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Showing posts from December, 2013

Paid in cakes

When a friend asked Peter to come up with a logo for a new coffee shop recently he took the opportunity to be paid in cakes.   We went to collect last week, as the coffee shop, Dona Chica opened to the public.   Our friends, a family from Oliveira do Bairro, have taken on a cake shop and bakery in a village close to them.    It’s a bold move, there are thousands of cake shops and bakeries across Portugal, every village has one.   It’s also long hours, our local one is open from 6am to 11pm every day of the week, 365 days a year.   Arriving at Dona Chica we stepped into a slight chaos and very mild panic.    So much to do before the doors open the following morning.   Peter tasted the beer, it was fine so he felt he could have another.    I started cleaning tables and decorating the Christmas tree.   We took the tour, saw the bread chef making the bread, watched the pastry chef make Bolo Rei (a great mixture of dry fruit, bread style which you either love or hate….but