#but the performance gets exhausting after a while and there's garlic bread to be eaten

[off-brand-orpheus]

look I'm an aroace-spec and I'm dating an allo and like. Do any of you aroace-specs hit a wall with allo things? I'll be talking all flirty or doing the kiss and all of a sudden my brain and body just goes "yeah okay we hit our quota. time to ramble about space"

[naminethewriter]

Satisfyingly Exhausted

I've been struggling with writer's block, so here's a little Roceit story to get me back into the groove 💖💛

I have a theater performance this week, so taking that as inspiration, here is a little story of Janus taking care of Roman after he comes home after a long day of rehearsals.

Here on Ao3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janus was sorting laundry when he heard the house door open and close, some shuffling, followed by a loud thump.

His boyfriend was home.

And apparently not feeling like his fabulous self right now.

Good thing Janus had prepared for that possibility when Roman had texted him that rehearsal would be running longer than expected. That had been three hours ago, meaning that they went overtime for about two hours. Not the worst it’s ever been but it certainly explained why Roman had (most likely) collapsed on the couch instead of seeking out his boyfriend.

With a hum, Janus left the rest of the laundry behind to be dealt with later and made his way downstairs. However, before going to console Roman, he made a trip into the kitchen, grabbing some garlic bread out of the oven – good thing Roman had texted him before leaving the theatre, it gave him plenty time to prepare – as well as a cold glass of water.

When Janus arrived in the living room, he found Roman face down on the couch, his shoes off but his jacket still on. He was lying still, something that rarely happened. He must be more exhausted than usual.

“C’mon on, darling. Sit on up. Let me see your lovely face,” Janus cooed while setting down the bread and glass on the coffee table. Roman didn’t move, grumbling into the cushion.

“I can’t kiss you like this, honey.”

Same reaction as before. Janus rolled his eyes.

“I made you garlic bread.”

That got a reaction. Roman turned his head so that Janus could actually see his face, looking up at him with the most pitiful eyes he could muster.

“Is it still warm?”

“Yes, dear, I put it in the oven as soon as you let me know you were on your way home.”

“You’re the best,” Roman groaned, finally pushing himself back up. He sat, falling heavily into the backrest, and made grabby hands for the plate. Janus couldn’t help but roll his eyes again at the childish behavior but indulged Roman by handing him the plate. He watched as his boyfriend took a bite and chewed blissfully; his eyes closed. As soon as Roman swallowed, he handed him the glass as well.

“You know so well what I need after a day like this,” Roman said with a grateful smile, taking a sip and sighing in relief at the cold feeling travelling to his stomach. He handed the glass back to Janus before patting the seat next to him.

“Were the rehearsals that bad?” Janus asked as he sat down. Roman immediately snuggled into his side, taking another small bite from his bread before answering.

“They weren’t bad. On the contrary, we got a lot done today. Everyone worked really hard and it’s really coming together now. It’s just… Nine hours is a lot, especially since it wasn’t planned and I hadn’t eaten all that much today. I’m exhausted but in a good way.”

“That’s good to hear, darling. Let’s take things slow this evening. You take your time eating right now and when you’re done, we can take a nice warm bath before I cook us a proper dinner.”

“Sounds wonderful, my love. You spoil me.”

“Only the best for my prince,” Janus smiled, pressing a kiss to Roman’s hair.

[itscollegeeats-blog]

Pepperoni Cauliflower Pizza

Good morning, afternoon, and evening my striving college students! Another week has come and gone, and that means College Eats is back with another recipe for you to give a try.  This week, we are revamping a beloved late-night snack, a quick and easy dinner, a delicious Italian dish; pizza!  We know what you’re thinking, how could you possibly make pizza any better?  We have an idea, but hear us out.  Most of us as students are purchasing pizza from our favorite delivery company, or we are buying them frozen at the grocery store, right?  Buying these specific pizzas, means you are buying pizza that contains some bad carbohydrates.  There is a difference between bad carbohydrates and good carbohydrates, and we want to avoid the trans fats, cholesterol, and high sodium content that is in the crust of the pizza you are buying and consuming.  This week, we have taken out the bad carbohydrate of the pizza, the bread crust, and swapped it with a good carbohydrate, cauliflower crust!  It is low-carb and is still packed full of flavor. After learning how to make this guilt-free guilty pleasure, you will notice you feel less bloated and not as lethargic throughout the day.  You will feel full, but not like you have eaten too much, because we all know how hard it is to say no to just one more slice!  Let’s get started.

 Here’s what you’ll need:  

 ·       2 ½ cups of cauliflower (most likely one medium sized head of cauliflower)

·       1 large egg, lightly beaten

·       1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella

·       ¾ cup of finely shredded cheddar

·       2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

·       1 teaspoon of garlic salt

·       ½ teaspoon of pepper

·       1 tablespoon of chopped basil

·       ¼ cup tomato sauce

·       Pepperoni (to taste!)

·       1 rimmed baking sheet

·       Parchment paper

·       1 microwave safe bowl

·       Food processor

  It seems like a lot you must acquire this week, but all of these ingredients are easy to get your hands on.  Feel free to swap out the cheese that we have suggested for you, this is just what we thought tasted the absolute best!  Feel free to buy more than just one head of cauliflower.  This way, you can chop up an abundance of cooked cauliflower all at once, and then store it in the refrigerator to make more cauliflower pizza.  This speeds up the total prep time for pizza you make in the future.  

 As for cost, one head of cauliflower at your favorite grocery store will probably cost you about $2.77.  When selecting a cauliflower, you want to make sure it is tightly bundled with creamy white florets.  The ones with bright green leaves are the best to pick!  Avoid cauliflowers with yellow or spotted florets.  Saggy leaves mean all nutrition and freshness has left the vegetable.  This cauliflower can stay in your refrigerator for five days, but after it is chopped it should stay in your refrigerator for no more than four days. For those of you who do not own a food processor, or a high-powered blender, there is cauliflower “rice” that you can buy.  It is basically pre-chopped cauliflower bagged and sold at 10 oz for $2.48. What’s that?  It’s cheaper? Wrong!  Remember, there is 8 ounces in one cup.  The recipe we have provided for you calls for 2 ½ cups of cauliflower.  So, you would actually need to purchase two bags of pre-chopped cauliflower in order to have enough.  Anyway, it is always better to chop things yourself when you can.  If you can grate your own cheese, do it!  If you can chop your own basil, do it!  There’s nothing better than farm fresh basil, so if you are able to go to a farmer’s market near you, this would be the best place to get the freshest, most flavorful basil for your pizza.  

  Here’s how you start:

 Preheat that oven of yours to 425 degrees.  It needs to be this high to give your cauliflower crust a nice crispiness to it.  Then line your baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place your cauliflower head in the microwave safe bowl and add just a little water to steam it.  Cover the bowl, and put it in the microwave for three minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.  After this, let it cool.  Next, place the now cooked and cooled cauliflower in your food processor, or a high-powered blender works too, and pulse the cauliflower until it is chopped into tiny pieces.  It will almost look grated.  In a mixing bowl, add the egg, 1 ¼ cups of the mozzarella, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper, and chopped basil.  Then stir all of these ingredients together until they are combined.  Pour this mixture onto the baking sheet and form the shape of crust that you want.  You can do a classic circular pizza, personal sized pizzas, square, rectangle, whatever you would like!  Once you have the general shape formed, pat down the crust to make it a flat surface. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until golden and firm and solid.  Spoon on the sauce, and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.  Place as many pepperonis as you want (remember we said to taste!) and stick your pizza in the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese melts completely.  Now, enjoy!

 Depending on how crispy, thin, or thick you like your crust, this pizza may not be as solid to pick up as a slice of pizza with bad carbohydrates, so sometimes it is best eaten with a fork.  Take a seat, indulge in your cauliflower crust pizza, and let’s take a look at everything this cauliflower is doing for you…because it is a lot.  

 Nutrients and Benefits:

 Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable which means it is in the same family as two other beneficial superfoods:  broccoli and kale.  While natural sugar in moderation can be good for us, cauliflower actually contains less sugar than broccoli does, one of cauliflower’s relatives.  We need this natural sugar for our bodies to create energy, but there is such a thing as too much.  This is why a low-carb alternative is better for us. These carbohydrates are broken down to the sugar that we need to turn into energy for our bodies.  

 Cauliflower contains what we are calling the three G’s.  These are glucobrassicin, glucoraphanin, and glugonasturtiin.  We know these names look scary, but these are what are called phytochemicals.  They stimulate the enzymes in our bodies that are cancer-blocking, and they protect our cells from oxidative stress and other damage caused by free radicals.  Cauliflower contains so much vitamin C, manganese, and other antioxidants that help nourish our body.  With our young age, it is important to load up on these as best we can while our body is still in its prime!  

 One of the three G’s, glucoraphanin, along with vitamin K in cauliflower, helps maintain blood circulation, and proper functioning blood vessels.  The glucoraphanin is converted to something that activates anti-inflammatories, and prevent lipids from accumulating inside the blood vessels.  Unobstructed blood flow reduces our risk of conditions like atheroscelerosis, which is an artery disease.  There is an abundance of antithrombotic and antiplatelet functions that significantly contribute to heart health.  

 Cauliflower is a great source of dietary fiber which helps our digestion and it aids in eliminating toxins from our bodies.  Did you know fiber did that?  Again with the help of one of our three G’s, glucoraphanin, glucosinolate, and sulforaphane, cauliflower protects the stomach lining and protects from growth of bacteria.  Additionally, the nutrients in cauliflower are also preventing risk of abdominal disorders.  This can include stomach ulcers, colon cancer, etc.  

 We mentioned earlier that cauliflower contains both vitamin C and vitamin K.  These are great for our bone health.  Vitamin C plays an important part in producing the collagen that protects our joints and bones from inflammatory damage.  The vitamin K helps in preventing bone loss.  The vitamin C also reduces our risk of diabetes when attributed with the potassium in cauliflower.  When we regulate our glucose metabolism, our risk of diabetes decreases, and this si what the potassium content in cauliflower does for us.  Our pancreas also utilizes potassium for secreting the insulin hormone that resists high blood sugar.  Anything that prevents blood sugar spikes is great for our bodies!

 As students and young professionals, we are constantly exhausting our brain with critical information, learning new knowledge, and other activities that require us to use our heads.  Making sure our brain is in good health is important.  Cauliflower contains choline and phosphorus, both excellent and effective for repairing the cell membrane in our brains.  We need these components for the most efficient functioning brain and nervous system for transmitting nerve signals as well.  The potassium and vitamin B6 also performs well for maintaining our brain health and our nervous system.  Communication between these two systems is key!  

 That is just scratching the surface of what cauliflower does for us! We know you are loyal pizza lovers, but let us know what you think of this low-carb alternative.  It’s a great replacement for a bad carbohydrate in a well-loved dish.  As always, we appreciate TONS of feedback here at College Eats!  

 And of course, stay hungry!  

  https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-cauliflower.html

  '�

[hknorr2597-blog]

Mardi Gras Through The Eyes Of An Introvert

Beads flung from the balconies of Bourbon Street scattered across the ground, rendering it nearly invisible. People packed themselves onto Bourbon Street like sardines. My fiancé, Darren, grabbed my hand:

“Follow me,” he said.

I kept running into women flashing their chests to the balconies while trying not to roll my ankles walking on the sparkling purple, green and gold beads.

A group of three of our friends, Matt, Joe, and Christina (she prefers to be called “Teeny”), followed closely behind.

Darren cleared a path for us. At 6-feet 9-inches tall, his hazel eyes easily scannedabove the sea of people.

How am I ever going to survive this night?

Club music boomed from every bar and the smell of people sweating alcohol wafted down the street. This was my first Mardi Gras, and I could tell it was more party than I could handle. I knew I was going to need to escape the chaos of Bourbon Street, and fast.

I had been to New Orleans before to visit Darren at the Belle Chasse Naval Base. Previous trips had been relaxed. But this time, the sole purpose was to experience Mardi Gras to the fullest. And party.

It was 9 p.m. I hadn’t eaten all day. I was confident I would die if I didn’t get some food in me before the adventure ahead.

Darren led us to NOLA Po’boys, one of my favorite spots for the state’s signature sandwich. About a three-block walk up Bourbon Street.

“You know what I like,” I said to Darren with a smirk.

While the gang sought a table in NOLA I hustled to make a bathroom break. When I returneda spicy grilled shrimp po’boy waited for me.The fresh French bread and spicy shrimp soothed my soul from the chaos happening just outside.  

But I needed more than a sandwich to get through the evening. I needed to find a peaceful place. A place free from the hellish sounds and smells of Bourbon Street.

We finished our food and stepped back out into the party. Darren took the lead again. We followed closely behind, weaving through the crowd, dodging flying beads.

I dodged to slowly. I was hit in the eye. And those stupid little beads hurt. I’d had enough of the street and it had not even been 10 minutes.

“Alrighty babe,” I said holding my hand over my eye. “Let’s seek some shelter.”

I had seen Bourbon Street on a previous trip to New Orleans. We had gone at around 9:00p.m. on a Sunday that time. And I thought it was bad then.

Darren led us further up Bourbon Street to a little bar called Lafitte’s. It was far enough away from the crowds to be considered peaceful by Mardi Gras standards.

“This is about as mellow as it’s gonna get guys,” Darren said.

We walked inside the tiny bar, which was originally a blacksmith shop built in 1722, to find a live pianist and candlelight. The building sportedits original flooring, old wood beams held up the 300-year-old ceiling, and thestonewalls felt refreshing to lean against.

I was in love.

Darren walked to the pianist who plays any song request for a dollar. The sound of Toto’s Africa filled the bar.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I said with a laugh.

I hate that song, somehow it plays everywhere I go and has turned into my unwanted anthem.

But it put me in a better mood. The live music, the candlelight, and the people at Lafitte’s were like a microculturein comparison to the rest of Bourbon Street.

Mellow.

We found an empty table amongst the crowd and made it ours. Matt ordered a round of drinks. He came back with Laffite’s signature Frozen Voodoo Daiquiri. Better known as “purple drank.”

We made that piano player at least $15 richer as we sang, drank, and danced.

My anxiety was settling. I was one happy introvert.

I discovered a new love for Lafitte’s, but the love was fleeting.Time to find something new.

“Hey bartender!” I shouted. “Where can I find a more laid-back type of party?

She replied in the sweetest southern drawl,

“Baby, Bourbon Street has nothin’ on Frenchman. That’s where the locals go. Good music, good drinks, good people.”

Say no more.

Off we go to Frenchman Street.

We were about halfway to Frenchman when Matt said,

“Wait! We need to see this!”

He was right. And as much as I wanted to get the hell off of Bourbon Street, the drag show that was happening inside a club called Oz was not to be missed.

We entered the purple and blue lit club to catch one queen perform “Diva” by Beyoncé in a neon yellow-green body suit. She looked amazing. Her energy was fantastic. If she could be in a party mood, so could I.

We left Oz. And with a newfound energy, I took head of the group.

We stopped at a little daiquiri place for those tall skinny neon cups with the crazy straws to sip on as we strolled through the narrow streets of The French Quarter. Laughing and singing our way to Frenchman Street.

In minutes we arrived. Calm washed over me. This was it. This was my Mardi Gras-peaceful-place.

The sound of old New Orleans jazz played on rich brass instruments washed out of the bars lining the sides of the street. People filled the sidewalk and street, but I could walk without running into people or stumbling over beads. It smelled of the rich Cajun spices instead of alcohol sweat.

Every bar looked appealing.

Our first stop would be Blue Nile.  

Little neon painted moons, planets and stars splattered across the ceiling of the blue-lit room. The band playing at the front of the bar embodied the energy of Mardi Gras. Lively, colorful, and loud. The singers voice was strong, but still soothing to listen to.

I ordered a gin and tonic and made my way to the dance floor. Darren stood out, as usual, making it easy to find the group.

The distinct beginning notes of Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy catch our ears.

Darren, Matt, Joe, Teeny, and I belted that song like our lives depended on it. Out of key, out of breath and buzzed. We sang along at the top of our lungs.

After five or six more songs that I honestly can’t recall, and a few more drinks (which is more than likely why I can’t recall the songs), hunger overcame us. Again.

Across the street from Blue Nile, a neon sign reading Dat Dog sparked our interest.

As we arrived, it came to my attention that this was a little hotdog joint. And as a vegetarian, I assumed it had nothing to offer me.

I was wrong. So wrong.

I took a glance at their menu and discovered a vegan section with four veggie dog options.

I have spent 10 years taste testing a variety of grocery store veggie dogs at family barbeques only to be disappointed by their rubbery texture and flavor.  I set my skepticism aside in the spirit of Mardi Gras and order the Vegan Italian Dog.

Made of eggplant, red wine, garlic and fennel, the Vegan Italian dog was nowhere near the rubbery texture I had become so used to.

It burst with flavor.

To call it delightful would be an understatement.

Full and happy, a bar called Bamboulas was our final stop.

This bar sports a more open and lit atmosphere. Exposed brick covers the wall where a band of six plays classic New Orleans jazz.

Less packed than bars we had been to earlier in the evening, we found a booth with ease.

Teeny came back with a round of shots with limes.

“Let’s end this night right,” she said.

“Tequila!”

We took our shots. The lime doesn’t help much with that agave liquor sting. But my god does it make for a good time.

I don’t consider myself a dancer by any means. But about 15 minutes after that shot, I was ready to swing.

I grabbed Darren by the hand. He doesn’t consider himself a dancer either.

Too bad.

I pulled him onto the dancefloor, and we performed what I’m assuming looked like some kind of flailing, uncoordinated swing dance.

We didn’t care who was watching or what we looked like.

Soon our group joined us.

Then other couples.

Within five minutes the dancefloor was filled. The music seemed to get livelier with every person who jumped on the floor, as if the band was feeding off of our energy.

We danced for at least an hour. My feet ached, I was sweaty, out of breath and exhausted.

I gave Darren a glance.

“Bedtime?” he asked.

Yes. Bedtime.

On the walk back to our hotel, we crossed through Bourbon Street again.

Frenchman had transitioned my crabby, anxious, Mardi Gras-hating-self, into a calm, happy lover of Mardi Gras.

I though Mardi Gras 2019 would be my first, and last.

Mardi Gras 2020 can’t get here fast enough.

[theelectricfilmdiary]

On the 13th of Jan we jetted our way into Lisbon, Portugal. Even on the plane flying in at dusk we could tell this place was going to be the tits. Our uber driver from the airport was really sweet and though he spoke little English, tried to point out local sites and main roads for us. We were basically speaking to each other through our phones, got pretty funny at some points, especially when he was trying to explain something to us and his phone kept translating what he was saying to “Mazda 3” haha. The people here are really warm and it has to be one of our favourite places so far; good people, great food and the city is fantastic. Perched right on the coast and surrounded by beaches which are just a short, cheap train ride away.

We arrived at our Hostel – Livin’ Lisbon. It seemed really cool, clean, in a big old building that looked recently done up, and was buzzing with all sorts. After being checked in our host escorted us to our room, a private double room with a massive bed and desk, drawers etc – right in the city for only 34aud a night including breakfast. Shared bathroom, but there were two on our small floor so no real issue there. The hostel even provide dinner each night for only 4 euro each. Pretty stoked at the value and quality of the place. We got settled into our room and headed out to grab a bite –  Found a new burger joint just around the corner called Gutsy. Was ok, lets just say its no Burgerfuel… the “home-made” lemonade was pretty decent though.

Upon returning, showering and clambering into bed, we soon discovered the downside to our amazing accommodation; Right next door (somewhere) is a night club playing DOOF-DOOF til the small hours, AND the hallways of our level have polished wood floors with high ceilings and echo any footsteps or voices ten fold. At about 12:30am I’d had enough of the loud Americans in the hallway (who I might add had left their bedroom door open while they drank and shout-talked). …”ALEXAAA, ALEXAAA! OH MY GAAD ALEXAA WHAT REWM ARE YEW IN??? IM IN HERE TEWW!”… I was at the end of my patience with inconsiderate assholes and while I couldn’t do anything about the top 100 hits from 2005 going on next door, I sure as shit wasn’t going to tolerate loud conversation from the fools down the hall. I got up and told them politely to shut their door – I was actually pretty polite too, I don’t know if my face registered calm but they apologised and shut the door, appearing completely unaware of their noise level. An hour later I donned ear plugs and finally fell into a deep sleep…

14th Jan – Day one in Lisbon started with breakfast at the hostel, pancakes with Nutella, raspberry compote, and yoghurt plus muslie or toast – coffees wasnt bad either. Then out to explore. We had rounded the corner of the hostel down one of the many tight and tall little back streets when we came across an antique store and were told that there was a vintage market on the main street, Av. de Liberdade, a couple blocks away. Onward we marched until reaching said market, it was full of treasures – most we either couldn’t afford or  couldn’t afford to carry home but purchases were made in the form of a great periperi from a foodie stall and a few other bits and pieces. Also had the experience of being told off by an old stall owner for picking up a perfume dispenser that looked like a vintage flip lighter… “if you don’t know what et es, do not touch et” before explaining what it was and clicking the button I was about to click myself – Cheers mate.

We continued further down the main street towards the harbourside, sucking in as much sunlight as possible on the way. Lisbon is stunning, full of century old buildings with brightly painted or tiled facades. The streets smell of the most mouth-watering food and there are a tonne of people trying to sell you weed, even cocaine! – but they were offering it all to Jim, I guess he’s got “that” look haha. We stopped at a bakery and bought a couple of treats, lemon curd doughnuts, custard tarts and this savoury scone roll type thing with pepperoni and cheese in the middle – oh my. Further down was the sunny waterfront at Cais das Colunas which was humming with tourists and a couple of street performers including a percussion band that were on point – complete with a hoolahoop-gypsy-hippy lady dancing in front.

Off through the back streets again, photographing dozens of pieces of street art and graffiti  – its everywhere here but adds to the colour and beauty of the city. Soon STARVING we stopped in at a hole in the wall local restaurant for a late arvo lunch and ordered grilled sardines with potatoes and salad – pretty standard local style food where the fish is chargrilled. A small bowl of fresh olives, local beer and sangria topped the experience off. It had to be one of the tastiest meals we have eaten on this Europe trip, and so simple. All the food had so much flavour and the fish was so good! Definitely wanna try cooking like that back home. Dessert was interesting – mine was like a custard creme brûlée, and Jims could only be described as scrambled egg cake with coffee syrup haha. Kinda weird but we ate it all. After a couple of hours chatting and drinking, we left and walked up the hill (not a nice feeling when you’re full of fish, custard and sangria) and got to a look out point Miradouro da Graca at the Igreja e Convento da Graca Cathedral which was in the middle of a service so we couldn’t look around – but what we saw of the building was gorgeous. Then back up and over many hills and we were at the hostel a couple of hours later. Having booked in for the 4 euro dinner we enjoyed a plate of pasta later that evening before retiring to our room. Another dance music induced sleep, and we woke to the morning of the 15th January. This was another Stop The World day. Jim and I were exhausted. Our feet were bruised and sore and staying in bed for the day was luxury. There aren’t many times in your life when you will spend the entire day in bed – blissss.  Jim went out to the supermarket round the corner that evening and we made burgers in the hostel kitchen, using some of that periperi we bought the day before… Perfect end to a perfect day of nothingness. The morning of the 16th, well rested we leapt (not really) out of bed and prepared for another day of exploration. Its bright and sunny here every day and way warmer than anywhere we have been so far – getting up to about 16 degrees during the day. Got to say the sunshine is sooo good after a couple of months of cold/rainy/overcast days. We joined our fellow hostel goers for breakfast and then left for the train station and Cascais beach. Three trains and 45 minutes later we were walking the stunning shore line and small cobbled streets of Cascais and wishing despite the cooler climate, that we had bought our beach gear with us for the day. The water is crystal clear and so many different shades of blue and turquoise it blows your mind.

Down at the small beach cove a sand artist – is that what they are called? Sand sculptor? I don’t know, anyway a guy was building these epic sand sculptures and castles.  Jim chucked a coin into the well and the sculpture (of a guy holding his ding-a-ling) turned into a fountain and simulated him taking a pee into the well haha. Pretty cool. Our explorations took us further around the point, and being a monday in the middle of winter almost all restaurants/stores were closed. A couple of kilometers down there was a marina where we found a Portuguese tapas place and indulged in a multitude of delights; fresh clams with butter, garlic and parsley, prawns cooked much the same way but super crispy, mozzarella and tomato on toast with basil, olive oil and balsamic, Iberian ham (local cured ham which is only produced in spain and Portugal) on toast with red pepper pesto, great bread and olives again with a local beer and white wine – not sure what the drinks were called but they were delish too. We ate everything. It was too good to leave, including the buttery garlic gravy from the clams and prawns which we soaked up with the bread. Another bakery stop (or two) for custard tarts and we were feeling sorry for ourselves haha, too much of a good thing or in this case, many good things. The day was drawing to a close so on the train and home for the night. We were still so full that we didn’t eat dinner until 10pm and it was another home-made burger for Jim and a cheese toasty for me. The 17th of January, post hostel breakfast and chores were calling. We spent a couple of hours at Vem e Lava laundrette up the road where we soaked up the free wifi and I wrote most of this entry. The plan, to get the laundry done and then head off on the train to the ferry terminal to catch a ferry across the river/harbour to Cacilhas and then another bus and over to a beach called Costa da Caparica. The weather was perfect and the water extremely calm so the ferry trip of about 12-15mins was effortless. When we hopped off the boat we were in the port area of Cacilhas and there were a few outdoor seafood restaurants serving charcoal grilled fish, as well as Portuguese fish stews, paella and clams. We sat down and ordered up a bunch of food before Jim realised that he hadn’t grabbed any more cash after our laundry expenses that morning and we were left with 30 euros for the day! – This had to cover our bus and train tickets too. So Jim ran up to the waiter and apologetically cancelled our lunch. We had already received our drinks, bread, cheese (Portuguese sheeps milk cheese which is so yum and served at most restaurants as soon as you sit down) and a tasty plate of olives. So we sat and ate bread, cheese and olives and downed our wine and beer before apologising again. We paid 10 euros for the drinks and nibbles – I might add it was only 7 euros but we felt so bad and cheap that we tipped 3 euro haha.

On the way to the bus we saw in the distance a giant sailing ship and headed toward that to check it out. It was called Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória and is a rebuild of a ship that sunk in the Lisbon harbour.  We had a walk through it and had some side-splitting moments from acting out the voices of the many freaky looking mannequins they had set up below deck… Good times.

Another bus ride (after wasting three euro’s buying the wrong tickets first time – good stuff eh) and we found ourselves at Costa da Caparica township. This place is a bit of a surf haven and after walking through the extremely tourist oriented township we made it to the beach where, despite the cold water and next to no surf, there were still a few guys out. Jim and I had packed our bathers knowing that the water was around 10 degrees but we both refused to come to Portugal and leave without swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. We stripped off and changed on the beach under our coats and towels before running into the freezing salty water. It was fecking cold BUT it was also really refreshing and afterward (once warm and dry) we felt completely revitalised. We wandered up the shore and watched a few fishing boats on their way in before strolling back through town and catching a bus to the ferry terminal – just in time too, we arrived a couple of seconds before they pulled the platform and left for Lisbon.

Night had fallen by the time we got home, so we quickly changed and left for dinner at a local joint round the corner down a back street. More bread, cheese and this time sardine pate – which we both loved, before mains of grilled fish (cant remember what type) and potatoes. The food was good, and we left pretty happy. That night we were kept awake again by noisy Italians in the room next to ours and the club next door. Fun fun.

The 18th was our last full day in gorgeous Portugal, and we spent in the town of Sintra, located about 45 minutes out of the city centre by train – towards the west coast. It was quite a bit colder there being a more mountainous region, but had warmed up by mid afternoon. The main attraction in Sintra is the medieval castle ruins Castelo Dos Mouros, which was built in the 9th century by the Moors (Muslims of Europe). We walked up about 100 floors of stairs and steep walkways to get to the top, and the 360 degree view of the area, including the ocean, inland towards the north, and Lisbon city. Beautiful. Also the walk was lined with lush green trees and plants, every single part of it was scenic. After reaching the summit of the castle, we walked right around the walls to each tower taking photos before starting our descent down the opposite side of the hill. We passed an old Tuscan style villa Vila Sassetti which has been restored and is maintained for tourists. The grounds and villa are stunning – romantic Tuscan style architecture with bright terracotta tiles all over the place. From there it was a short trek down through the old town area (full to the brim with over priced tourist targeted knick knacks and restaurants) – Jim and I decided to play it smart (so we thought) and walked further out of the tourist part and into the local areas. There was a restaurant called A Tasca do Manel which had decent ratings online and offered a 2 course lunch and a drink for 7.50 euros each. Sounds good right? We sat down and were told that the chicken curry option was all sold out so we would have to have squid stew. Trying to challenge our taste buds with local cuisine we boldly accepted.

BAD. MOVE.

The first course of lunch was squash and vege soup, which while a bit under seasoned and sweet was still edible. The next course, squid stew…. Joisus…. it was bad, sooooo salty and with a weird texture that made each mouthful a struggle. Plus the potatoes served on the side were way too salty as well – not as salty as the stew but not much of a reprieve either. I had to wash each mouthful down with beer and when I ran out of beer I gave up. We were one of the only tables in the restaurant (we had originally put this down to the 2:30pm time we sat down to eat but soon realised why it was empty). We followed the stew down with a semi burnt tasting espresso and then escaped as quickly as possible after paying. The whole train ride home we were burping up old salty squid…. delightful.

Once back in Lisbon city we went straight to the hostel and lay down for a while, still both feeling the effects of our scrumptious lunch. Dinner that night was plain bread… neither of us really felt up to proper food… :S

Later that evening, while scrolling the internet, Jim found there had been a few quakes about 20 miles from Rome, where we were heading the next day! We called our parents to “seek wise counsel” (say that out loud in a Texan accent) and had a decision to make, cancel our flight and stay in Lisbon another week til we fly home, or just say FUCK IT and go… we chose the latter.

The 19th sadly arrived. Time to leave Lisbon, we got up early, packed, and were out the door by 7am. An Uber arrived to collect us, and the driver got out to help us with our bags. While putting our bags in the boot, the car started rolling forward – he had forgotten the hand brake – Once in the car and on our way to the airport he consistently ran reds, turned on a dime, and flew over speed bumps. Radical.

Another round of airport security, of course Jim got stopped and checked, and we were on the runway leaving Lisbon bound for Rome, exhausted but excited…

Street art, Lisbon

Sintra street details

Squid stew…..

Cascais beaches

Costa da Caparica Beach

Path to Castelo Dos Mouros

Lisbon street details

Vila Sassetti

Cascais waterfront

Cacilhas port

Cascais streets

Rossio Square fountain, Lisbon

Chargrilled fish

Lisbon street details

Door details, Sintra

Ferry crossing to Cacilhas

Castelo Dos Mouros

Touristy knick knacks, Sintra

Cascais waterfront

Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória, Cacilhas

Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória, Cacilhas

Cascais beach

Freaky mannequins in the Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória, Cacilhas

Gardens outside Vila Sassetti

Castelo Dos Mouros

Cascais beaches

Post lunch – Lisbon

Costa da Caparica Beach

Lunch in Cascais

Gardens on the way to Castelo Dos Mouros

Lemon curd delights

Costa da Caparica Beach

Gutsy burgers for dinner

Castelo Dos Mouros details

Cascais lunch

Arco da Rua Augusta, Lisbon

Arco da Rua Augusta, Lisbon

Gardens on the way to Castelo Dos Mouros

Cascais sand artist

Chargrilled Sardines, Lisbon

Cascais sand artist

Lisbon, Portugal On the 13th of Jan we jetted our way into Lisbon, Portugal. Even on the plane flying in at dusk we could tell this place was going to be the tits.