Still by the sea, this time have wandered farther west and slightly north. The town of Cascais is a 30 minute train ride from Lisbon, but feels a world away. It is the quintessential beach town, with a very nice, compact center that has been well kept up, with heaps of restaurants, shops and a few good museums. It was once a fishing village but one of the monarchs in the 1800s turned it into his royal retreat and it has since remained a bit of a posh place. It is perhaps not inappropriate to call it the Hamptons of Portugal, where the well-heeled Lisboans go for their weekend city-break. There are some lovely old houses here, but also expensive beach front apartments and like most places these days, there are new buildings going up frequently.
I managed to find a decent, little flat right in the historic center for the week. 
It is exactly the kind of place that I had hope to be able to rent for a month. Alas, it is not to be! However, I’m going to enjoying being here for this short while.
As a former fishing village, you can expect to find very good seafood restaurants. However, don’t eat in the very center, i.e. the handful of streets that comprise of the “tourist” area. My flat is a few steps, just a few, from this, but makes all the difference. On my first day, I discovered a sushi place just down the hill, where I had an excellent “Prato do Dia” for less than 10 euros!
Top tip – try to find eateries with a daily special, as not only is this good value, but typically will be seasonal, so the freshest veg, meat or seafood, in this instance. And something that wouldn’t be included in your daily special in the US, is a drink; some places also include bread and pate and/or butter, plus an espresso at the end. Like I said, good value!
Continuing the theme of fresh and delicious seafood, I found another place nearby, just up the hill this time. On my way to the Paula Rego museum that day, I noticed a few interesting restaurants on the other side of town. So around 14:00, when I returned, I decided to have a wander and found a tiny (only a handful of tables), family-run place that specializes in octopus. By that, I mean, that is the only thing they serve. And boy, does it make the argument for just doing one thing and doing it well!
My starter was a fritter, which is essentially a small pancake; my main was an octopus rice, with peppers, lemon and coriander. Wow! In the past, I found octopus to be a little bit chewy, whenever I had it for sushi back in the US. However, the octopus here was soft, velvety almost, slightly sweet but with a mild briny taste of the sea. The dish was a cross between an Italian risotto and a French bouillabaisse, without the heavy cream and calories. Seriously, try this if you have an opportunity and oh, I recommend eating it with a spoon, rather than a fork. You’ll be able to scoop up more of the lovely sauce that way!
Oh, whatever will I have for lunch today?
Susan S. Singh Art 
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