Most monuments and even the people in Portugal are diminutive compared with those in the rest of Europe. Our Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue, built after the 1755 earthquake), running through the center of Lisbon, is a far cry from the length and grandeur of the Champs Elysees, for example. Still, people stroll up and down it, visiting the fashionable multinational stores that frame the tree-lined street, including Armani, Fashion Clinic, and Rodier. We also have Rossio Square, sitting prominently in the center of the capital, but it can't compare with St. Mark's in Venice (even if the occasional pigeon stops by to nibble tasty Portuguese bread).

But one thing that runs larger than life in Portugal is the sardine. Ask any American about sardines, and he'll point to a can from his local supermarket. Look on the label, and you'll often see "Product of Portugal." But you must come here to taste the real thing! From late May until October, the sardines are fresh, exceedingly tasty, and large--nearly three ounces apiece on average. Restaurants, from the fanciest to the simplest, add "Ha sardinhas"--"We have sardines"--to their menus and scribble the phrase on blackboards outside. Taste them, and you'll be hooked!

Before you dig in, though, remember the local sardine etiquette., There are two schools of thought on this. One holds that you should first slice the sardine down the middle, remove the bone in the center, then eat the whole thing--eyes and all.

The second approach is to slap a charcoal-grilled fish between pieces of crusty Portuguese pao (bread) and eat the whole sardine, bones and all. (Some say the sardine bones are good for you--a rich source of calcium straight from the sea.

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First Published: Jul 30, 2005