40 years ago today my in-laws married in the home village of Penela da Beira. Three children and some residences later, we celebrated this milestone occasion by getting my mother-in-law out of her kitchen and escaping the 36C weather to an air-conditioned environment for lunch.
I say “lunch” but you know that is a euphemism for a typical Portuguese meal with enough food for lunch AND dinner. It wasn’t special treatment either, even though the family who owns the restaurant knows my mother-in-law (she was a local teacher, long since retired). We made a full two rounds of Portuguese cheek-kissing to say hello and goodbye.
There was a funny moment when my father-in-law, who is accustomed to me shooting the meal before people dive in, asked the server who was slicing the vitela (veal) to stop for the photography. She was so confused!
The timing of these pictures makes the table look rather sparse, when in reality it was covered in serving dishes during the bulk of our meal. The staff at Restaurante Via Lidador were very attentive, briskly clearing out dishes and bringing new ones. You’ll see more food pics in my Instagram account, here and here.
August 7, 2016
Album: Portugal [Summer 2016]
