We turned up at the factory in the centre of the city to meet one of the family - Penelope Clarinha. The company has been making this sweet pastry since 1857 ... and it sells between 20 to 50 THOUSAND a day ... only in one shop! Not bad!
I learnt how to make them ... there's a pastry casing and it's filled with a "custard cream". Only FOUR people in the world know the full recipe behind the Pasteis de Belem (the original pasteis) ...
People here eat pasteis for breakfast, 11's, lunch, tea, dinner and midnight snack!
What's even more great is that EACH one is made by hand. I ate mine with a lovely tawny port to hand! Yum!
In the afternoon we headed to the Maritime Museum. Both Vasco de Gama and Magellan came from Portugal ... but there are many not-so-famous-but-still-important maritime explorers that have come from this small country.
Lieutenant Bruno Neves took me around the museum and even let me into the office of King Charles 1 ... I am one of only a handful of people ever allowed to do this! The office was aboard one of his ships (Amelia) and taken out piece by piece to put in the museum!
Not bad eh!
Another long day ... but productive!
Song of the Day: Brimful of Asha - Cornershop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM7H0ooV_o8
Yumyum
Penelope (note Shrek in the background)
In the King's office!
It's that Shreck (sic) again!
Lieut. Neves
