This is the first hotel we've stayed at where breakfast IS included. We were down by 9:30 and it is a huge buffet. Now Guy and I are not big buffet-ers, but this was quite the spread. There was a section of fruit, one of just cheeses and jellies, one of just breads/rolls/pastries, then one of yogurts and cereals, and finally one of all hot stuff like eggs cooked several different ways, sautéed veggies, sausages, fried potatoes, bacon (limpy bacon is a no go for us) French toast, and crepes. So we loaded up and it was all delicious!
When we woke up this morning, there were just a few puffy clouds in the sky and the air finally felt a bit warm. By the time we finished breakfast it looked like it was going to rain! So we sat out on our balcony for a bit and looked at the weather channel. Supposedly no rain today, but the sky sure doesn't look that way. So we hopped in the car and went to the grocery store. We were there probably an hour just going up and down all the isles looking at all the foods. We got some bread for our lunch today in their bakery and come cokes, waters, and cookies. As we headed back we started looking for a restaurant for supper tonight that was supposed to be close. We drove around for a bit and couldn't find it. Seriously...what's the deal?
So back to the room we got the map out and googled some of the places we will see along our drive up to Lisbon to make sure we weren't missing anything major. There is one point called Sagres that is the most southern tip of Portugal that has huge cliffs going down to the ocean. The pictures look cool, but I think we have a mini version of it here. The thought is we'd skip side trips on the drive up to Lisbon to get there earlier in the day because from what we read there is quite a bit to see and one of our days will be taken up with a side trip to Sintra - which I'm super excited about. So food for thought.
We went down to sit in some chairs and the clouds are just socked in, so Guy went to go peek over and see if there were any available two person "love seats" down by the cliff's edge. Only one has a PRIMO spot in the sun and is alone in a corner. It gets swiped up pretty early in the day, but if the clouds were out, we may as well set in one of the other shaded cushiony chairs just to have the fabulous view. When he came back the primo chair was open! I guess the folks in it earlier in the day gave up on the sun. So we took our stuff down and enjoyed the view. Not too much time had passed and the sun started to pop in and out and then it was just OUT! We were finally getting some sun - and in the good chair! I came up after awhile to get some drinks and our food we bought for lunch. I brought it down to our fabulous spot and we had a picnic. I brought my cameras down, too, because it was a good day for some infrared shots. After we had plenty of sun, the clouds started to move back in, so we moved back in as well. I'm tellin' ya, when the sun isn't out, it is down right cold! The high today was only in the 60s. We packed for 80s and 90s. All in all, it was a great day.
So now for dinner...the agonizing decision on where to eat. Not being ones to give in, we decided to try again for the Castelo do Mar. We didn't have the hotel call again for a reservation just in case we couldn't find it again. We figured that even if we had to wait an hour, we would. So I downloaded the Google Earth app on my iPad and we located that sucker. Yep, last night we drove right by it. Now that we know what the building looks like from the Google Earth map, as we approached, we saw it right away. As we pulled up it was on a curve and there was no obvious place to park, so Guy ran inside to see what we do with the car. He was in there for some time and when he came out I could see this look on his face that I know well...for what ever reason, we wouldn't be eating there tonight. He got in and said even though he almost begged, a private party had booked the entire restaurant and he wouldn't let us even sit at the bar. Once again...DRAMA due to the Castelo do Mar. So the soap opera continues...because YES, we shall try again tomorrow night. We'll just have the hotel call for a reservation this time.
As we drove back to our town, we decided to try the seafood restaurant our hotel had suggested yesterday. Trip Advisor rated it pretty good, so we thought we'd give it a go. As we walked up, a guy with a guitar was singing really loud! The owner saw us and opened the door with a friendly greeting, which was nice. We are not sure how to describe this place. It smelt strongly of charcoal as you could see the fish being cooked on the open grill in the kitchen. It was dated and looked like it would have been in style about 20 or so years ago. We were greeted in English by our waiter and the menu was in several languages. We opted for a calamari starter and Guy ordered the grilled sea bass and I was going to try the grilled golden bream (local white fish). Before the food arrived, the guy singing had a partner and they were going around the restaurant singing to the tables and making them participate with tambourines and other instruments. I was asked to do the tambourine, but I politely declined. Yes, people, it was because I had already washed my hands and I didn't want to have to get up again! So there...the first step to facing your disorders is to admit to them.
When dinner arrived, our fish still had the heads on, but the insides were gone. The grilled smell was really nice and they had a salty charred flavor to them. Both fish tasted similar, but the sea bass was probably the best. Our side was a salad with boiled potatoes, carrots and green beans. The veggies were just barely warm and had no seasoning. So with a little salt and pepper, we ate everything but the salad. For dessert (which I forgot to get a picture of except for the last two bites) was the most interesting part of the meal. I told the waiter I wanted to try something local that I couldn't get anywhere else. He immediately pointed to the chocolate cake with ice cream. However it wasn't made with chocolate, but with carob. It grows on the trees locally and the pods look like big green beans. They dry up and turn black then they cook with them. He said that years ago people only fed them to the pigs and cows because there was so much of it around and it was edible. Then they discovered that when ground, it could be used as a chocolate substitute and is now shipped world-wide. It did have an interesting flavor that I think would satisfy my chocolate needs, but he suggested we take a bite of it with the ice cream to mix the flavors. It was very interesting. He brought the black pods over and showed us what it looked like. I took a picture.
We came back to the hotel and we are going to stay up for another 30 minutes because supposedly at 10:30 they are going to have flamenco dancers. We are laughing about the age of guests here at the hotel. Lots of aged Brits and Russians. They are pretty cute, but we are definitely youngsters here. At the hotel, it is a weird combination of a resort with stunning views, inside you have a simple yet lovely hotel, with a Vegas style buffet for breakfast and supper, and cheezy entertainment each evening in the bar - local singers, DJs, etc. that the older guests obviously love. The area we are in is a very popular tourist spot and has an aged Daytona feel, but again, don't forget about the stunning views. The local people are quite polite and seem more welcoming to tourists than I think I felt from the locals in Spain (except our hotels- they were very nice).
So not many pics today, and there were no flamenco dancers to be found...so it is movie night on the iPad and hoping for a sunny day tomrrow!
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