September 16th, 2009
What does the guidebook say?
I’m funny with guidebooks. I buy them before leaving. I rarely look at them when I am there. I read them when I get back. Why, I am not sure but I have always been like that – maybe I am testing whether the guidebook stacks up to the place? Funny, I thought it was meant to be the other way round?!
To that end I’ve just looked at the Lonely Planet Guide for Portugal.
The introduction to the Alentejo section goes something like this;
‘Alentejo is like Portuguese fado music: ultra-traditional, intriguingly diverse and lingeringly sentimental. Covering one-third of the country, Portugal’s largest region is bewitching, with its dry, golden plains, rolling hillsides and lime-green vines, rugged coastline, tiny whitewashed villages and majestic medieval cities’
It goes on to say;
”As for the cuisine? It’s commonly acknowledged that Alentejo is ‘it’ for traditional food. Village-based gastronomic delights abound, especially pork and game dishes, breads, cheeses and wines. Seafood is popular along the Alentejan coastline, where lovely stretches of beach attract a mixed summertime crowd after sun, surf and a laid-back nightlife scene’
Sounds nice doesn’t it. Alentejo has a lot more to offer than just active holidays – infact the two go side by side pretty well. But does it stack up? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Buy the Lonely Planet Guide here