Suddenly, I Like Sardines

A flaneur surprises himself, daily.

Grilled sardines at the Comporta Cafe, Portugal. Photo credit: Teresa

I never really liked sardines. Fishy, oily, smelly, packed in a tin can for lord knows how long. Ugh. My wife Teresa, however, always had a fondness for them. She’s Portuguese. Her birthday falls on the national holiday of St. Antonio (June 13). It’s celebrated in her hometown of Lisbon by people lighting bonfires in the streets and grilling — you guessed it— sardines. In fact…

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A flâneur is someone who wanders around with no other purpose than to be an acute observer of life: the man (or woman) of leisure, the idler, the urban explorer, the connoisseur of the street. This is what we want to embody in our year in Europe. Come wander with us!