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What’s On Your Plate – The Portuguese Coastal Camino Edition

Retirement Reflections

Above is a sampling of just some of the food and drink that Richard and I enjoyed on our recent walk on the Portuguese Coastal Camino. Keeping things simple, I completely gave up on any notion of eating meat-free (it is possible to do, but not particularly easy). We also found that ordering local dishes was a much safer bet than foreign dishes, even simpler ones.

Although we enjoyed all meals above (there were a few disappointments as well, but no need to ruin a happy nostagia vibe and mention them here). We had three very memorable restaurant/cafe visits.

Our absolute favourite meal was on the second day of our walk at, Chale Tapas Bar, Av. Dr. Henrique Barros, Lima A, Fao, Portugal, 4740-322. Phone: +351 966 456 368,
As getting dinner anytime between 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm is usually a no-go in Portugal or Spain, Richard and I stopped for our meal 8 km before our accommodations in Esposende.

After just having walked 24 km, the Sopa de Legumes and Salada Caprese hit the spot on taste, nourishment, comfort and much needed rest. And why stop there? Although other walkers thought we were crazy (and they may be right), we added on a pitcher of Sangria.

Absolutely divine! And the last 8 km? Well, we kinda don’t remember them. (We enjoyed this meal so much that we recreatead it when we got home. That’s our version in the photo above.)

Adro Eventos (Restaurante Sergio) Rua, Tv. Padre Domingos Afonso do Paçô 18, 4900-278, Portugal, +351-258-836-507 or or 258836507. Open 10 am to 10 pm. We stumbled into this place as it was very near our accommodations in Viana do Castelo. We couldn’t be happier that we did.

We thought we’d grab a quick, light bite for dinner (wrong on both accounts). Set meals were offered for 20 euros each or 25 euros if shared. Not being too hungry (or so we thought), we decided to share the chicken entree. Shortly after we ordered, a plate of shrimp and a plate of mussels were delivered to our table. We clarified with our server that we had ordered the chicken. He said he understood and that the seafood was included. Then came the separate plates of rice, couscous, green beans, Swiss chard, and zucchini-carrot-tomato-onion mix. Then came the large platter of chicken with french fries. When we thought we could not eat one more bite, the ice cream cake was served (it turns out we could actually eat several more bites). And then our server came with two shots of complimentary schnapps. Oh, and our soft drinks were also included. The grand total for all of the above was 25 euros ($37 Canadian). The entire meal was incredible, and the price was unbelievable. Well worth the trip to Carreco! My photo above does it no justice. I was too busy eating!

The Majestic Cafe in Porto is fantastic place to get a very expensive cup of coffee, But the experience is truly priceless. (R. de Santa Catarina 112, 4000-442 Porto, Portugal. Open 9:30 am to 11:30 pm, Monday to Saturday).

With it’s origins dating back to 1921, its impressive building and art nouveau interior (by architect José Pinto de Oliveira) make you feel like you are stepping back in time.

Once inside, with its elaborate finishes, and its impeccable waiters, you can almost see its regular famous patrons of days gone by. José Régio, Teixeira de Pascoaes, Leonardo Coimbra, Gago Coutinho, Beatriz Costa, and more recently Júlio Resende have all frequented there, as have so many other famous literary, political and influential figures.

A cup of ‘American Coffee’ will set you back 6 euros (8.75 CDN), a cheese and tomato omelette is 23 euros (33.64 CDN) and a cup of ice cream is 12 – 15 euros (17.50 – 22.00). That’s a small price to pay to step back into history. Still, we stuck with coffee.

That’s what’s been on my plate this past month. What’s been on yours?

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As with my recent post about Accommodations on the Portuguese Coastal Camino, all opinions are my own, and no part of this post has been sponsored.

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

75 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate – The Portuguese Coastal Camino Edition”

  1. The Majestic Cafe looks wonderful with the art deco vibes, Donna as does all of your photos. I’m sure you looked forward to a comforting meal at the end of your daily walk. They certainly know how to eat and prepare food in Europe, don’t they? I’m so happy you could finish your Camino and enjoy your travels. x

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    1. Hi, Sue – They definitely know how to eat in Europe. The irony, is most walkers on the Camino report that they are not hungry after their long walk. Richard was in that category. Fortunately, I was not. I was hungry from the moment I woke up to the moment I went back to bed. Luckily, there was fabulous food and drink in between those times!

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  3. Hi Donna – all those pics of food looked, bright, colourful, healthy, and delicious…..and I saw hot chips in there and it made my day. So glad you found plenty to eat and generally a great dining experience (despite those few little glitches).

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  7. What a delightful way to fuel up for your walk. Everything looks delicious. My favorite way to eat when I visit foreign countries is to “eat local”.

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    1. Hi, Bernadette – Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I seldom check my Spam Folder (bad, I know). I’m glad that I did today because your comment was in there. I have no idea why. I agree with you about ‘eating local’ when traveling. Whenever we tried ‘international’ dishes on this trip, we were disappointed.

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  12. Oh my, that made me almost snort out my coffee when I read about you not remembering the last 8 km after your pitcher of sangria!!!

    Not only an amazing walk, but amazing food (and drink 😉) as well!

    Love this post!

    Deb

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  17. Great blog! But I’m confused about your comment that getting dinner between 3.30pm and 8pm in Portugal and Spain is a ‘no-go’?

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  18. I’d pay that for a coffee with a side serve of all that history. I remember when we were in France the idea of an early dinner was a travesty. We don’t eat early – say 7pm – but any later than that and I’m looking for bed. It all is making me very hungry!

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    1. Absolutely! Expensive coffee with impeccable service and all of that rich history is truly a small price to pay.

      In our retirement, Richard and I are (embarassingly) early dinner eaters. I could no longer make it to 7 pm. 6:30 pm tops if I had to — and had eaten a full, late lunch first! ❤

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  19. Yes, always better to eat local when travelling. And often street food is better than the high end stuff. Meat free was very hard in Japan too. Looks like you te well tho. Lovely post!

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    1. Thanks, Lydia – I agree that some places are harder then others to be meat-free. One of the restaurants in Spain had a vegetarian sandwich on their menu. Excitedly, I ordered that…and promptly bit into shrimp and tuna. When I pointed this out to the waiter, he shrugged and pointed out that the sandwich was “mostly vegetables.” 😀

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  21. Your trip and the food devoured looks absolutely amazing! I would really struggle with eating after 8pm so would have to have my main meal at lunch time I think. I love your idea of adding in the Sangria to your early meal and then not really remember the rest of the walk that day 🙂

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    1. Hi, Janine – I’m the same. When I worked, I frequently ate after 8 pm. Now, that is no longer an option (I am usually quite comfy in my pjs by then — shhh, don’t tell anyone). Yes – the Sangria Walk was fun. At least I think it was. It truly is a blur! 😀

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      1. Thank you for looking and asking – I’ve just done a blog post on breakfast chia pudding. Hopefully it should be in the woyp link

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  22. Well, the food wasn’t bad here at home but the ambience doesn’t come close to what you experienced. On my plate: lasagna, Greek salad, butternut squash soup, & with a nod to Spain, my version of a paella. I’m eating down the freezer in preparation for garden harvest. I’ve made rhubarb pies & crisp (to give away) a few times & have processed more for the freezer awa making juice. Donna, I’m flying in & out of Nanaimo Aug 1 & 8. I hope we can have a coffee meet?

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    1. Yes!! to a meetup. That would be awesome.

      Anytime August 1 – 8 is good for me. Deb, The Widow Badass, lives within walking distance of the Nanaimo Airport. And Janis, Retirementally Challenged, will be arriving in Parksville August 6 and staying for 2.5 weeks. So we have lots of meetup options. Message me on Contact Me with any details that would work from you and we can communicate by email, text or whatsapp from there. Hooray!!

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  23. Ah, the food of lovely Portugal. I remember walking inside the Majestic Cafe, but just to see the amazing interior. I never could get used to those “weird” (by our standards) dining hours in Spain and Portugal. When the restaurants gear up for the evening, I’m just about ready for bed. 🙂 Funny that you and Richard shared a pitcher of Sangria before finishing your walk… I’m pretty sure I’d fall asleep mid-step.

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    1. Thanks, Janis – Restaurants opening for dinner at 8 or 9 pm are way too late for me. I am totally in my PJs by then. Heck, it’s 7 pm right now and I am already in recline mode, with teeth brushed and nightwear on! 😀

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  24. Hi Donna – I really enjoyed reading about your hiking/dining experiences (Sangria in the middle, how about a shot of Schnapps – why not?!). The food pictures are making me hungry. I can’t believe the deal you got at Adro Eventos – that’s a lot of food and it all looks delicious 🙂 Hope you are doing well!

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  26. Donna,

    If you dropped my in Adros Eventos, I’m not sure I would leave, LOL! What a bargain! Don’t you love surprises? Thoroughly enjoyed your trip, and the pictures. Have a fabulous weekend! Joe

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    1. Hi, Joe – I definitely like that kind of surprise. And yes, it was very hard to leave Andros Eventos but we truly could not have eaten one more bite! I hope that all is well for you and Helen and that your travels are going smoothly!

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  28. It all looks amazing!! What a fabulous trip. You made some friends, ate some great food (and walked it all off!) and ticked a major off your bucket list of travel.

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  29. Wow! What culinary delights along your walk! Haha! Yeah, I’m smiling that you enjoyed a Sangria and then continued for another 8km. Why not?!😀 Travelling I too often find it is better (and safer) to have local food although for me it would be vegetarian! My latest major dining experience was to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary – treated ourselves to a meal at The Ivy – a sublime meal and experience!

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  33. Oh wow! That all looks and sounds so yummy. Plus all that walking and hiking worked up a real appetite I’m sure.

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  35. Hi Donna – very late … but I’ve been looking at the dishes for a while now – and your meals sound ideal … well done – love the idea of wandering 8 kms having had that Sangria! The art deco cafe – they do have amazing places on the continent … history being made over the decades. Cheers Hilary

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