Part Two Day 36: Horta

Part Two Day 36

What a picturesque location is this town of Horta. 
That’s not just relating to the scenery, although that looks like it could be pretty good on a less drizzly grey day, but the town with it‘s black and white painted churches and other mainly pastel coloured buildings.
We set off this morning, more or less as the gang plank was put in place, so at about 09:30 we turned left off the ship towards the main street, via the passenger terminal.
I started taking photo’s almost immediately and we set of on what was to be a slow walk to the marina and a cup of Nescafe in one of the cafe dotted around. 
We then walked back on ourselves down the back streets and the main shops, picking up a couple of carnival masks on the way, as we understand that one evening this week dinner will have a carnival theme.
At this time we also checked out restaurant menus, we had at the back of our mind that perhaps we would have a good lunch and not be too concerned about food back on the ship.
Eventually after walking all the way back to the where the ship was docked we decided we would lunch and so we wended our way back to the marina.
 Pauline could remember seeing a menu that featured prawns as one of it’s dishes. She quite fancied a prawn or two, but we reached the marina with no joy in finding the menu. 
So we started again to walk the back streets.
Yes, she was that keen.
There it is she exclaimed, and indeed it was, so we stepped inside and found a table for four tucked into a corner by the window.
I say four because it was effectively two tables for two, adjacent to each other and we put ourselves window side facing each other.
We waited a short while, wondering how we ordered food when the owner caught my eye and nodded from the bar area. 
So we were off and running, so to speak.
The menu did fortunately have an English section and throughout the menu, in all the languages, each dish was numbered.
The waiter came a little while after and asked us what number we wanted and whether we wanted one, or small (that wasn‘t the term but memory fails me). 
Expecting English sized portions we ordered one, each.
Pauline her prawns with mixed vegetables and salad, and me roasted goat with mixed vegetables and salad.
I then had the problem of ordering wine, we wanted white and it became quite obvious to me that bianco wasn’t Portuguese for white.
No wine list available, but I thought I had got through to him and off he trotted.
A short while later returning with a paper tablecloth, and a knife and fork each. He asked would we like butter and cheese, puzzled expressions all around, then I remembered the menu had a starter which was bread, butter and cheese.
Having clicked, I responded  no obrigado!
He then came back with two small glasses and an already uncorked bottle of white wine, so for lunchtime ordering, we were halfway there. 
It was a very good local dry wine branco, and I was convinced the numbered menu was guaranteed to be ok.
An old couple then came into the restaurant, by old I mean 80’s and asked if they may sit at the table next to us, thereby blocking at least me in for the duration.
We said no problem. They were English and as it turned out off the ship and to cap it all from Grimsby of all places.
We assisted them, now being professional at the use of the menu, and in the method of ordering.
In the meantime our food turned up.
A massive platter each full of our respective orders and piles of chips rice and salad.
Our new found friends were immediately persuaded that a number one was too much for them.
So they were well prepared when the waiter turned up for their order.
In the meantime Pauline and I chomped on. 
Pauline with her pile of extremely garlicy prawns, and me with my really tasty but boney goat.
So we were both finger feeding ourselves and chatting to the couple. 
The old boy being a sixteen years retired, general practitioner and his wife very much a Doctor‘s wife.
To cut an even longer story short, the four of us finished our meals after about two hours of constant chatter and exchanging our life stories.
Will we meet again? 
Who knows, we hadn’t met them on the ship................yet.

I don’t think we’ll be dining tonight!

I've bought a watch by the way, after 15 years of putting up with me asking her the time, as I gave up wearing a watch when I retired, Pauline has persuaded me to buy a rather nice slim style "ONE"

Oh yes, did I tell you I was an Egghead?