on the road again... Part I

9 days, 3 countries, 6 cities, 4 friends, and 13 hours of driving. My Euro trip last week almost feels like a less glamorous version of Mario Batali's food show "On the Road Again... Spain", especially the portion in Basque country when we basically stuffed ourselves with pintxos (Basque-style tapas) and 1.50-Euro per glass of wines. I experienced some technical difficulties with my laptop during the trip so hence the blog abandonment, but now that I'm home and back to my 17-inch and normal internet connection, I'll be documenting some highlights from my travel adventures and sharing some of the tastiest foods I've tried for the next few posts!

Day 2: Lisbon, Portugal

Here we're at the Jeronimos Monastery, a magnificent monastery with a late-Gothic style facade and a spectacular cloister inside. The walls around the cloister display a mix of European and Moorish decorative elements, turning it into a truly unique and serene place to be.

*Wearing a Built by Wendy bustier top, Staerk high-waist shorts, Staerk reversible belt, Dolce Vita sandals, and Urban Outfitters necklace.

A block away from the Monastery is the Portuguese cafe Pasteis de Belem, famous for its pastel de Belem (or pastel de nata), a local pastry which resembles some kind of egg tart. Pastel de Belem is actually believed to have been created by the monks of the Jeronimos Monastery in the 18th C, so that's why this nearby cafe is known to have the best ones in town. These little custard tarts are so delicious and tasted nothing like Chinese egg tarts or the "Portuguese egg tarts" I've had in Macau. Powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar is sprinkled on top of each perfectly browned tart. On the inside is a smooth, "curdled" custard surrounded in a crispy phyllo pastry shell. The four of us cleaned that plate up in 5 seconds. Yum!