Hi,
This week we returned to Figueira da Foz. We went to shop at the Minipreço, because Montemor is sadly lacking in that grocery chain. And we must get to Minipreço every now and then because Minipreço is where we found hotdogs when we lived in Custóias. Alas, this Minipreço let us down. It was a very mini Minipreço, and did not have a wide range of items for sale. But, we will not hold that against them.
To cheer us up, we walked along the Rio Mondego near where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful sunny day and the dogs had a great time. There are so many interesting scents in a marina…or so they tell me. As far as I could tell, there was nothing to smell. It was a refreshingly non-fishy harbor, according to my nose.
There is a level, pedestrian walkway along the river (and possibly further on to the beach, but we didn’t go that far) that is wide and dotted with benches and shade trees. It is like the riverside in Porto, with plenty of greenspace along the way. There is also a large open area with a large sun dial and zodiac signs in the cobblestones there. I was able to find my zodiac sign, but I couldn’t read anything else into it. I guess it wasn’t talking to me that day.
If you watch the video, you will see that as we approach the parking lot with our car, we hear sirens and police cars and motorcycles come by. We stopped to watch, thinking maybe a parade was about to start, but that wasn’t the case. We caught on when cars honking their horns and folks inside the cars waving at us began streaming by. The clue made itself apparent because the cars had bicycles on top. We were seeing the support vehicles for a bike race. A few minutes later (after we had turned off the camera), we saw the swarm of riders race down the street. They were there and gone in seconds.
Two days later, our landlady returned from spending the holidays in France with her children and grandchildren. I know this because Chris found a half-dozen eggs, a load of oranges, and lemons by our back door. The lemons are from the tree in her yard, the eggs are from her chickens, and the oranges are courtesy of her extended family. It’s nice to live in a little village!
On a side note, I have been asked about grocery shopping in Portugal (I’ve been asked about all types of shopping in Portugal, but as I know more about groceries than shoes, I will only talk on that). I’m not an expert shopper, but I can tell you that I can find what I need in the grocery stores. There are particular brands and unique items (Poptarts, ChexMix, and other processed foods) that I haven’t seen here. But if the item I am looking for is basic (croissants, apple turnovers, chips, etc.) then it is available. Of course, the foods in Portugal have ingredient lists that must be translated from Portuguese, but that is what smart phones do best. The grocery stores stock different items, so if I cannot find something in Intermarché, I will check Lidl and Continente and usually I can find it at one of those stores. And while these stores cannot beat fresh lemons and eggs from the garden, they come close with a wider selection. Also, I have no trouble finding clearly labeled lactose-free items (Sem Lactose). Both milk (which is all sold as shelf-stable) and cheeses are available with many containing no lactose. So, as far as I am concerned, shopping is not a problem.
Anyway, the weather here is getting warmer and the skies are clearing, so maybe next week we will manage to get a bit further afield. I must admit I have always had fun when visiting the local villages and towns, but it will be great to get back to the castles and ruins further away. Fingers crossed!
Nola