As we walk to our first restaurant Kathe tells us a little about herself then discusses the area. We pop into a very small restaurant where we have bread, cheese, alheira, wine/beer. Alheira is chicken sausage that became a popular food of Jews and Muslims who settled in the area, both those who forcibly converted to Catholicism and those who didn't. The sausage helped them to fit in as if they were consuming pork sausage and hopefully avoid the Inquisition. The sausage has a more mushy texture than many we've tasted but is very good.
As we walk through Mouraria we talk about azulejos, the famous Portuguese tiles. The early style of tile originated in Moorish Spain and was brought to Portugal in the 15th Century. Portuguese artisans then improved the technique and styles, making it their own. Kathe also discusses the Great Lisbon Earthquake which occurred on All Saints Day in 1755. Half the population was lost, it took one year to clean up and 100 years to rebuild.
Our next stop is again a small, family owner restaurant. Here we have a cup of sparkling "green" wine, cheese, bread, and a chorizo barbecued on a ceramic dish in front of us. Very memorable (and good).
Our last stop is for dessert. Lisbon is famous for Pastel de Nata (custard tart), which can be found everywhere. But Kathe has found Pastel Feijão. It's described as bean cake....which sounds gross. But it is a delicious combination of white beans, grated almonds and sugar. The top is crispy like the caramelized top on creme brûlée. Wow!
It's a little after 4 pm when we make it back to our apartment, tired, full and very happy we signed up for the tour.