Sally wakes early, Liisa sleeps late. This is the usual pattern of events and probably a good thing. The night owl (or seagull, for Liisa is for sure a gull at heart) and the early bird always have some alone time… The day is spent relaxing and following the sun around the terraces, dragging our table and chairs behind us, and watching the seemingly erratic behaviour of the aeroplanes that glide in to land before hastily pointing their noses toward the sky and rising to take off once more. Initially we think we are witnessing some kind of airport crisis! What is making those damned planes change their minds at such short notice? After some time our brains click in to gear and we realise we must be witnessing some kind of pilot training… Faro is safe and calm once more!

We work on creating this blog in preparation for Camino. We both know from experience that the Camino keeps you busy. It is a demanding beast. It wakes you early and puts you to bed at a ridiculously non rock ‘n’ roll hour. Most albergues insist on pilgrims being out by 08:00 and want you tucked up in bed by 22:00 with lights out! Walking itself takes time, especially if you want to enjoy it, stop a while, admire a view, play a tune, write a little, stroke a cat or find a four leaf clover… Then you’ll need a wine, a shower, some food, some more wine… The Camino magics your hours away and tires you out!

So we take full advantage of our day in one place and even decide to extend our stay for a couple more nights to get the blog set up and ready to go, and research where we’re walking to!

Liisa takes on the role of Artistic Director, Sally’s the Writer, and in to our world’s we head. Between the clicking of keyboards and the occasional picking or strumming of Martin the guitar as Liisa works on a new song the hours pass quickly until it is wine o’clock. The sun sets over the glistening ocean, the sky is pink and warm and mesmerising… As Liisa continues her artistic endeavours, painstakingly manipulating the Camino Family logo to fit in to that bloody arrow, Sally cooks a dish that gets too salty, then too hot, then,with the controversial addition of a carton of cream, becomes an innovative if unusual taste sensation that weirdly tastes like cheese, (*see recipe for cheesy no cheese spice rice!) A few more vinos and it’s time for the early bird to retire to the little bedroom and bury herself beneath the ornamental sleeping bag and all and every blanket in the place (we have discovered for 7 euros a night you do not get heating… 🙂 The night seagull continues her musical and artistic projects long in to the night before she comes to roost…

*Recipe for cheesy no cheese spice rice!

Equipment required

One dodgy slow electric stove (the kind found in a crap bed-sit)

Various pots and pans and utensils

A colander

A brave volunteer to taste at various stages.

Ingredients

Brown rice that takes several hours to cook, preferably found for free in cheap apartment

1 onion, 1 courgette, 1 pepper, 1 manky clove of garlic (found in apartment cupboard)

Tin of tomatoes

1 jar of chickpeas

Water and beef stock cubes

Piri Piri sauce

Tomorrow’s breakfast tomato

Salt, pepper, dried garlic that is well past its use by date.

Leftover tagliatelle cream

Method

Stage 1

Remember to take in to account the quality of your dodgy electric stove and boil water for rice several hours before you actually want to cook the rice.

Cook the rice

Over compensate for the poor quality of your stove and overcook the rice (it should be a mush like texture) before draining and putting out of sight.

Stage 2

Due to no oil being present dry fry onion and manky garlic until it sticks horribly to pan.

Attempt to scrape burning vegetables from pan surface with metal spoon until point of surrender (this will be instinctual.)

In desperation add all other vegetables hoping they may contain a little moisture to stop aforementioned sticking.

Panic

Due to kettle not working boil a cup of water in microwave and dissolve one stock cube

Add to pan

Sigh in relief as water magically stops further damage.

Become so enamoured with the magic of the stock cube that you add 2 more along with the tin of tomatoes.

Feeling excited and overly confident that your dish is back on track, liberally add dried garlic, salt, pepper and piri piri sauce.

Taste

Discover it tastes of salt

Panic

Ask brave volunteer (see equipment list) to taste

Agree it is too salty and barely edible

Discuss options

Add the cream (you should own one for tomorrow’s tagliatelle) and tomorrow’s breakfast tomato

Taste again – if you have followed this recipe correctly it should taste very like cheese and utterly delicious!

Serve with mushy rice and enjoy at least 3 servings including one in bed if your room is cold.