My weather app says it’s 20° outside at the moment here in Figueira. Walking down the promenade it feels warmer. There are butterflies around, which is a good sign. And it seems the good weather is due to continue for the next few days. We appear to have struck lucky!
Yesterday we went back to O Picadeiro (aka the glass box) for lunch, because we thought we might get faster service there and Phil had a stack of things he wanted to do before playing chess later in the day. As it turned out, the Caçarola 1, where we could have used his dinner ticket, was closed for the day, or so another chess player informed us. Service was faster but getting our bill seemed to take an age so I sent Phil off to get busy while I waited. I rather got the impression that they had some “celebrities” in, or at least people who knew the owners and were getting a bit of special treatment. One bit of special treatment was a rather fuller glass of wine than I had been served. Maybe they serve ladies glasses and gentlemen’s glasses! Who knows? But really at €1 a glass it’s not a major complaining issue. And they serve good food. Their mixed salad is more interesting than some places. Many offer lettuce, tomato and onion but this one includes grated carrot and red cabbage, and even the occasional olive. Not at all bad for €3.50. For €6.50 you can have tuna salad but it’s not really worth it for a tin of tuna fish!
So here we are with another blue sky day. We’ve had a nice stroll along the promenade and, being very English, returned to the hotel for a cup of tea!
It feels very self-indulgent to be going on about the good food we are eating when I am aware that so many people are really struggling. According to this article, even the food banks are struggling as fewer people have spare money to buy items to contribute. There’s something wrong with being quite well into the 21st century and still not being able to ensure enough food for everyone!
But it seems that people still have money for fast-food outlets, although that’s probably cheaper than actually eating out in the old-fashioned way. The pub next door to our house offers an “austerity deal” - two courses for £20! Then, of course, you need to add drinks to that. But it’s not just the cost of fast-food. Apparently it’s also a kind of nostalgia we have for things American, especially young people who have grown up with American TV series and films and even references to American food and food outlets in music. According to this article, people starting queueing at midnight the other night for the opening of another American place, this time called Popeye’s, in the centre of Nottingham. (The first through the door won free chicken sandwiches for a year!) It used to be a Burger King - owned by the same company. Long gone are the days when the only fast-food outlets were Wimpy Bars! I’m not counting chippies as fish and chips really pre-date the concept of fast-food.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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