Shoes & The Voice

Since we have been starting out our days pretty early since my arrival, we decided to make today a casual day before meeting Elaine's former AirBnB host for a late lunch.  Of course on a day when I could sleep in, I was up with the chickens (or seagulls as is the case in Porto).  There are so many shops on Santa Catarina that I decided to head back over to explore some more.  Elaine had introduced Moma and I to Pikolinos after one of her visits before moving. When I passed the store today, I saw the Saldos sign so of course I had to check out things.  Saldos is Portuguese for Sale.  

So many choices but I finally selected these as I don't have much room in my suitcase...plus who knows where my suitcase will end up when I leave Porto to head to Croatia.  Moma's are the ones on the left and mine are on the right.

This evening we joined Elaine’s Portuguese Moma (her old AirBnB host) and her husband for a concert. Luis Trigacheiro won Portugal's The Voice 2021 and is quite popular...especially with the ladies.  The theatre was absolutely beautiful and is one of the oldest in Porto.

Norenda (aka Moma) is a BIG fan of Luis and was taking pictures all night.  At one point, she climbed over her husband to get a better view!

When in Porto, You Must Taste Port...and Ginja

So when I was in Porto 4 years ago, we had an apartment in Gaia but spent all of our time in Porto and now it seems as though I'm spending a lot of time in Gaia though I have an apartment in Porto.  Elaine and I met up at at the Ribeira (river) to take the water taxi over to Gaia for breakfast at 7G.  While Elaine opted for the healthy acai bowl, I thought I'd try their version of chicken and waffles.  The dish included a waffle with bits of bacon in it, a chicken thigh, a poached egg (a staple on everything here), cole slaw and maple syrup...it was delicious!

We wandered around the back streets of Gaia and the World of Wine for a bit.  There are all sorts of cute shops in Gaia.  This soap and candle store was a favorite.  I love how they display their products.  One of the things that always impresses me with the shops here of the knowledge the staff has in their products.  The salesperson told us the story of many of the products and also suggested we visit their store in Porto for a larger selection.  Another thing I have noticed since arriving is the pride everyone takes in their work...it is so refreshing.

We ended up at Quevedo lodge which is one of Elaine's favorite wineries so of course we had to stop in for a taste.  Their legendary wines and Tawny flights were just what we needed...along with a charcuterie board.  We tried a 7, 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old.  All were delicous but I was partial to the 30 year old.  I love the way the Portuguese do an Advent calendar as well.

We made our way back to Porto (2 flights of Port made for a fun walk back) and headed to Santa Catarina for a little more shopping for Elaine's new place. Santa Catarina is a pedestrian only street full of stores selling everything you could possibly need...and then some.

After a little shopping, we ended up at little confeitaria specializing in marshmallows.  To go with our coconut (Elaine) and caramel (me) marshmallows, we had a little chocolate cup of Ginja.  Ginja is a traditional Portuguese liquor made from brandy or fortified wine and infused with cherries, sugar and cinnamon.  During my last visit to Portugal, Julie and I had three different variations of Ginja during one of our EatWith dinners.  Our host made her own and each one was stronger than the last.

Natas like Grandma Makes

Today we learned how to make Pastel de Nata...a traditional Portuguese treat.  Natas are not considered dessert but a snack or little pick me up or breakfast food.  I found the class at Get Your Guide and highly recommend it.  We took the bus out to Fanzeres (about 20 minutes from Porto) to Joana's apartment.  You can also take metro or Uber but the bus is the best options as it drops you off a block from her place.

There were 12 of us in the class from all over the world.  We had folks from Estonia, Germany, Holland, Canada, England, South Korea, Portugal and the US.  Our host, Joana, has a team approach to making natas and it was the perfect way to making these sweet mounds of joy.  I try to take a cooking/baking class when I visit places and most of the time each person makes the entire recipe themselves which can sometimes be a lot of pressure.  Joana put us in 2 teams and each team would trade off on making a different part of the process.  Natas are pretty simple to make but it definitely helps to have another set of hands (hint if I invite you over for natas, know you are going to help make them).

And now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  Words cannot describe how very good these natas were!  I've tried my fair share of natas in the Portugal and I'm here to tell you these are absolutely the best.  The only thing I regret about taking this class is the fact that now when I have one from a bakery it will pale in comparison.

Here's the recipe for Grandma's Pastel de Natas.  Bom Apetite!