Saturday 26 January 2008

Item 19: Belem... In Search of the Portugese Custard Tart

Location: Pastéis de Belém, Rua de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

Our mission, upon booking our flights to Lisbon, was to find the perfect Portuguese custard tart.

Catching the bus, (or alternatively tram 15), to the district of Belem to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, we knew were well on the right track as we past the early morning queue outside
Pastéis de Belém.

Disembarking at the spectacular monastery bathed in sunlight, we ventured through the local Sunday market and reflected upon the views of the Torre de Belem, assuring ourselves that our visit wasn’t purely motivated by gluttony.


Once we had completed the tourist circuit, it was time. We lined with the well mannered locals outside of the café. (This gave us enough time to decide how many tarts we dared to consume in one sitting). A little nudging at the counter, we almost lost our spot, had it not been for the lovely Portuguese grannies behind us who let us place our order first.


One box of six beautifully packaged Pasteis de nata, warm from the oven served with sachets of cinnamon and sugar to taste. Their light custard, shelled in filo-like pastry with melt-in-your-mouth texture could not have been more perfect, as we ate them under the Lisbon sun…. mmmmm


Item 19: Belem? CHECK!

Thursday 24 January 2008

Item 18: Sintra... In Search of Sun

Location: Parque da Pena - Estrada da Pena, Portugal

A lovely weekend of 18 degree days greeted us as we stepped out into the foreign sun of Lisbon on Saturday morning, compensating for the 4:30am
easyBus ride to London's Luton Airport.

We headed straight for the town of Sintra, a 40 minute train ride from Entre Campos station, which we reached from the airport via bus, effectively saving us from making a pit stop in the capital.

Arriving in the quaint town, a bus ride up the Sintra hills bypassed views of a number of historical palaces and castles. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was validated as we entered the grounds of Palácio da Pena for €8. Tackling the incline of the palace's gardens, (grateful that the '18m' sign post was interpreted correctly as 18 metres, rather than 18 minutes), we viewed hints of fairytale fantasies as we glimpsed the pastel colours of the Neuschwanstein-like castle through the trees.

A kids playground as we explored the palace, there was a surreal romanticism surrounding the former royal retreat, bringing
more highlights and amazement at each corner.

To make the most of the weather, we followed the winding footpaths further up the mountain through the historical gardens to the highest place of the Sintra Hills, Cruz Alta - High Cross. Climbing the rock face, we weren't sure if we had actually made it until we saw the crater in the stone, a timely reminder of where the cross should have been. All that effort for the missing redeemer!

Fresh air and sunlight during our visit to the park made for such a refreshing weekend away it was only timely that it would rain the whole day after, when we got back to London.

Item 18: Sintra? CHECK!

Sunday 6 January 2008

Item 17: Soho Theatre - My Brother and I are Porn Stars

Location: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, London , W1D 3NE

This was a play I randomly went to see, courtesy of the following review from Timeout Magazine:
Following the success of their sold-out run last Easter, the surreal and taboo-breaking New Zealand comedy group 'My Brother and I are Porn Stars' return with a Christmas show that all the family definitely can't enjoy together as it contains nudity, mania, violence and Christian porn
Remember the good times when you've settled down for a few drinks with your mates after dinner, where else does a typical night's conversation lead? That's the best analogy I can come up with at the moment without giving too much away from the night's performance. The storyline was a jumble of inappropriateness filled with shocks of laughter.

We walked out of the play thinking, hrmm.. What was that? So glad there wasn't an intermission for us to ponder the show any longer than required.

Item 17: Soho Theatre? CHECK!