🌍Junior's World Travel Log 🇵🇹 Portugal Trip Part 3 | City of Slopes and Unforgettable Flavors

🧭The true face of Portugal, discovered only by walking

Colorful streetscapes and beautiful azulejos.

The sunset that lingers in the sky even after 9 PM, and
Sintra wrapped in mist.

In my previous Portugal travel logs,
I introduced scenery that felt like stepping into a story,
along with Junior's photos.

For this third installment,
we'll talk about the slopes of Porto and Lisbon,
and the joy of travel:
Portuguese cuisine 🇵🇹

🏘️What made me feel the essence of Portugal was the "slopes"

“While walking through the city, were there any moments where you felt the colors, sounds, or atmosphere unique to Portugal?”
Junior answered this question as follows.



The slopes.I visited Portugal's two largest cities,
Porto and Lisbon,
and both have so many slopes!
And they are all incredibly steep.

Or stairs that go on forever.
Even though I was just walking around the city,

Did I come here for mountain climbing!?
That was the level of fatigue I felt, haha.When I looked it up,

I found it was due to geographical factors,
as the cities were built on hilly terrain,
and historical factors, as settlements were built
on high ground to defend against enemies.
The view from the top after climbing the slope

was wonderful,
so there was a sense of accomplishment,
but I was puzzled about how the elderly
actually live there.
Do you get trained if you live there long enough?

I couldn't help but think it must be tough to live there, haha.


“Did I come here for mountain climbing!?”



Reading those words,I couldn't help but grin myself.When traveling,
you want to see as many places as possible.
However,

every time you head to a destination,
steep slopes and long stairs await.

What started as a city stroll
might end up being a mountain climb before you know it 🥾

The reason there are so many slopes in Porto and Lisbon is that,
in addition to the cities being built on hilly terrain,
there is a history of building settlements on high ground
to protect against enemies.

Now, they charm many people
as beautiful cityscapes,
but those slopes hold the long history
that these cities have walked.

When you turn around after climbing a slope out of breath,
the city spreads out before you.

Perhaps the view stays in your heart more
because it isn't easy to reach ✨

However, walking as a tourist
is a different story from living there every day.

Going shopping is a slope.

Going home is a slope.

If it were me, just arriving home,
I would probably say,
“My exercise for the day is done.”

🐙Portuguese cuisine that never disappointed me once

Next,
I asked Junior about the food.

Seafood, definitely.
Since it faces the ocean,
there was plenty of seafood!
And,
everything I ate in Portuguese cuisine
was truly delicious!

With simple seasoning,
I think there are many dishes that
suit the Japanese palate.

Octopus and cod are especially famous,
and I ate them almost every day!

I think I was able to eat almost everything
that is famous as Portuguese cuisine.

For dessert, egg tarts are famous.

They originated in Portugal,
and locally
they are called Pastel de Nata.
They are delicious as they are, but
the local way was to sprinkle
cinnamon or powdered sugar
that was on the table.

As for the food, I never
had a bad meal once!
I still want to eat it now!

“I never had a bad meal once.”

For travel meals, these are very happy words.

Because Portugal faces the ocean,
it is rich in seafood, including octopus and cod.

The seasoning is relatively simple,
with many dishes that bring out the deliciousness of the ingredients,
so it seems it was easy to suit the Japanese palate.

Even from the photos,
you can almost feel the elasticity of the octopus and the aroma of the seafood.
It looks gorgeous,

but the seasoning is simple.
Valuing the ingredients themselves

is something that also resonates with Japanese fish dishes 🐟

Cod is a familiar fish in Japan too, but
when you eat it while traveling, you encounter
cooking methods and flavors unique to that land.

Junior said she
ate octopus and cod almost every day.
Even so, without getting tired of it,


“I still want to eat it now”she could say.Cuisine is also

an important presence that preserves the memories of a trip.

☕Authentic Pastel de Nata

Speaking of Portuguese desserts,
egg tarts.

Locally,
they are called Pastel de Nata.

The outside is a crispy crust.

Inside, smooth custard.

It's delicious as is, but
the local way is to sprinkle it with
cinnamon or powdered sugar.

Pastel de Nata enjoyed with coffee
after walking up steep slopes.

This must be exceptional ☕️

You might regain the calories you burned on the slopes
immediately, but
when traveling, you want to enjoy it
without worrying about such things.

🌍The atmosphere of Portugal conveyed through photos

Steep slopes.

The city viewed from atop the hill.

Dishes made with seafood.

And, sweet pastel de nata.

It's not just the tourist spots,
but the fatigue felt while actually walking,
and the emotion felt when tasting the food
that comes through,
which is the charm of Junior's travel log.

This time, too,
I was able to feel the atmosphere of Portugal,
which words alone cannot fully convey,
through five photos📷

Junior.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule
to share your travel memories and wonderful photos with us again.
The Portugal trip continues on🇵🇹

🎙️Enjoy "Junior's World Travel Log" through voice

On stand.fm's "Maimai Shige's Curiosity Radio",
I introduce the message sent by Junior
and talk about the Portugal trip.
I think you will be able to feel a different travel atmosphere

than what you enjoy through the text and photos on note.
During your Monday break,
step away from your daily routine for a moment,

and try traveling the world with Junior🌍