Portuguese tarts for breakfast

Pastel de nata are Portuguese egg custard tarts are just yummy. They were first created by 18th century Portuguese monks who had lived in France and were hankering after a pastry. Convents and monasteries used a lot of egg whites to starch their clothes and the nun's habits and they had to find a use for the left over yolks, resulting in the abundance of sweet cakes and pastries in the country. I had tried one of these at home and was underwhelmed, but the Portuguese ones are scrumptious. The Portuguese introduced the tarts into Macau and from there a version has become popular in China, which explains those egg tarts you see in Melbourne Chinese restaurants, popular at Yum Cha, but which I have always found some what rubbery. No problem with that here, these yummy tarts figure as a daily staple on the menu at Casa Duke, and are very popular at breakfast.

Which brings me to the reason why I have not set fingers to keyboard for a few days; summer holidaying is such hard work. Relentless eating, drinking and sitting by the pool. 

The family travelling party have re-grouped on the Algarve in Portugal for a week in Casa Duke, our rented villa. The Algarve is Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula, just ever so slightly warmer, with fine, cloudless days. Well, at least that has been our lucky experience and if I am honest the Atlantic in May is as cold as Port Phillip Bay. The Algarve is on the Portuguese south coast and is one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations, the population of 400,000 swells to 1.7 million in the high season, and over the summer months an estimated 7 million visitors will holiday in the region. We are so lucky to be here in the shoulder season when there are still seats in the restaurants. And before the Brits come in hoards to play golf and down cheap Mojitos by the jug. 

Sadly we are not in the Algarve to enjoy the Sardine Festival which is the local highlight in late summer. Thousands of people visit the festival which is on for a whopping 10 days. Sardines are a part of the fabric of the area, although the canning industry has long closed down. According to a TripAdvisor review the Algarve Sardine Festival is the best sardine festival in the world, though you have to wonder if there is much competition.