Chestnuts Roasted on a Portuguese Fire

I can recall in childhood some 54 yrs ago street vendors on the side of the street selling roasted chestnuts.  Have to be honest its a vivid memory but I think it was on a visit to London. Personally my memory is triggered more often than not by smell.  The recollection of a smell of something brings back the image of the scene.  It the case of the roasted chestnuts its more the smell of the coal created the heat that I recall.  In particular I can recall the smoke coming from the roaster.

                                                          The poisonous Horse Chestnut

Horse Chestnut

It was a time we were less environmentally aware and small of smoke was a sign fires were burning and you d be heading home out of the winter cold.  But eating roasted chestnuts on side of the street as Irish was a thing other nationalities done.  We looked on curiously in the cinema or early television with the thought some people would eat anything.

Not that we were short of chestnuts the Irish countryside has been full of Horse Chestnut Trees for unfortunately are poisonous if eaten.  I can remember as a young guy going  the "Big Park" in Waterford city in the South of Ireland and collection what we referred to as Congers.   They normally would have fallen from the majestic Horse Chestnut Trees the Inner nut was protected by a green outer shell which nature allowed to have small barbs or thorns.  Its European Cousin the edible version has somewhat hairy outer jacket.

Anyway the sole purpose of this Big Park expedition was to prepare for a game of conkers.  I was one of those seasonal childhood games.   Must confess was always curious how they started or who was the first in the season and how did the last guy know the time was up.   In fairness you really stood out from the crowd if you carried on a season game whose tome had passed.

Congers was a simple game you used a nail to put a hole in the chestnut.  Then ran a piece of twine or string tied a big knot at one end and you were ready for action.

Cantasha Roster in Lisbon

Lets move forward quite a few years I was sitting in a Irish/Portuguese family home in Lisbon. I was staying a in an magnificent self-catering apartment in the centre of Lisbon booked on www.goholidaylets.com.  I was asked would I stay for dinner and to my surprise we had meat stuffed with chestnuts or in Portuguese  castanhas. I was once again in self-catering accommodation in Lagos for a short stay having golf in Vilamoura.  I called to a Cafe Cisne  to see owner Anna and she produced some wonderful roasted castanhas to have with my coffee.  The were excellent rich wholesome taste far cry from the Hores Chestnut congers of the Big Park In Waterford many years ago. If you have self-catering accommodation in the Algarve make sure you list free with www.goholidaylets.com

Tags. self-catering accommodation, luxury villas Vilamoura, self-catering accommodation Lagos,self-catering apartment in centre of Lisbon, Waterford, London.

Lagos Portugal a haven of quality Self-catering holiday accommodation

If you haven't paid a visit to Lagos in Portuguese in Western Algarve is a great place to visit. It has it all climate, good food, friendly safe environment.  The Algarvians are totally depending on tourism in one shape or another for their livelihood.  As are the owners of holiday rental accommodation.  They rent their self-catering properties to visiting guests.  Give them the luxury of having a wonderful property in this wonderful location.
Everything is a 100% the Carma in Lagos run the town in a very astute and professional manner.  Because visits have being coming here for many years every service required for a successful holiday is provide.  Carhire, bike hire,boat hire, boat trips particularly to the Grottos, coffee shops of all shapes and sizes and indeed quite a few nationalities. Restaurants Thai, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, English, Irish, German, French,  and Ukraine.
Out door sports golf, water sports galore, horse riding, motor sport track, off road, fishing beach, and deep sea, tennis. A wide range of inner sports activities.

Experiencing of joys of Lagos on the Western end of the Algarve in  Portugal.    There is no doubt southern  European countries like Spain and Portugal is only are great place to live.   But a holiday here be in a hotel or the now very popular self-catering holiday option  has a lot going for it.  Today we are looking at Lagos  which is first and foremost a residential town for 10s of thousand of Portuguese and expats and secondly a very popular holiday resort.   Part of its holiday attraction is its geographical position, on one side the splendid resort of Alvor, and on the other the renowned resort of Praia de Luz.
Because of its size Lagos has a greater selection of restaurants having said that both Alvor and Praia do Luz have some excellent restaurants.   Alvor certainly has more Irish pubs last count  I think there were four.   If you stole through Alvor  in the summer months you will hear the Irish visitors accents coupled with other Europeans.  Where as in Praia do Luz visitors from England and Scotland are most of the accents to be heard.  On the other hand there is a complete mix of accents.  Of course England and Scotland some Irish.  But also German coming and going and the French have arrived in numbers. Nowadays in can see the odd Belgium accent.  Lagos as a substantial town can accommodate the increase in populations.   The large numbers of hotel and self-catering holiday rental accommodation can ensure a comfortable place to stay.
Lagos is a fantastic town  that can certainly be enjoyed by all age groups. It is full of historical interest with it's origins dating as far back as 2000 years BC when it was known as Lacobriga. Lagos has always had a seafaring connection, originally visited by Phoenicians and Carthaginians and then, during the 15th century, was the base for the 'voyages of the Discoveries' instigated by Henry the Navigator when trade between Africa and Portugal brought a great deal of wealth into the town.

The older part of Lagos is still circled by the city walls that were constructed during the 16th century when it was the residence of the governors of the Algarve and the fort, Ponta da Bandeira, by Batata beach is part of the 17th century fortifications that were added to protect the town. Behind it (on the opposite side of the road) is the Porta de São Gonçalo (St.Gonçalo’s gate) with a watchtower on either side and just to the right of this is the Governors' Castle (of Arab construction).