A Grand Day Out

Saturday, 30th July.

Another overcast day here on the west coast of Portugal. Definitely not a day for lying on the beach but an opportunity to further explore the region. This time our travels took us to the charming town of Óbidos, a mish-mash of Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque features (according to the leaflet I picked up at Tourist Information) and one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal. I didn't know there was one Wonder of Portugal, let alone seven. Actually, I don't know what the other six are. Nevertheless, Óbidos is indeed wonderful.

We wandered through the narrow cobbled streets, exploring the numerous tiny craft shops, bars and bodegas selling the local brew, Ginja D'Óbidos - a cherry liqueur produced in the area and sold by the glass, most often (though not always) in a very delicate chocolate cup.

Unfortunately, I was designated driver and didn't get to try it but I did pick up a couple of miniature bottles to try later.

We also learned the story of the ubiquitous Cock of Barcelos that adorns everything from fridge magnets to tea towels all over Portugal.

The story goes that at a banquet given by a rich landowner in Barcelos the silver was stolen and a guest accused of the theft. Tried by the court and found guilty, the man continued to protest his innocence, despite evidence to the contrary. Having a compassionate moment, the magistrate grants the man a last chance to prove his innocence. Spotting a cockerel in a basket nearby, the man says, "if I am innocent, the cock will crow!" Of course, the cock crows and the man is set free. No doubt to the delight of manufacturers and sellers of tourist trinkets country-wide.

After a walk round the castle grounds and the old town wall, thoughts inevitably turned to lunch. With an abundance of similar looking eateries to choose from, we took a seat outside a small restaurant called Burgo down one of the many narrow streets.

Having been thwarted in my desire for bream last week (see the earlier 'Bad-ass Sea Bass' post), I plumped for the grilled dourado (as it's called in these parts). The Missus chose the grilled sea bass.

As we have come to expect in Portugal, the food was simple but delicious. Both the bream and the bass were well seasoned with coarse sea salt, grilled and served whole, along with boiled potatoes and carrots, a side salad and a dressing of olive oil, garlic and parsley.

We walked off our lunch with some further exploration, taking a walk along the perimeter wall and up to the castle, which now houses a 'Pousada' - essentially an inn with a restaurant, which was added in the 1950's and was the first in a historic building in Portugal.

As good as the food was in Óbidos, it wasn't the best of the day. That honour was to be found at a lovely little place that Pooky and I found whilst ambling back from the Intermarche and was literally round the corner from our apartment.

So to the fabulous Cantinho do Amigo; a place so unassuming, we had to actually stick our heads inside to make sure it was really a restaurant.

We got back and reported our find to The Missus. A little later on, as we were heading out for dinner (originally destined for somewhere down at the bay), I suggested that we nip round the corner to Cantinho do Amigo for a drink, to give us a chance to check it out. We ended up staying for dinner and were not disappointed.

Along with the hand-written menu, we were told of about half a dozen 'specials' by the waiter/proprietor. Despite there being both cutlass fish and sardines on the menu, my attention was grabbed by a couple of the specials because, we were told, they were local specialities.

The first was the one I chose - pork with clams. Cubes of pork, seasoned with paprika and a little chilli, and fried in olive oil along with cubed potatoes and finished with a handful of clams and a scattering of parsley.

The second was the choice of both The Missus and Pookster (although our host wisely advised against ordering two of this dish, insisting that one was enough for two) and it was an amazing dish of a whole, jointed chicken, cooked in an earthenware jug with chunks of chorizo, thick slices of pancetta, whole shallots, tomatoes and port. The result, succulent, melting chicken with a smoky flavour and rich, unctuous gravy - an absolute show-stopper and arguably the best dish of the trip so far. Definitely one I'll be trying to recreate when I'm back in Blighty.

Well, whilst the morning's weather didn't look promising, the day turned out to be both a cultural and culinary delight and memorable day for all.


The Bloke.