Portugal, Hidden Treasures

Porto, The City of Tiles

I awoke to the call of seagulls echoing through the cobbled streets. As I stepped out of our cozy Airbnb near the city center, the sweet, buttery aroma of Pastéis de Nata drifted through the air—crispy, golden layers on the outside, and a warm, creamy custard heart on the inside. With a strong bica (espresso) in hand, I stood still for a moment—this was my kind of happy place.

What made the experience even richer was having a kind Portuguese gentleman by my side—someone who knew the true heartbeat of Porto. He led me away from the tourist trails, into tucked-away taverns and bakeries where recipes had been passed down for generations. We shared laughter over small bites, sipped aged port wine, and walked past building façades blanketed in the city’s iconic blue and white tiles, each telling a silent story.

In Porto, every detail—every tile, every taste, every morning seagull call—felt like part of an old, poetic rhythm I never wanted to unhear.

Mila’s Secret Garden

From picking Mila’s sun-kissed raspberries to peeling fresh fava beans, digging golden potatoes out of rich, healthy soil, pulling up giant onions, and crafting a vibrant bouquet from her “flowertopia” patch for our dinner table—it all felt like a free, joyous shot of nature’s purest magic. Sounds dreamy? For me, it truly was. Sitting down to a plate of Mila’s homemade meals, made entirely with veggies I had just unearthed with my own hands, was soul-satisfying in the deepest way.

One day, the garden adventure extended to her aunt’s organic orchard, where we spent hours handpicking plump, ripe blueberries under a soft sun. A whole kilo of these antioxidant-rich jewels cost just 3.50 euros—an almost unreal contrast to the 125g you’d find for the same price in Switzerland.

All this “hands-to-earth” living taught me something supermarket aisles never could: the true value of food. When you witness the effort, time, and patience it takes to grow real, nourishing ingredients, you savour every bite with profound gratitude. A garden like Mila’s is not just a plot of land—it’s a living treasure chest.

P.S. Scroll down to discover what magic Mila served us three times a day—I’m still full from that trip, in the best way possible.

Mila’s Kitchen — Garden to Plate

I couldn’t believe how incredible these fruits and vegetables tasted. If anything could elevate my happiness, it was Mila’s dishes—crafted with love, simplicity, and ingredients straight from her backyard Eden.

Her lettuce? Crunchy and bursting with flavour—what green leaves are meant to taste like. She’d toss in slices of her homegrown onions—so naturally sweet, I swear you could eat them like apples. Drizzled with her own olive oil, a splash of vinegar, and just a pinch of salt & pepper—that’s it. No frills. Yet it remains the best salad I’ve had in my life.

Now, full disclosure: if you peek at the pictures, you’ll notice I wasn’t following a strict plant-based diet. After years of being a flexitarian (since 2014) and then a strict vegan, I’ve created a term I feel suits my lifestyle best: Locavore.

Being a Locavore means eating meat only if it comes from just a bike ride away, and sourcing fruits and vegetables from local farms or at the very least, from within your own country. Why buy produce or meat flown in from thousands of kilometers away? Eat seasonally. Support your local growers. Respect the land and its rhythms. (More on my Locavore lifestyle in the next blog post!)

Back to Mila’s kitchen: we were served chicken raised with care, love, and freedom. Mila cooked it with a rich sauce infused with her own chestnuts—I’m still dreaming about that flavour. It was rustic comfort food that fed the soul.

Oh, and let’s not forget the liquors—Mila’s homemade Jeropiga and tangerine liqueur: sweet, smooth… and honestly, dangerously delicious. Alongside came her medicinal garden teas—Carqueja, corn silk, cidreira, thyme, and rosemary blends. Every sip felt like nature giving you a gentle hug.

The entire food and drink experience with Mila was more than a meal—it was a celebration of nature, tradition, and flavour.

One of my future dreams? To return and work with Mila—learn her gardening secrets, how she brews her healing teas, distills her liqueurs, and help her bring these Portuguese treasures to the world.

Obrigada, Mila, for your generosity and your garden magic.