Traditional eating. And a reminder about Gaza.

 For several years now we have made it a tradition during our visits to Figueira da Foz, where Phil plays in the annual chess tournament and I play tourist, to go to eat at the Nucleo Sportinguista.

I’ve not found out exactly what the link is to Sporting Clube Portugal but there definitely is one. There are Nucleos in various places in Portugal. I get the impression that they were originally for supporters who became members, a place for them to eat well. The one here opened in 1994 and took a decision to be a restaurant not just for members but for the general public. It has won prizes for being the best Nucleo! There you go!

For the last few years we’ve made a point of going there for lunch with our friend Kevin. We have a huge platter of various kinds of fish and drink plenty of wine. But this year he has expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that they insist on your NOT sharing one huge platter between two people, for example. And then there are the potatoes! Copious amounts of large boiled potatoes. They don’t do chips and not much in the way of varied vegetables. So this year we will lunch elsewhere.

Yesterday, however, Phil and I ended up at the Nucleo Sportinguista, having failed to find an alternative to our liking that we’d not already patronised twice this week. We didn’t choose the huge platter but a single fish dish each - solha (plaice) for me and dourada (sea-bream) for Phil. They came on a big platter with boiled potatoes! We had a small mixed salad to accompany the fish. The potatoes were pedestrian to say the least, not even the best boiled potatoes in the world (the Galicians lay claim to those, by the way!) but the fish was delicious. 

They don’t do wine by the glass but my cute little “garrafa” of white wine only coast €1.50, so no complaints on that score. 

And we had a bit of a chat with the friendly waitress, explaining that we go there every year.

Now for a bit of serious stuff.

Here’s a poem by Michael Rosen

If it can be proved that

it's not genocide

that would be a huge relief.

It would mean that it's only

a huge massacre,

mass killing

and widespread slaughter

In which case

it would be OK.

And here’s a social media post by Jeremy Corbyn:

“There is a very simple reason why the UK government refuses to acknowledge the genocide in Gaza.

If they did, they would be admitting their own complicity in one of the greatest crimes of our time.

End all arms sales to Israel, now.”

We mustn’t forget that this is still happening.

That’s all.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!