A Quest For Food

Saturday evening, a long day's work done in a small committee room; outside - a fresh breeze, dying light, traffic jams as the beaches empty. Three cars edge along the coast from Carcavelos towards Lisbon. We pass through Belem, home to the Maritime Museum in a former monastery and the brutal linear rectangularity of the modern art museum.

Finally, at a quayside two cars release us to uncoil and stretch, the third turns up later having gone to another restaurant of the same name.    A further wait and the whole group is together.
Outside the restaurant is a 3 metre high copper vat used in brewing; this used to be a brewery, but inside has been converted into a light, open dining area.  The lights are the biggest I have ever seen indoors, the photo rather hides that each of the globes is about a metre diameter.

Before our meals arrive there is plenty of fresh bread, and - Portuguese style - we dip it in olive oil - delicious.

 To match the copper vat outside my meal is served in a copper coated container. It carries a traditional dish of flaked cod in a mesh of tiny fried potato chips, with egg and coriander. It is absolutely delicious.

Several of our party are Brazilian Christians; I must ask them one day how they manage to smile so much and to love life as they obviously do.