The Portuguese Nightmare

Blogger's Note - Welcome to the 2009 Labor Day Lagniappe edition of Blackened Out. In order to help ease back into tomorrow's work grind, here's a quick pictorial roundup of my trip to Madrid and Portugal.

3 boys. 9 days. 4 cities.

I could say so much more about my trip to the Iberian Peninsula, but some travel stories are best kept with those who experienced them. Needless to say, I had quite an adventure with The Pope and The Portuguese Nightmare - and that pseudonym alone should sufficiently convey what our typical night on the town was like. We struggled through language barriers (The Pope knows exactly one word in Portuguese: "cerveza") and made a few friends (TPN decided one night in Lagos to introduce the locals to Flaming Dr. Peppers, only to discover that the only flammable liquor available was absinthe - that made for an interesting night). But we made it back alive, and so now I am here to tell about it. Well... some of it.

If I had to sum up our dining experiences in one word, it would be "pork." The ham over there has the flavor of finely aged cheese, and costs even more (around 160euro per kilo). The Pope loved it so much that he attempted to smuggle a whole leg back through customs, only to be stopped by security when they noticed a hoof protruding out the top of his carry-on luggage. But ham was not the only specimens of pork that we enjoyed. The above hunks of roast suckling pig came from Restaurante Botin, listed in The Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world. Honestly, words cannot describe how good it was.

After Madrid, we flew over to Porto, home of the world's greatest port wineries. The Pope had arranged for us private tastings at Taylor Fladgate and Sandeman, where we sampled approximately 20 different ports. We also dined at Cafeina, which is apparently one of the most popular restaurants in Porto today. The food was amazing, but unfortunately the pictures did not turn out as well. All you really need to know is that I ordered a second entree for dessert (garlic roasted prawns) and left feeling no remorse for my gluttony.

After Porto we traveled south by train to Lagos in the Algarve region. The town was more spoiled with tourists than I had envisioned, but one look at the Mediterranean beaches and you can see why. The food was less than stellar.

Lisbon was our final stop in Portugal, and I must say that it was my least favorite city to visit, even though it had the best food. After Porto and Lagos, the cosmopolitan nature of the capitol city was a bit overwhelming. Still, I would go back without thinking twice. If you ever find yourself in Lisbon, I suggest visiting the bustling nightlife on Rua da Italia, a cobblestone street lined with cafes and bars where everyone stands in the street and parties till the late hours of the night. Sound familiar? Also, you need to go to Restaurante Bojardim for the absolute best roast chicken in the world.

Finally, we returned to Madrid for one last night before returning to the real world. The last meal before boarding the plane: churros and melted chocolate at Chocolateria San Gines. A fine ending to an amazing trip.

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Welcome back to work.