anything local, stores are boarded up and most restaurants are for tourists. 

The economy is the most painful part. As much of Europe, and the world is experiencing, the recession has hit hard. I attempted to buy and eat local as much as possible to support them, however it is hard to decipher what is still owned by locals. 

My favourite beach, west of Cascais, is called Guincho beach. It is surrounded with kite surfers, VW vans and lots of wind. The bar tucked away in the back has had bob Marley on repeat since I first went there over 20 years ago and the salted peppers and caipirinhas are e way to go!

A beautiful town across the being from Lisbon, Alcochete, is also picking up. I hate to write these things because the last thing I want is for it to be invaded by tourists but they need the support of customers. I forget the name of the restaurant and I feel awful for this, but just go there, find a restaurant, and you are guaranteed delicious bacalhau a bras - cod, garlic, olive oil and chips!. The boardwalk is under construction so do yourself a favour and park a bit further out or you will be stuck in serious traffic and people doing 50 point turns.

And finally, Vela Zul. One of the best seafood restaurants in Cascais. Mom and pop hosting the joint tend to have a bit of a rough edge but its all worth it. Their stress comes from making sure e food is great, not because they are rude. The lulas, rice dishes and rice pudding are to die for. Do yourself a favour!

I actually could go on forever. 

Go to Portugal. Support the locals. Hang out and drink wine, listen to fado and just laugh. Rent bikes, relax at the beach, get lost in time in the side streets and castles and eat until you can't anymore. It's all worth it. 

Feel free to send me questions and suggestions. 

Pippa