Believe it or not, we don't post everything we eat on Food Fridays. Here are a few runner ups from our travels so far that didn't quite make it to blog-worthy status.
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There is something about Lisbon that invites you to turn that one more corner (and see a woman singing Fado in the streets), unlock the windows (and let the neighbor's cat in for a midnight visit), or gather your resolve and climb that next hill out of seven (and get that amazing city view). To put it mildly, we fell in love with Lisbon. We stayed two weeks, which was just enough time. Any longer, and we would have been trying to find a way to stay here permanently.
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The seaside town of Cascais is only a 40 minute local train ride from Lisbon. After a quick walk through the town streets, we reached the jagged rock strewn coast. We started off walking along the road and in between the crags in the cliffs, but soon realized our feet could only take us so far. If we wanted to go further, we'd need a little assistance. We returned to town and rented electric bikes (absolutely loved these, no more worries about head winds or hills) to take us further down the coastline towards the distant sands of Guincho beach.
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Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site clustered with castles, palaces, parks, and religious buildings. That description doesn't quite do justice to what is actually here. We started off our day trip grounded in history (a ruined Moorish castle, the royal palace), but ended up finishing with a strange sense of experiencing something fantastical. We not only got to glimpse at how the people in these places lived, but how they dreamed.
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Dining out in Lisbon isn't considered complete without drinks and dessert. The servers give a baffled look if you decide to go without either (the very polite ones blink really hard). At a cost of an extra euro or two, which is sometimes cheaper than a bottle of water, it's hard to resist trying a few new desserts and sampling the local beverages. Oh yes, and did we mention that Lisbon has an open liquor policy?
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After a few days of cobblestone streets, historical town squares, and intricately tiled buildings, we headed over to the modern side of Lisbon. In 1998, Lisbon hosted the World Expo which sparked a renewal of a coastal area north east of central Lisbon. A cable car was strung, steel and glass buildings were built, and the second largest aquarium tank in the world was filled. Post-expo, the area was named Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations) and has been a gathering place since then for locals and tourists alike.
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Belém is a pretty district that offers a slower, flatter change of pace from central Lisbon's bustling hills. The biggest attraction is the Jeronimos Monastery, but there are a few other gems hidden here, such as a beautiful walk along the Tagus River that's dotted with historical points of interest and cute food trucks.
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In Lisbon, the food is cheap and the portions are huge. The seafood is fresh and their meats, beef included, are surprisingly good too. They love their olive oil and potatoes come in all forms...boiled, mashed, smashed, fried, and chipped.
They also love sharing tips about their food. Here are a few we were given:
1. Go to the places with the handwritten menus
2. Order the especial do dia (special of the day)
3. Try the bacalhau at least once since it is the national food and there are apparently 365 different ways of making it
4. Never skip dessert
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Rome. The Eternal City. The place where every name, step, grass covered hill, or drop of water has a story. For example, the Vatican's name is derived not from the church but from the old Etruscan area upon which it sits. Walked a few miles in Rome? One thousand steps of a Roman soldier, or mille, made up a Roman mile. Think a hill is just a hill? A large grassy mound along Via di Ripetta is actually the mausoleum of the first emperor Augustus. There are secrets and stories everywhere. Thirsty after a long day of sightseeing? Don't bother buying a drink. The aqueducts still bring fresh drinkable water to the city's fountains. So, grab a bottle and fill it up. Here's to Rome! Salute!
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Mount Vesuvius is the second active volcano we've visited (the first being Mount Etna over a decade ago). Perhaps a bit temperamental, Vesuvius has had over 40 eruptions since 79 AD when it took out Pompeii and other surrounding settlements. The most recent eruption was in 1944 during World War II. They say that Vesuvius is due to erupt, and since the cap on top of the volcano is so thick, the next eruption may blow out sideways. For now, on the surface, Vesuvius lies quiet. Waiting.
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Out of all of our travels so far, we've enjoyed the food in Italy the most. Maybe it's the alfresco dining, the accordion music that warbles in the air, or the way ordering in Italian rolls off the tongue, but the food here is perfecto. First bites tingle with freshness, making us close our eyes, forget about the busyness of the day, and focus on the simple pleasure of good food.
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Another day trip from Rome leads us to Pompeii. The name "Pompeii" comes from the Oscan word for the number 5, after the 5 Oscan families that originally settled there. Written descriptions described Pompeii as a coastal city overlooking the bay. When Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the amount of ash and volcanic debris changed the landscape by pushing back the sea and extending the coast by kilometers, making Pompeii inland and thus, unable to be found for centuries. Although not the only city to be consumed by Vesuvius' volcanic wrath (several settlements and a city called Herculaneum also suffered the same fate), Pompeii is the one that lingers longest in history's memory.
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