Jane & Rog Plod to Portugal (10 Viewers)

[Jane And Rog]

As we headed off to town just before six, it was still raining. We want our money back! We can (and do) get this kind of weather anytime at home.

We were aware that an early lunch and Spanish dining hours are not the best match, so we started the evening off with a look round the Colegiata de Santa Juliana. The cloisters were lovely, particularly the different carvings around each column.

The chapel was, um, quite Catholic.

Saint Juliana is quite the lady. She dedicated herself to Jesus, but then her father promised her in marriage to someone. When she refused, the man who’d hoped to marry her, “his love having turned to hate, ordered Juliana's body to be torn to pieces with such strong lashes that the strength of six executioners was exhausted. Then he ordered her to be suspended by her hair, leaving her face entirely disfigured. He had molten tin distilled over her naked body, and at the same time she was burned with flaming axes; then he sent her to the dungeon.”

Note that last phrase, “then he sent her to the dungeon.” I think a swift burial would be more likely after six lashings, molten tin and some flaming axes for good measure. Luckily, after that she was beheaded, along with 130 followers, so became a saint.

There was also a display of episcopal robes. Reminded me that I need new cushions for our sofas.

When we came out, it was still raining. It’s a shame, because Santillana is a very beautiful town - even in the rain.

It’s just that we’d have had more fun exploring in the sunshine.

With our early tapas lunch, we had to choose somewhere that was open before 8pm and serving more than tapas. The place we ended up at had a three course menu for €19, and the food was good, but just a bit too big for me.

My highlight was my squid rice - this is a starter! I followed it with fabada and a decaff espresso.

Rog had a local pork and bean mountain stew to start, and then pork and chips and a flan (not pork) for pudding.

As we walked home, it was still raining.

As I type this, it is still raining.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Oh no, we didn’t do so well. A bit because we ate too early. Where did you eat?

I can’t remeber, it was a proper steak house I think. But 9pm or later probably.

 

[Jane And Rog]

I can’t remeber, it was a proper steak house I think. But 9pm or later probably.

I don’t eat breakfast, so generally have a pretty early lunch, so eating at 9pm would be a bit of a stretch. Peavy - do most people eat so late on normal working days?

 

[Wanders from Glos]

I don’t eat breakfast, so generally have a pretty early lunch, so eating at 9pm would be a bit of a stretch. Peavy - do most people eat so late on normal working days?

Our experience previously is that most places don’t even open before 8, and further south sometimes later. At a town near Cadiz I recall walking into town at 9 and being fed up everywhere was closed, then by 10 everywhere was full! Peavy is better placed I expect. We ended up often going for menu de dia at between 2 and 3 as our main meal

 

[Lenny HB]

Our experience previously is that most places don’t even open before 8, and further south sometimes later. At a town near Cadiz I recall walking into town at 9 and being fed up everywhere was closed, then by 10 everywhere was full! Peavy is better placed I expect. We ended up often going for menu de dia at between 2 and 3 as our main meal

Always found it's in the north they don't open until 9 down on the southern coast they are often open from 12 through to 11pm probably in the more touristy areas.

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[Wanders from Glos]

Btw Portugal seems more normal, restaurants open around 7.

 

[Jane And Rog]

Our experience previously is that most places don’t even open before 8, and further south sometimes later. At a town near Cadiz I recall walking into town at 9 and being fed up everywhere was closed, then by 10 everywhere was full! Peavy is better placed I expect. We ended up often going for menu de dia at between 2 and 3 as our main meal

I love Spain, but I don’t think our meal times align. I can do a main meal at late lunchtime occasionally (Christmas Day, the odd summer barbecue) but generally I prefer to walk and see stuff in the day time, and eat in the evening. More 7pm than 9pm though.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

I love Spain, but I don’t think our meal times align. I can do a main meal at late lunchtime occasionally (Christmas Day, the odd summer barbecue) but generally I prefer to walk and see stuff in the day time, and eat in the evening. More 7pm than 9pm though.

You’ll get into the swing of it, we did especially when it is hot. Think you’ll find Portugal will probably work for you though.

 

[G-RMPS]

Never use Google translate for official signs. Never ask a lawyer for advice. The rules for tonight’s stop could be phrased rather more succinctly.

View attachment 959437

“Park at your own risk”​

What is it with Duolingo? Nearly two years of Spanish bajo mi cinturon and Duolingo doesn’t touch useful stuff like this

 

[Peavy]

do most people eat so late on normal working days?

Yes, we've been always kind of later than most European countries, right? but I believe things are changing a bit here now. We two are kind of earlier than the typical shifts here. We prefer lunchtime around 13h and dinner at 20h and we're seeing earlier reservations in the restaurants, specially at dinner time.

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[cliffanger]

I love Spain, but I don’t think our meal times align. I can do a main meal at late lunchtime occasionally (Christmas Day, the odd summer barbecue) but generally I prefer to walk and see stuff in the day time, and eat in the evening. More 7pm than 9pm though.

We go to France every year, and it takes us most of our holiday before we remember that shops close for three hours for lunch and they close on Mondays too!

We’ve never aligned our eating habits to theirs either. I remember years ago, when we asked for a second bottle of red. We were met with a disdainful stare and the comment ‘Une bouteille de rouge de plus? Certainement pas’. Sûrement un café à la place.

Just as well we didn’t understand them, or we’d have been well embarrassed!

We just asked for the same thing, only louder, along with a coffee. We got both, but from the look on his face, we didn’t add much to any ‘entente cordiale’.

Having said all that, we love France, and Spain, and Portugal, and Italy, and Greece - get my drift?!

 

[Mr porky]

It's after you have just got your eating habits adjusted to spanish time then arriving into France is just not british. If you know what I mean.

 

[Neilh]

Sorry to see it's raining so much, hopefully it'll blown through, on plus side there'll be some spectacular waterfalls.

 

[Jane And Rog]

We go to France every year, and it takes us most of our holiday before we remember that shops close for three hours for lunch and they close on Mondays too!

We’ve never aligned our eating habits to theirs either. I remember years ago, when we asked for a second bottle of red. We were met with a disdainful stare and the comment ‘Une bouteille de rouge de plus? Certainement pas’. Sûrement un café à la place.

Just as well we didn’t understand them, or we’d have been well embarrassed!

We just asked for the same thing, only louder, along with a coffee. We got both, but from the look on his face, we didn’t add much to any ‘entente cordiale’.

Having said all that, we love France, and Spain, and Portugal, and Italy, and Greece - get my drift?!

I remember a similar thing happening in Greece with an old boyfriend. We must have been about 25, so felt quite up to a bottle of red with our lunch in the mountains - but the old guy running the taverna was having none of it - a glass each was plenty!

 

[Jane And Rog]

It's after you have just got your eating habits adjusted to spanish time then arriving into France is just not british. If you know what I mean.

Reminds me of another trip with Rog, car & hotel rather than motorhome back in those days. We arrived late at a little village in the French Pyranees, and walked out to find dinner just before 9. Nowhere would serve us as it was far too late, so we ended up with a takeaway pizza. The next day, we hopped 20 km over the border to Spain headed out for dinner at 8pm. We didn’t get it till 10pm, after far too many “pre-match” drinks.

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[Lenny HB]

generally I prefer to walk and see stuff in the day time, and eat in the evening. More 7pm than 9pm though.

We are like that and struggle in France, the menu's are served 12 until about 1:30 and if you are not in a restaurant by 12:30 all the decent suff has gone. We are still digesting breakfast that early. And if you can find a restaurant open in the evening the same meal is twice the price.

 

[MichaelT]

I love Spain, but I don’t think our meal times align. I can do a main meal at late lunchtime occasionally (Christmas Day, the odd summer barbecue) but generally I prefer to walk and see stuff in the day time, and eat in the evening. More 7pm than 9pm though.

Remember first time we went to Spain in Covid, stopped at an Aire at Fraga. Thought we would eat out so walked into town but everywhere was shut, some people in the square for evening walks etc. Just thought it was because of pandemic so went back to van and did some pasta. Wasn't till a couple of days later we realised the Spanish don't come out till after 8 and we were just too early.

 

[Jane And Rog]

We are like that and struggle in France, the menu's are served 12 until about 1:30 and if you are not in a restaurant by 12:30 all the decent suff has gone. We are still digesting breakfast that early. And if you can find a restaurant open in the evening the same meal is twice the price.

You’re the complete opposite to me. I wake about 6am, ready for breakfast at midday (most people call it lunch), then on an ordinary day at home eat dinner at 6pm to give the food time to go down before bed at 10.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

We quite enjoy adapting to the life cycles of the country we are in, although as others have said Spain to France always comes as a shock.

 

[Lenny HB]

In northern Spain we walked into a restaurant at 7:30 two girls were setting the tables. We asked if we could eat, they burst out laughing then told us they didn't open until 9:30.

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