Port of Porto

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Over one fall break, I took some time off in Portugal, where I visited Coimbra, Porto, and other cities. Judging by the three criteria mentioned in my profile, this country, in general, fulfills only one of them.

The scenery of Portugal is very beautiful; the rustic old forts and cities remind me of the medevial times of Europe, when castles served many purposes. Driving along in a shitty Opel, we went from place to place, seeing mostly castles and ruins. Of particular interest was the ruins of the Moors, who conquered that area a long time ago. We stayed at the king's former hunting lodge, a magnificent castle built on hundreds of well kept acres, with gardens and waterfalls.

The most disappointing part of the trip was the food - although on the coast, we could not find a decent meal with fresh seafood. Even the fish that was caught was cooked poorly. We were at the restaurant in the king's lodge, but evem there the food was medicore. There was only fish, and it was not even fresh. It is often true that a culture's passion is reflected in their food; in other words, both the ingenuity and sensuality of a nation is connected to how and what they eat. Much of Latin America, for example, eats spicy foods, and therefore they are quick to show joy and anger. Eastern Europe, with its heavy dishes and greasy food, in turn becomes sluggish and slow to react. The French, who are known for their food, are also known for their exploits d'amour. Look at a Japanese bento box - everything is neatly placed in its own space, the rice is shaped in a half circle, the sashimi is sliced only so delicately - it is a reflection of their society where everything has its place. This idea can also be applied to Portugal, from which we can draw the obvious conclusions.

Port is a drink made from brandy and red wine. If you ever want to get someone drunk, give them a few glasses of port. It tastes sweet, so you can't really tell how strong it is, but when it hits, you had best not be driving home. Good port tastes less sweet and will give you less of a headache in the morning. They sell port in Portugal like vodka is sold in Russia - it is everywhere.

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