IN LISBON

we stayed in the Alfama / Graça neighborhood at an AirBnBd apartment that was within a 30 minute walking distance to the water, shops and restaurants. We took a cab from the Lisbon airport to our AirBnB the first night, bought a bottle of wine and spent the evening walking around the neighborhood and ate dinner at a little restaurant. The food was great – we ordered sardines and steak. The sardines were grilled whole and served with some lemon. The steak was thinly cut and grilled (reminded me of a flank or sirloin flap) and served with French fries and rice. This meal was a great reminder of simplicity – it is rare in American cuisine to serve something so modest – no sauces, no sides, just grilled fish with lemon. This trip is definitely going to influence our cooking, forever #whywearehere #justhereforthefood

We spent the next day walking around the city and ate at a little cafe. I wish I would have remembered the name because it was quite good. We had a sardine sandwich with tomato, a heavy finish of olive oil & herbs and a big salad of mixed greens, cheese, walnuts, pear and dressed simply with local honey.

Our highlight meal was definitely A Taberna Do Mar which was recommended to us by our AirBnB host who looked like a 20 something Portuguese hipster so we obviously trusted all of his advice – thank goodness we did.

https://culinarybackstreets.com/cities-category/lisbon/2018/taberna-do-mar/

We had a 10 course tasting menu plus 3 desserts for 25euros per person…an amazing value, wow. In addition we each had a glass of wine and a glass of port which were all made in Portugal. The red port that we had was from 1992…only 12euros for a glass, pretty ridiculous pricing if you’re used to US prices (that glass should have been $40).

The restaurant is classic Portuguese with Japanese technique.

The best example of this is their signature dish – a single piece of grilled sardine nigiri that was melt in your mouth salty umami awesomeness.
This was by far our standout meal and if you’re going to Lisbon, this is my number one recommendation.

The following day we got up around 9:00am, packed our backpacks and trekked to the train station where we discovered that the guy who “activated” our Eurail passes the day before didn’t actually stamp our train passes to activate them….this was a big deal because it meant that we either had to walk back to that particular train station and get that guy to stamp our tickets or call Eurail and have them re-issue our tickets (a multiple day ordeal).

We went ahead and walked back to that particular train station, about a mile away and luckily one of the guys working there stamped our passes – whew! We paid about $900.00 per Eurail pass, which is a 2 month unlimited pass that includes trains in all 28 countries so having an issue with this would have been a BIG DEAL – it is literally our main form of transportation for 2 months. I felt super grateful that we were able to resolve it so easily (obviously our walk to the station was anxiety ridden haha). We then trekked back across the city to the other train station which would get us on a train to the Oriente Station and then to Tunes, where we caught another train to Lagos. We split a bottle of sangria on the train along with some snacks and all was well.

LAGOS

A beautiful beach town off the Southern coast of Portugal. We stayed in a cute AirBnB apartment that was within 30 minutes of walking to several beaches.

Our first night we ate a cute restaurant (definitely trendy and hipster central) called The Garden. All of their seating was outdoor with candles and lush greenery everywhere. They provided guests with blankets as it got colder and was definitely a cool place to hang out if you’re looking to meet people or just spend the evening drinking cocktails and eating fresh food. We ate a North African style curry and the BBQ fish plate – a whole fish cooked on the grill and served with lemon.

We spent the next day exploring and enjoying a picnic on the beach as we tanned/got sunburnt AF. The coast of Portugal is gorgeous – huge rock formations, caves and crystal clear cold water. We are here in the May which is the very beginning of the tourist season so there were just a few other people on the beaches – June and July get pretty crazy so I’m glad the timing of our trip is having us miss the busy tourist season in most of the countries we are visiting.

CARAMUNEIRA (area around the Benagil Cave)

We took a train from Lagos to Silves (about an hour) and planned on walking from Silves to our AirBnB which was about a 2hr walk. We lucked out and after 45mins of walking a local rice farmer gave us a lift for a few miles. He dropped us at the bus station but we chose to keep walking. Why? Because Corey and I love walking!

Even with each of us carrying 2 backpacks (1 large on the back and 1 small on the front) plus 4 bottles of wine and 3 days worth of groceries. We did take a few minutes to stop inside a little market to purchase a couple tall boys of Super Bock – the Portuguese version of a PBR or Montucky Coldsnack. Only 1.50euro each and super cold – refreshing for the walk.

Once we arrived at our AirBnB I basically felt like we were on an episode of MTV cribs. The place we stayed in was very modern with an outdoor pool that we drank rose next to #basic. Corey cooked up some chorizo pasta for dinner and we spent time planning out other parts of our trip.

We spent the next day exploring the local beaches which included renting a paddle board in order to get to the cave of Benagil. I would love to say that we easily cruised out smiling on our paddle board and took a time lapse of the trip over to the cave on our GoPro but I fell off the paddle board the first time I tried to get on and was really just hoping not to get pulled under the current as we paddled over to the cave. We did make it over to the cave of Benagil and it was beautiful.

Another beach picnic (duh) meaning that we drank white wine out of the bottle and snacked on cured meat, cheese, bread and fruit while we got sunburned.

The next day we took an Uber to the Silves train station – well worth the 10 euros because that walk would have been all up hill in 70 degree weather and our shoulders were hella sunburned so we absolutely did not want to walk more than necessary with our backpacks.

We took the train from Silves to Tunes and then back to Lisbon for a night so we could catch a train the next day to Porto.

PORTO

Is the second largest city in Portugal and the birthplace of port so obviously we had to go port tasting – twist my arm.

The most well established port house is Taylor Fladgate – also the port maker I am most familiar with since my Dad got me hooked on their 20 year tawny many years ago.

We took a self guided tour that was so cool, Corey and I took about an hour and a half learning about the history of port in the Douro valley, how it is made and the progress towards sustainability practiced by Taylor’s. We also laughed at all the people who rushed through the tour and were clearly just their for the port tasting at the end #basicbitches.

We ended our tour with a tasting (duh). We got to try their Chip Dry White port and their 2014 Ruby Red Port as part of the tour and then we ordered a flight my Dad would be proud of – a 30 year tawny, 40 year tawny and a very old single harvest port from 1966. Corey and I agreed that our two favorites were the Chip Dry and 1966 – the least expensive and most expensive glasses (the Chip Dry was 5 euro and the 1966 was 34 euro a glass). I really wish they exported the white port internationally because it is so tasty.

10 out of 10 would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Porto. There are also many other port makers that are all walking distance from one another so you could definitely spend a day or two just tasting port. We opted for walking around the city gassing cheap beers and going to the Modern Art Museum the next day.

The other standout experience we had in Porto was dinner at Tapabento. We walked there at noon right when they opened for lunch service to make a reservation for that evening and lucked out by getting a two top right next to the kitchen (they were like sorry, this is the only table we have left and I was like best seat in the house!). This place is packed for lunch and dinner so you definitely need to make a reservation if you want to eat here.

From the menu “The way we see it, a restaurant is a welcoming house full of nice and pleased people, tables glittering with a bouquet of enchants.”

This is exactly the experience that was created in dining here. Their FOH manager greeted and seated every single diner with such warmth and grace we instantly felt welcome and at ease. We ordered a lot of small plates to share and each dish was delicious and so playful. The kitchen was tiny – even by NY standards – so not only was the food impressive but the speed and skill at which they were cranking out dishes was something to be admired.

The tuna tataki was perfectly seared and served with a bunch of different sauces/accompaniments including a gherkin pickle, seaweed, samphire, soy, wasabi and an apple/cucumber ice cream…what?! That ice cream was fucking legit and you better believe I dipped the tuna in it and it was to die for.

The duck was probably the best preparation of duck I have ever had. Seared hard and cooked to a perfect rare served with a sweet and sour foie gras sauce (dope AF) and vanilla scented sweet potato and carrot purées + some whole roasted shallots, fresh berries and pistachio dust. I could eat this dish a thousand times over.

We also shared the gazpacho, a salad, a liter of white sangria and a berry tart – all were skillfully prepared with fresh ingredients. We thanked everyone in the kitchen and FOH and left the restaurant with that euphoric feeling of a great meal to roam the streets of Porto.

These experiences are what I live for – great food, long conversations with Corey and roaming the streets afterwards is how we would both describe our perfect date, no matter what city we are in.

The next day (our last day in Porto) we went on a quest to find the Franceshina – a sandwich that originated in Porto. It is gluttonous and did not disappoint. Bologna, fresh sausage, red sausage, beef steak and ham sandwiched between two pieces of very crispy bread topped with melted cheese and smothered in the famous sauce made from beer and tomatoes. We also had beers served with currant syrup which were quite pleasant.

This was definitely a rich meal so not for the faint of heart but their portions were such that we were able to finish our sandwiches and not feel like we were going to die #success

The rest of the day was spent sitting around waiting because our overnight train to Madrid did not leave until after 10:00pm – luckily our AirBnB let us do a very late checkout so we were able to hang in the apartment until 9:00pm when we walked to the train station.

Obrigado Portugal, thank you for all the pastel de natas

Side note: Portuguese is very hard to speak – obrigado (thank you) is about the only terminology we came away knowing. My deepest gratitude to everyone who helped us during our visit.

Although today is my first post, the blog really began in March of 2014.

I was 24 and preparing to leave the country for one year to travel solo around the world. I had been living in Portland, Oregon for the last two years and after completing a 4 month emotional intelligence training in Los Angeles I was ready to make some big moves with my life.

I had traveled to Peru when I was 20. It was my first solo trip abroad and I spent a month backpacking through the mountains, zip lining & river rafting in the jungle and walking around the busy streets of Cusco…I also drank entirely too much rum, smoked spliffs on the top of Machu Picchu, got my first tattoo and ate a lot of anticucho de corazon which is beef heart marinated in vinegar, cumin, garlic and grilled, usually served on a stick with half of a cooked potato stuck on the end of the stick (so fucking good).

I met an incredible group of friends from all over the world that really inspired me to the possibility of long term travel.

I was ready for the trip of a lifetime. A time to meet like minded people and create memories. I think ultimately I was looking to find myself and lose myself at the same time. I now refer to this original trip as my “Eat Pray Love Plan”

So in March, of 2014 I arrived back in Colorado with my Uhaul trailer of belongings and my Jeep Liberty I’d had since high school. I was planning on spending one month visiting with my family, selling my Jeep and leaving my stuff stored at my mom’s ranch in Kiowa, Colorado. But in the first week I was home, my younger sister Faleena called me and said mom was in the hospital. She said it was bad, so I drove down to Parker Adventist Hospital and really, I never left.

Mom had been hiding cancer and it had spread to every part of her body – ovaries, colon, bone marrow – everywhere.

So there I was at age 24 with a one way ticket to Lisbon, Portugal leaving in two weeks and I’m watching my mom die in a hospital room as my younger, soon to be orphaned 15 year old sister watches her best friend and sole caretaker leave this earth.

Some back story:

I had a really complicated relationship with my mom which included not speaking for several years and moving out of her house to live with my dad when I was 14 due to abuse.

My sister Faleena’s dad (not my dad) murdered a woman and committed suicide when Faleena was about 6, I was 15. Faleena was raised homeschooled on the ranch by my mother until March 26th, 2014 when my mom died and I became Faleena’s legal guardian. I prefer the term Master Guardian, for the record.

So anyways, back to the blog.

I had this whole idea around posting my epic trip around the world and sharing recipes, photos and using the blog as a way to keep in touch with all of my loved ones (letting them know I’m not dead). But then I moved back to Kiowa, Colorado to raise my orphaned sister and clean up my mom’s estate so how would that fit onto the blog?

I started thinking of blog posts like “Applying for food stamps, what you need to know” “How to ground your sister” “How to clean up a dilapidated 40 acre ranch, for dummies” “How many dead goats can fit in one freezer?” “How to kick your mentally ill stepdad out of the house”

So needless to say, I focused every single drop of energy I had on raising my sister and getting her through high school. I forgot about the blog, I forgot about my trip and i just gritted my teeth and pushed through it.

Fast forward five years to today

I am sitting in a quaint apartment in Lagos, Portugal sipping on white sangria waiting for my boyfriend Corey to come back with some cookies from the local store. We are four days into our three month trip abroad – the new and improved version of the “Eat Pray Love Plan.”

So the original plan to document the trip abroad is coming back to life and I’m just figuring out how to post content on a blog. I’m nervous about sharing all of this. What if people read this? What if no one reads it?

I really just want to create a space to share, stay tuned for more.

Follow Nikki on Instagram