A year or two ago, or maybe three, we discovered a restaurant here in Figueira. For a while we called it “the glass box restaurant” because its covered terrace area was enclosed in glass screens. We also kept losing it because so many of the streets close to the coast here are organised on a grid system, making it hard to distinguish one from another. Eventually we found out it was called O Picadeiro and we learnt how to find it easily. The food was good and the staff friendly.
So when we arrived at the end of last week we were disappointed to find that it seemed to be closed for refurbishment. However, on Tuesday as I walked out to little supermarket I noticed that it had reopened. It was back on our list of places to go.
When we went out to lunch yesterday we realised that the Caçarola 1, the restaurant that accepts chess tournament dinner tickets, was closed. “Ah!” said Phil helpfully, “there was some kind of announcement last night but I didn’t really understand it.” It was pouring with rain - there had been weather alerts for ‘coastal events’, whatever they are, and heavy rain - and the nearest other restaurant was O Picadeiro, so we decided to give it a try.
We were directed to a table in the corner and seemingly became invisible. A lady on the table next to ours was served. A group of young French people came in and were served. We made eye contact several times with waiters who nodded and went away and ignored us. Eventually we managed to speak to a waiter and placed our order. They weren’t sure if they could serve me a mixed salad without a main meal! The waiter went off to check! Someone came to check if we had ordered. Drinks too? she enquired. Oh, yes!
Our drinks arrived. Then someone came and told us there was no “sopa do mar” (fish soup) after all. Terribly sorry! Would vegetable soup do. Fine! He explained that this was only their second day open and they were having some problems. But Wednesday was better already than Tuesday (day 1). Some ten minutes later the soup arrived, barely warm. But it was good soup. There were apologies for the delay. Finally Phil’s pork dish and my salad arrived. All good. Waiters kept coming and checking that all was fine. The pork was far too copious a serving for one person. They muddled up the coffee order. Just a little chaotic.
It was only after I had paid the bill that I realised they had not charged for the soup, nor for the salad! We had already witnessed another table having discussions about what they had or had not ordered! I think communication between staff members needs improvement.
All the while, the rain which had been drizzly when I ran first thing, fairly heavy when we walked out to the pharmacy after breakfast and a little heavier as we walked to the restaurant, was growing more and more torrential! The weather alerts were coming true! It was just as well we did not have far to go to return to the hotel.
Out in the wider world more serious chaos continues. There’s this:
"The British government has said again that it believes holding a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London this weekend is “provocative and disrespectful”.
A government spokesperson has denied the government was “picking a culture war” over the march.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier vowed to hold London’s Metropolitan police commissioner, Mark Rowley, “accountable” for his defiance of demands for a ban on the march." - That's a clear threat!
"The Campaign Against Antisemitism on Tuesday night called for the home secretary to trigger draconian powers and even send in the army to “uphold the values that our country stands for”.
In a letter to Braverman, the group called on her to use powers under section 40 of the Police Act 1996 to ensure that this weekend’s protests are banned." - Ah! "Send in the army to uphold our values"! I wonder what kind of values those are...”
Again I ask myself how demonstrating in favour of peace is disrespectful of a celebration of peace at the end of two word wars.
As regards the “threat” of violence, there is this:
“This, however, is a threat not to be underestimated: The fascists may try to cause trouble (which would then be used to blame the pro-Palestinians): "The founder of the EDL, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had tweeted: “Saturday 11/11/11 London [a reference to the timing of the two-minute silence], your country needs you.””
And it’s not just the UK? A German friend of mine posted this:
“How does that make me feel...
"Germany’s defence export approvals to Israel so far this year have risen nearly tenfold from last year, with Berlin treating permit requests as a priority since Hamas attacked Israel last month, a German government source has told Reuters.
As of 2 November, the German government has approved the export of close to €303m ($323m/£264m) worth of military equipment to Israel."
The world has gone mad!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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