Estremadura Region- Wines and Castles

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May 17, 2000

Technical difficulties are over. Thanks for your patience. I guess we over stayed our welcome in Lisbon, but now we can all pack up and make our way to yet another culinary region of Portugal. This one is called the Estremadura Region and it just happens to be the region where I was born xxxxxxxyears ago. The Estremadura region is a combination of rolling countrysides and wild Atlantic Coast. It is a region unspoilt, covered in wildflowers and dotted with coastal villages. Here you will find the walled city of Obidos, the castle of Almourol on a tiny island in the Tagus River and the beautiful churches of Santarem. Here also you will discover the original seat the Kings of Portugal. Sintra is ablaze with royal robes in the form of palaces and castles. It is a region of wine growers, fishing villages and small picturesque towns.

Let's begin our culinary journey with a glass of white wine (vinho branco/vinho verde). From the Estremadura Region you will find ALTA MESA WHITE. Itis light, crisp, aromatic and frutity. It should be served chilled and goes well with chicken, fish or as an aperitif. Other zones where wines are produced in this region is Colinas de Clister, Gafeiras, Quinta Folgaras, and Adega da Abrigada to name just a few.

Now for lunch or dinner. There is a little, busy, bustling, picture perfect town full of outdoor markets, out of the way restaurants, cobblestone streets, old apartments and outdoor bar-b-ques of meats and fish known as Caldas da Rainha. There you can order dinner for one and wonder where you're going to fit so much food as portions are always generous. You can order a pitcher of house wine and have enough to drink for a party of five. If you want something light, you can order a steak sandwich called a prego or if you'd like steak, order Bifoque which comes with fries (homemade) and a fried egg on the top of the steak. If you're looking for fish, you can order boiled grouper, cod, grilled sardines, or cod fish cakes known as pasteis de bacalhau If you're vegetarian you most likely to find salads as your main option (salada mista) which has a base of tomatoes, onions and olives and with that you can order a big chunk of pao integral (wholemeal bread). That'll fill you up. Here you'll also find the famous caldo verde (potatoe soup).

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