Investigating eateries.

On Friday, still reacquainting ourselves with the geography of Figueira da Foz - it is, after all, just over three years since we were here and even then it was only for a week - we looked up restaurant reviews on Trip Advisor before going out to eat. As was to be expected, we ended up wandering around for a while until we came to a restaurant which seemed to be patronised by a fair number of locals, usually a good sign, and ended up going in there. 

The first challenge was getting in: through a kind of airlock where one door needed pulling and the next needed sliding. Far too complicated for everyone. While we were in the restaurant we saw at least five people having difficulty, trying in vain to pull or push the sliding door. 

Then came the menu, which almost completely defeated my Portuguese. I could recognise ingredients but the dishes themselves remained a mystery. My Portuguese went as far as asking an important-looking waiter - later identified in a newspaper photograph as the owner - what he recommended. 

He tried to steer us towards a "mariscada", only 75€ for two people. However, we have had that kind of seafood platter before and have found them slightly disappointing. They look impressive but they demand a huge amount of work with crab-claw-crackers for precious little actual food in return. Not our thing at all. 

Instead, we followed his other recommendation and tried "Massada rica", a pasta dish with prawns, bits of fish and chunks of lobster, all in a tasty sauce. Phil likened it to a Galician fish soup served on a plate instead of in a bowl, which was quite true. Even though the lobster needed prizing out of its shell, on the whole it proved to be a good and nourishing meal at the end of a long day's travel. Together with some fresh bread and a glass or two of white wine, it suited us fine. And for around 35€ all in, it didn't break the bank. 

Now, this restaurant, the Bigode Preto or Black Moustache, was not one of those reviewed by Trip Advisor. Since there was a sign on the wall declaring it had been there "since 1994", we wondered why not. For those of us who have been around since the mid-twentieth century, 1994 may seem quite recent. But we need to adjust to being in the twenty-first century and realise that 1994 was twenty years ago now. So, why no reviews? Silver-surfers that we are, we went back and googled it. 

And eventually we found it ... in a Coimbra newspaper article about the opening of that very restaurant ... about 10 days ago!!! The owner, our waiter, spoke of how he had always dreamed of opening a restaurant. Where did 1994 come into it? Maybe that was when he started to dream! 

Last night, Saturday, was quite different. We were invited to the official tournament opening ceremony and dinner. Glasses of Port wine were served (as always, stickier than I remember) while people assembled: chess players and local bigwigs. Speeches of thanks were made: to the municipality, to the casino where the games will be played, to our hotel, to other hotels, to sponsors of all kinds. Then speeches were made in praise of the great and good of the local chess world. Small sections of three or four words at a time made their way into my brain. The rest went over my head completely. Clearly I need to study harder! 

 Dinner was fine: mushroom soup, cod served tastefully on a "nest" of spinach and accompanied by scoops of mashed potato, followed by chocolate cake and ice cream. We talked a mix of English and Portuguese, more of the former than the latter. The Portuguese chess players seem more linguistically able than Spanish ones we have met. 

 More speeches followed, introducing the international players. After all, it is billed as an international event. Most were mentioned for being well known Grand Masters and so on. Phil also had to stand up and be applauded, as the UK's representative and for having had to visit the hospital with a fish bone in his throat last time we were here. 

Fame of sorts!