Posts Tagged ‘porto’

I spent my last full day in Portugal just walking up and down the streets of Lisbon. It was Easter weekend, and the streets were full of people enjoying a beautiful, sunny day. I was told that schools in Portugal and Spain take two-week vacations around Easter, and many people from Portugal go to Spain while folks from Spain visit Portugal, since it’s only a few hours by car. And I found that to be very true, since I could understand overheard conversations a lot better that weekend! (My Spanish is much better than my Portuguese!)

The waterfront in Lisbon was full of travelers!

A small Easter marketplace opened up over the weekend, and it was my opportunity to try the famous pork sandwich called bifana. I had actually tracked down a bifana shop in town, but they were closed for the holiday. So finding this stand was a bit of luck. And it was delicious!

The ladies workjing here were very sweet and happy to share their food with hungry customers like me!
An interesting way to serve condiments!
A beer is always a good choice on a hot day!

My last meal in Portugal had to be special. And so, I chose a restaurant that was visited by Anthony Bourdain many years ago on “No Reservations.” The only time he went to Portugal, from what I understand.

Cervejaria Ramiro has been around for many years, but Bourdain brought it worldwide fame, and if you don’t get yourself a reservation, you don’t get in!

Amazing seafood served at a frenetic pace. Fast, but you never feel rushed. And the servers are real characters. It’s just an awesome, fun time eating fantastic seafood!

The garlic was heavy here!

I met Anthony Bourdain once. I was lucky enough to introduce him onstage at the Providence Performing Arts Center, back when he did his speaking tours. We had a good 30 minutes to hang out together backstage, and what did we talk about? Nickelodeon! Both his daughter and mine were the same age, and we were dads that sat and watched “Spongebob” and “Dora” with our kids. It was a wonderful “dad” conversation I’ll never forget–as far from foodie talk as it could be.