My Portugal from A to Z: A to C

I was reading a couple of blogs recently that are covering Portugal by the alphabet.  What a terrific idea from Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal's blog! I've decided to start my own listing and join the fun.

Today, I'll cover A to C.

A=Algarve. It's the southernmost region of the country. The first time I remember travelling to the Algarve, I was a young teenager. There are a number of lasting memories from that trip: the pastry shop with all the little fruit-shaped marizipan confections; crystal blue waters as warm as a bath; tree branches hanging heavy with alfarroba and trying fresh figs for the first time.

B=Bica. One of the terms used for an espresso (pronounced BEE-ka). Portugal has a rather complicated coffee culture. There are all sorts of names for various coffee drinks and they may vary depending on where you are in the country. But don't be alarmed--there are certain terms that are understandable anywhere--so yes, you can order an espresso but try using bica instead. A bica is the one thing that is always guaranteed to be good no matter where you are: a fancy cafe in the city or at a quiet tavern in a small village.

C=Calçada. The name of the sidewalk made up of small square cobblestones. They are characteristic of this region and you will also see it in places like Brazil. They can be made up of elaborate decorations or of simple patterns. The geometry and linearity remind me of mosaics as well as the tile work you will also encounter while travelling about. I can also see it in the work of artists like Vieira da Silva (1908-1992), who had a definite linear quality in her modernist paintings.