Easter Weekend

   Rather chilly today but the sun was shining so it was quite bearable. I was out early (8:15) today to try to beat the shopping crowds but the second store I hit was quite a zoo. I think it was because yesterday was the Good Friday holiday and tomorrow the stores will be closed as well. But I had everything purchased by 10:30 so am all set for the family arriving tomorrow for lunch.

   Another trip I took in Portugal was to Lisbon and Sintra. The palace at Sintra was the summer spot for the royal family for many years and is quite beautiful. A special treat there is to have a small sip of cherry brandy in a chocolate cup which you eat afterwards. I had two!

    We also stopped off at Capo de Roca which is the most westerly point in Europe and was an extremely cold and windy spot. On the way back to Lisbon we visited another holidaying town, Cascais, where people were swimming in the ocean! It was a shallow beach so I guess the water had warmed up a bit. That night in Lisbon we went out for a meal of Cataplana which is a fish speciality. It had lobster, shrimp (with the heads on), clams and other fishy delights which we shared. Its name derives from the dish in which it is cooked.

The Royal Palace at Sintra. It was used by the royal family until the late 19th century and there are many fascinating anecdotes about its occupants.

The beacon at Capo de Roca, the most westerly point in Europe.

A quaint little shop on the narrow, winding streets of Sintra.



Flowers in bloom in Cascais. This was a warm day in early March.

I am stuffing the chocolate Easter eggs as I wait for the photos to load and have been nibbling shamelessly! Supper will be hard to stomach so I will wait until later (much later). I plan to cook some brussell sprouts with bacon - a favourite treat of mine - to have with fish and quinoa. from yesterday.