Cataplana
The dish sizzled as it was set down, round and domed with a small string attached to the handle to open the lid. The dish was golden from many journeys to the chefs stove. Wanda and Roqué had ordered the local speciality cataplana for two to share.
The shell shaped dish revealed chunks of hake, clams, and mussels, cooked in cider vinegar with garlic, red peppers, sun ripened Algarve tomatoes, creamy textured potatoes, local caught prawns, monkfish, langoustine, coriander and fresh parsley.
Ferragudo Village Square
They were in the village square in Ferragudo in the Algarve taking a holiday by the beach where food was going to be one of two key ingredients. The square was packed and the buzz of many languages alluring. Gentle guitar played in the background as they sipped the Quinta do Portal Rosé Algarve crisp wine from the Douro Valley, in big bowl glasses.
Wanda wore a pretty Beach Café Love Shack dress Roqué has bought her and gold Linzi Kori sparkling sandals; he wore a simple orange Indian shirt and blue shorts with his signature white shoes – Bruno Marc Men’s Penny Loafer Moccasins.
Preceding the cataplana had been delicious marinated black and green olives with chunks of rustic bread. The evening was still warm as the lovers feasted, savouring every delicious mouthful.
As the sun set the lights began to spread a feeling of romance as couples held hands, kissed, laughed and ate together. Wanda smiled, her heart full of joy and her tummy full of her favourite seafood, she looked across to Roque and blew him a kiss.
The language of Romance
The morning had started from their pretty villa as the sun rose over the rooftops of the white and blue painted village houses. The morning mist hanging like cotton wool in the branches of the orange and lemon trees. Wanda made coffee and Roque squeezed Wanda and then oranges for juice. The sun shone on her tousled hair and Roque carefully brushed away strands of hair from her eyes. Romance it seems is a native language spoken in Portugal, so this morning Roque gifted her with Ralph Lauren Romance perfume as an offer to entice her back to bed seemed wholly appropriate – she accepted of course…
They sat on the balcony of their white painted house sipping Delta coffee, the most loved coffee brand in Portugal, fresh orange juice and sun ripened peaches – looking like delicious bottoms. Wanda served these with local yogurt and drizzled with honey. After breakfast they held hands and wandered down the cream, pink and crimson handmade terracotta bricks that formed the steps down to the cobbled street. They stopped to take in the fragrance of jasmine and bougainvillea with its beautiful pinkie purple blooms dancing in the sunlight. The air that drifted in here from the Atlantic was so fresh occasionally carrying wafts of the taste bud tingling smell of fish both fresh off the boats or grilled at the waters edge.
Bikini on the beach
They arrived at the village square along side the banks of the Arade River with its ever changing vision colourful yachts sailing in and gleaming cruisers burbling out to sea with their powerful engines and their decks displaying a vision of well tanned guys with beautiful blondes wrapped around their shoulders. Fishing boats brought in their catch which local chefs clambered on the quayside to buy.
Wanda called out Que peixes você pescou hoje? Asking them in her best Portuguese what they had caught, they replied dourada e lula – red bream and squid. That’s dinner sorted!
The sky was clear blue punctuated with the screeching, swooping seagulls.
After iced coffee at Zona in the square – the place to start the day – they took the water taxi to Praia Grande, a most beautiful beach set with straw woven parasols on golden sands. Wanda peeled off her t-shirt to reveal the most beautiful Sexy Lace erotic one piece Bikini Swimsuit by Joom. A holiday surprise for Roqué – how he was ever going to keep his hands off her on this public beach goodness only knows.
Lamb & Chicken kebabs
After playing in the water they made their way to a little beach café called the Hide Away and shared a lamb kebab. Chunks of seriously tender lamb and chicken freshly grilled on an open barbeque, with red peppers, onions, tomatoes all thread onto a long skewer and hanging deliciously from an Espetada metal kebab stand and accompanied by chilled glasses of local rosé wine.
They ate, laughed and romanced teasingly as Roque planned an afternoon ‘siesta’ if that’s what they like to call it…