The most dramatic thing that happened on Mount Everest this 2026 Season

I've mentioned a few times about my somewhat niche and unusual (for someone in my demographic at least!) interest in Mount Everest. I've been reading about it on and off over the years, but this year I've really grown my interest. I've built a collection of new and second-hand books, I've watched documentaries, I've listed to podcasts, and this year I followed along with the 2026 Everest climbing season.

There is a very short window for an Everest summit attempt. The main route (on the South/Nepal side) only opens once a team of local climbers have cleared a path and fixed ropes to the camps and summit. This year it was delayed, with the first Nepali climbers on the rope fixing team only reaching the summit on 13th May. Then the ropes and ladders were removed on the 29th May, meaning that everyone had to be down from the mountain by this date. With frequent periods of bad weather on the mountain, there are only a few days during this already short period when a safe summit can be attempted.

The reason that the mountain closes around this date every year is because this is when the monsoon arrives, and conditions because extremely dangerous. There have been a few risky summits later in the year in September or October time after the monsoon when it is less crowded, but it's not something that is undertaken by many climbers.

I spent a month following along with the season, in particular watching a daily dispatch video from Everest Live, reading articles, and making some notes in my Everest notebook. I enjoyed learning more about the different people attempting the summit this year, and marvelling at the sheer numbers of people that were on the mountain. I love finding out about the logistics of an expedition.

Photo credit Tom Cleary via Unsplash

The 2026 season came to a particularly dramatic end this year with the story of Hillary Dawa Sherpa. A local guide, he was part of a small team attempting a very late summit just before the mountain closed on the 29th May accompanying British climber Chris Thrall and a Polish climber. The information is sketchy, but it looks as though they were descending when they all got into difficulties. Chris Thrall went ahead to help the struggling Polish climber, leaving Dawa Sherpa lying high up on the mountain.

Thrall believed that the sherpa was dead, or very close, and knew that if he attempted to rescue him there was a very high chance that all three would die. They would all have been aware that the chances of a descent would be next to impossible once the mountain closed and the ropes and ladders through the icefall were removed. He had to make an impossible decision, affected of course also by his own deteriorating condition.

Dawa Sherpa was presumed dead and his family had begun funeral rites when he was spotted crawling down the base of the icefall. Miraculously he survived six days on the mountain, much of it in the 'death zone' without sufficient oxygen. He spent two days trapped in a crevasse and was only able to escape after an avalanche brought enough snow down to enable him to climb out. He had very little food, and only ice for water. 

This is a story that I'm definitely going to be following over the next weeks and months as more information is released. As well as the story of his survival there are many questions to be answered, not least why a helicopter rescue wasn't implemented and whether the rescue efforts would have been more efficient for a foreign climber. He was involved with two expedition companies, neither of which seemed prepared to take any responsibility for him when it came to paying for a rescue. 

Disclaimer - I'm in no way an expert on this subject. If you are looking for more detailed information I'd definitely recommend doing some further reading from people that are far more knowledgeable!

Find out more:

BBC News - Watch: Guide stranded on Everest for six days rescued

BBC News - Everest guide survived six-day ordeal by eating chocolate and 'chewing ice'

Everest Live - Hillary Dawa Update (video)

The Tourism Times - Everest survivor Dawa Sherpa stable as HAMS Hospital confirms frostbite, fracture and severe dehydration

Everest Chronicle - Miracle and Shame: The two faces of Everest

From me:

Five excellent long-form Everest documentaries on YouTube

My "Odd Shelf', inspired by Anne Fadiman - my growing collection of Everest themed books

The things that I've been doing instead of blogging

It's been ages since I wrote a proper blog post, so here's a quick look at what has been keeping me busy:

Gardening

I love this time of year, when the garden starts to take off. We had our garden landscaped last year and it was still looking bare at the start of the year. We've added a few new plants, and I'm really enjoying seeing the things that we planted last year come back to life. One area of the garden that we had neglected was at the front where we had removed a large, overgrown hedge. We intended to replant it last year, and then decided that actually we preferred the more open plan look. But the long border that we had left for the hedge was filled with knee high weeds, and it looked terrible.

So I spent a long day giving it a thorough weed, and I cut the grass on the council owned patch at the front. Then I took a trip to the garden centre and stocked up on trays of bedding plants which I've planted all the way along, as well as uncovering some gorgeous poppies which had self-seeded. It looks so much better now, and I'm sure that our neighbours will appreciate having something prettier to look at as it all fills out!

Enjoying being outside

I always try to make the most of good weather, and it was so lovely that this year we were treated to hot sunshine over the Bank Holiday weekend. I stocked up on ice creams for the freezer, then every morning I got the garden ready with our garden furniture. I moved chairs around during the day, starting off in the sun and then moving to the shade mid-morning and afternoon. We had a barbecue every day, and spent the evening around the fire pit with marshmallows.

Following the Everest climbing season

I've written several times about my niche interest in Everest, and this was the first year that I followed along in real time. I found Everest Live on YouTube which produced daily video dispatches throughout the climbing season from around the beginning of May. I sat down every evening to watch the latest dispatch and make notes in my Everest journal. I also enjoyed reading the less frequent but detailed articles from the Alan Arnette Blog like this Everest 2026 Season Summary. 

It was really exciting, the season started later than usual with a few problems but it was a record year for summits, with 274 on a single day! I even found a live Everest webcam, and on one clear evening at the height of the season I was watching rivers of torches make their way up the mountain in the early hours in Nepal. Now the climbing is over for another year, but I have a playlist of long Everest documentaries to work through which always give me something new to research.

Photo credit Rajan Dahal via Unsplash

Hosting tradesmen

For the last couple of months we have been having our ancient bathrooms replaced, and the work is nearly finished. They look amazing! But it's been quite disruptive, and I don't cope well when there are people in the house. Having to park the car down the road, worrying about the neighbours being annoyed, wondering whether I'm offering enough drinks and being constantly available in the house in case I'm needed to check something. I find it difficult to focus on anything too complicated.

Reading

However I have been doing very well lately at working through my to be read list, even the hidden one on my Kindle! I've been going through some of the 'filler' books, which are the ones that I download for free on to my Kindle. They are usually quick reads and not that memorable, although I've found a few that stood out - I recently really enjoyed Follow Her by Anna Stothard. 

I have a long Everest book which I'm finding a bit of a slog - Into the Silence by Wade Davis. It's always named as being one of the best on the subject, but I'm finding it hard going. I bought it as a cheap second hand copy so I think I'm going to do some annotating and sticky labelling to make it more like a reference book that I can dip in and out of.

How to Find Urgent Care Wait Times Before Leaving the House?

This is a collaborative post

Nobody wants to drive across town, drag a sick child through the parking lot, and then sit in a waiting room for two hours. The good news? It's not some secret. Most people just don't know where to look. Wait times at urgent care centers are more accessible now than they've ever been.

This article covers exactly how to find urgent care wait times before you leave home, which tools actually work, and what to do if the numbers aren't posted anywhere.

Where to Check Urgent Care Wait Times Online

Urgent Care hours and locations are a natural starting point when you're planning a visit, since many clinic pages now list current or estimated wait times alongside their address and hours. Here's the thing: you need to know which sources give you real-time data versus rough estimates from a week ago.

The Clinic's Own Website

Most regional and national urgent care groups publish live wait times on their own websites. Look for a "Current Wait" or "Hold My Spot" button near the location finder. If you see a number that updates as you refresh the page, that's a live feed tied to the clinic's check-in system. A flat "typically 15 minutes" message, though? That's static; useful, but not accurate right now.

Symptom Checker Tools That Surface Nearby Clinics

Platforms like Ubie Health let you check your symptoms first, then connect you to nearby care options with availability information. This two-step approach actually saves time. You confirm the right level of care before you commit to a location, so you're not showing up to urgent care for something the ER should handle, or paying urgent care prices for a problem your doctor could handle tomorrow.

Search Engines and Map Apps

A Google search for "urgent care near me" pulls up a local pack that sometimes shows estimated wait times pulled directly from clinic systems. Apple Maps does the same. These figures aren't always current, treat them as a ballpark, but they're fast to check and require no app download.

How to Reserve Your Spot Before You Arrive

Checking wait times is half the battle. The smarter move? Reserve your spot in line while you're still at home.

Online Check-In Systems

Many urgent care groups now run online check-in through their own websites or through third-party scheduling platforms. You pick a time window, enter your information, and the clinic holds a spot in the queue. Your actual wait drops to almost nothing. Look for this feature on the clinic's homepage, usually labeled "Save My Spot" or "Online Check-In."

Phone-Based Queue Options

And don't overlook the phone. Calling the clinic directly takes about 90 seconds and gets you a real wait estimate from staff who can see the current room status. Some clinics will take your name over the phone and add you to the queue before you even get in the car. Low-tech, yes, but it works better than staring at a static webpage.

Timing Your Visit Around Peak Hours

Urgent care centers see the most traffic on Monday mornings, weekend afternoons, and the two hours after most offices close on weekdays (roughly 5 PM to 7 PM). The 2023 industry report from the Urgent Care Association found that midday Tuesday through Thursday consistently shows the shortest wait times nationally. If your situation isn't time-sensitive? A midweek morning visit reduces your wait without any app or reservation.

What to Do When Wait Times Aren't Listed

Not every clinic posts wait data online. Frustrating, yes. But you've still got options.

Call and Ask a Specific Question

Don't ask "how busy are you?" Ask "how many patients are currently ahead of a walk-in?" That specific question gets a more honest, useful answer from whoever picks up the phone. Front desk staff know the room count. They just don't always volunteer it unprompted.

Use a Symptom Checker to Weigh Your Options

If you can't get a read on wait times, use that gap to run a quick symptom check. Ubie Health's free symptom checker takes about three minutes and tells you whether your symptoms point toward urgent care, the ER, or a telehealth visit. That context changes the decision entirely. You might not need urgent care at all.

Consider Telehealth for Lower-Acuity Issues

Telehealth visits have no waiting room. For non-emergency issues like rashes, minor infections, sinus symptoms, or prescription refills, a same-day telehealth appointment is often faster than any in-person option. Most major insurers cover telehealth at the same rate as an in-office visit, so cost usually isn't the barrier people expect.

Conclusion

The fastest way to find urgent care wait times before leaving the house is to check the clinic's website for a live queue; use a symptom checker platform to match your care level to the right location; and call the front desk if nothing is posted online. You'll save yourself from wasted trips and long waits. Reserve your spot online where possible, aim for midweek mornings, and don't rule out telehealth for minor issues; it's often the fastest option of all.

How mission style furniture fits into modern interior design

This is a collaborative post

Modern interior design has shifted toward cleaner and less cluttered spaces because many homeowners want their homes to feel calmer and easier to live in. But minimalism today no longer means cold white rooms with barely any personality. More people now prefer spaces that still feel simple while also looking warm, welcoming, and comfortable enough for everyday living.

That shift has also changed how many homeowners view furniture. Pieces once seen as too traditional for modern interiors are now finding unexpected places in minimalist homes. Mission-style furniture is one of them.

So why does furniture inspired by traditional craftsmanship work so well inside today's modern minimalist homes?

What Defines Mission Style Furniture?

Mission-style furniture is known for its straight lines, solid wood construction, and simple handcrafted appearance. Instead of heavy ornamentation or decorative details, it focuses on practical design and clean structure. Many mission furniture pieces also highlight natural wood grain, sturdy frames, and functional craftsmanship, which is why the style remains timeless in modern homes.

That simplicity is also why mission furniture fits naturally into today's warm minimalist interiors. Modern minimalism now leans more toward comfort and balance than toward cold, overly sleek spaces. Neutral colors, natural materials, and less visual clutter have become more common in modern homes. According to The Spruce, warm minimalism "instantly warms any space, making it comforting and welcoming without losing a sense of simplicity." Mission furniture supports that look by adding warmth and texture without making your space feel crowded.

Why Mission Style Works in Modern Homes

The physical attributes of mission-style furniture mentioned earlier match the clean look many modern homeowners prefer today. Even though this style dates back to the late 19th century, it doesn't feel old-fashioned when paired with modern interiors.

Wood furniture also helps soften minimalist spaces that use a lot of metal, glass, and white surfaces. A mission dining table can make a modern dining area feel warmer and more inviting without adding unnecessary decoration. The same goes for a mission bed frame with neutral bedding or a mission sideboard placed below a wall-mounted TV. These pieces add texture and balance while still keeping the room open and visually clean.

Best Mission Style Furniture Pieces for Minimalist Homes

These mission furniture pieces work especially well in minimalist homes because they add function and warmth without making the space feel crowded:

Dining Tables

A mission-style dining table can easily become the focal point of a minimalist dining area without looking too decorative. Its clean shape keeps the room feeling well-organized, while the natural wood prevents the space from looking too cold. This works especially well in open layouts where you want the dining area to feel connected to the rest of the home.

Bed Frames

Mission bed frames work well in minimalist bedrooms because they keep the space looking clean without feeling empty. The slatted headboard adds just enough detail to break up plain walls. Since the design is simple, your bedroom projects a relaxing and easy-on-the-eye atmosphere.

Sideboards and Cabinets

Storage matters in minimalist homes because too many items lying around can instantly make any room look messy. Mission sideboards and cabinets give you a place to keep everyday things tucked away while keeping the room neat and organized. Their clean wood design also works easily with modern living rooms and dining areas without looking too formal or heavy.

Photo credit Alberto Bigoni via Unsplash

Coffee Tables and Accent Pieces

Smaller mission-craftsman furniture pieces can make any modern room feel more welcoming without modifying the home's overall minimalist look. A coffee table or accent piece made from solid wood adds warmth and texture, while the whole space still exudes a contemporary feel.

How to Blend Mission Furniture Into a Modern Minimalist Home

If you want mission furniture to work in a minimalist home, keep the rest of the space clean and simple. Neutral wall colors and softer lighting help solid wood furniture feel lighter and more natural inside the room. It also helps to avoid placing too many wood pieces together. A single mission dining table, cabinet, or bed frame usually creates a stronger look than an entire matching furniture set.

Mixing and matching different materials can also keep the space from feeling too outdated. Linen fabrics, matte black accessories, soft textiles, or even glass accents pair well with mission-style furniture. They add contrast without making the room's overall design feel off. Lastly, leave an open space around the furniture. When everything is not placed too closely together, the room feels brighter.

Conclusion: Traditional Furniture Can Still Feel Modern

Mission-style furniture works well in modern minimalist homes because it helps your space feel simple without an empty feel. The clean lines and solid wood construction fit naturally into modern interiors, while the wood adds warmth and texture that many minimalist homes lack.

Your home doesn't need glossy finishes or overly modern furniture to feel contemporary. Sometimes, a well-made wood dining table, bed frame, or cabinet can make your space feel more comfortable and lived in. If you want that kind of warmth in your modern home, Amish Furniture Factory offers handcrafted mission-style furniture that blends naturally into beautiful, minimalist spaces.

Why I've fallen out of love with Goodreads

I've been using Goodreads to track my reading for years now. Not for community aspect or for the book recommendations - it's purely a way to keep track of the books that I've read. It has come in useful - a couple of times I've logged a 'new' book only to discover that I've already read it, and several times it has helped me to notice when I've enjoyed several books by the same author.

But I've always had one big problem with it. Once I log a book as finished, I can't help myself swiping down to read the reviews. Not only does that send me into an unwanted scroll fest, it can also really colour my thoughts about the book that I've just read. Many times I've loved a book, only to see that most of Goodreads apparently hated it.

I understand that people write negative reviews on Goodreads for attention - and attracting a lot of comments on a long and provocative review pushes it well up the rankings. Similarly, books that receive a lot of positive reviews are often labelled as having been review copies which is bound to have affected the score.

So I do understand that the review system is skewed and I shouldn't place too much faith in it, especially for more recently published or controversial books.

Photo credit NegiPho via Unsplash

But I really hate having the way that I feel about a book being tampered with by the reviews. It leaves me thinking - am I somehow inferior to other readers because I missed all the shortcomings of this terrible book? Or am I a superior reader when I don't enjoy a book that is loved by the masses, because of course my own tastes are much more highbrow?

So I'm going to take a step back from Goodreads. I still want to track the books that I've read, and so I've been looking into some other options. I recently wrote about how terrible I am at remembering the books that I've read and so I would like to come up with a solution that somehow helps the basic information about a book stick in my head. I don't want to commit to writing long reviews in a journal, but just writing down the author, title and a few notes might be the way to go.

I'll share what I come up with! 

Review - Super Creator miniature house kits from Rolife

I was sent three kits from Rolife in exchange for a review

Regular readers of the blog will know how much I enjoy working on miniature craft kits, especially those from Rolife, and I've linked to some of my previous reviews at the end of this article. 

Recently I've been building some kits from the Super Creator series. This series is a miniature house kit series, with each kit being a modular, stackable scene that can either stand alone or be combined with other sets to make a larger miniature world.

There is a huge range in the Super Creator series to choose from which you can see here - The Super Creator series from Rolife. These kits are aimed at beginners and can be assembled in around an hour, but of course you can take your time on them and then go on to personalise them as you like. 

Today I'm sharing three kits from the series.

Fascinating Book Store

This miniature creation is not just a book store - there are also records, toys and all sorts of trinkets on sale in this lovely shop! 

All the Super Creator kits contain everything that you need to build the miniature world. These are beginner kits, so most of the items are pre-made and are easy to put together. The materials include plastic pieces which slot together to make the furniture, then a selection of cardboard and plastic press-outs to assemble along with colourful stickers to decorate. 

The basic structure is the same for each kit - a floor and two corner walls which slot easily together, then a floor covering and inner and outer wall prints which are unique to the style of the individual kit.

Obviously a Book Store kit is going to contain lots of books, but fortunately these didn't take too long to put together. They have a plastic base, and form stacks of either three or five books, along with lots of individual books. The covers are a simple sticker which is easily applied. They look really effective when they are placed together!

I love the detail in the kits, and although I'm quite minimalist when it comes to my own decor I really enjoy the maximalist vibe with crowded shelves and packed surfaces. There are so many hidden parts that you only see when you are assembling - like the records inside the record sleeves and the covers of some of the books. This is a great kit for a book lover and will look fantastic displayed on my bookshelf.

Lovely Pink Bedroom

My daughter (age 14) has her own lovely pink bedroom, and as soon as she saw me browsing the kits she jumped in to say how much she would love to build this set. So this kit was chosen for her to work on and display in her room. I started one of my own kits first so that I had some familiarity with how the kits fit together, but I needn't have worried - she was perfectly capable of making it herself.

She had so much fun with this kit. She loved all the little details - the cute cushions, the little bags of sweets, the tiny hangers in the wardrobe. Although it's designed as a kit to put on display the pieces are sturdy, so it could be used as a dolls house for an older child to play with and rearrange at will. She thought that the placement of some of the items in the original design was a bit messy, so she tidied it up a bit! It will look beautiful on display in her own room.

Sweet Sips Tea

This was my personal favourite of the three sets. It's a little tea shop, complete with pretty table and chairs and a gorgeous little tea trolley. I love the drinks dispensers and all the tiny little cakes and treats. I could happily spend an afternoon here!

Once again it was simple to put together. Some of the pieces are a little fiddly, but there are always spares for anything that might get lost or broken. The attention to detail is spot on, and I love all the tiny little pictures and labels. Even though not everything is visible once you've assembled the set, as the maker you know that it's there!

Some notes on the kits:

I have always found Rolife kits to be of excellent quality. I've never had any missing pieces, the instructions are very clear, and the parts fit together well without any problems. 

Although the Super Creator kits work beautifully as standalone sets, they are designed to be stackable. You can buy complete kits which contain a selection of 6 or 9 sets, or you can buy the sets individually that appeal to you and fit them together. They would make a really fun display if you collect dolls or other miniature items - for example I love this excellent review from a doll collector who has styled her Super Creator set with all sorts of different sized dolls - Super Creator Happy Meals Kitchen Kit. 

Although each kit contains the electrical fittings for an overhead lamp, in order to install this you will need to either buy the additional roof accessory or install it underneath the floor of another kit which has been stacked on top. Some of the kits do have extra lighting which can be used without any extra purchase, for example in my sets the Book Store has a wall lamp. The lighting is powered by a USB-C cable rather than batteries, so you will need consider how to reach a cable (not included) to your display. 

Rolife kits have a great deal of variation in complexity, so when purchasing a kit pay careful attention to the clearly stated difficulty level. The kits in the Super Creator range are very easy and quick to assemble as many of the parts are pre-made and easily snap together. There are some much more difficult kits (for example I've worked on Cathy's Flower House and Elsa's Tailoring) in different ranges which require you to glue together more fiddly pieces and to cut out pieces which you have measured yourself. These kits take a lot longer to complete.

The Super Creator kits are designed to be assembled without glue, and so you are provided with sticky dots and strips. Most of the time these do the job, but I did find it helpful to have some glue on hand just to make sure that everything was stuck firmly. It's particularly important for the larger pieces of furniture, just to make sure that nothing will move if they are accidentally knocked.

These kits are produced in China which isn't a problem as the translation in the instructions is excellent. But it can make for some amusing uses of language if you look closely, for example the titles of the books in the book store kit! 

If you enjoy assembling and displaying sweet little miniature worlds then you really can't go wrong with these sets!

My other Rolife reviews:

Cathy's Flower House

Silent Corner Study

Elsa's Tailoring

Gingerbread House

Christmas 3D Frames

Seafood Showdown: Italy vs. Portugal's Must-Try Coastal Spots

This is a collaborative post

Both countries border serious stretches of water and have built entire food cultures around what comes out of them. Italy and Portugal approach seafood differently - in preparation, in occasion, in what they consider worth celebrating - and visiting both with that contrast in mind makes the eating more interesting.

Photo credit Luis Castro via Unsplash

Portugal's Southern Coast

The Algarve is where most visitors to Portugal encounter seafood for the first time, and the region delivers reliably if you know where to look. The coastal towns between Lagos and Tavira have the widest range: grilled sea bream, cataplana (a copper-pot stew of clams, chouriço, and white wine), percebes (barnacles eaten by pulling them apart with your fingers), and the ubiquitous grilled sardines that appear everywhere from June onward. The further you get from the main tourist strips, the better the ratio of quality to price. Olhão is the main fishing port in the eastern Algarve and its market - two iron-and-tile pavilions by the waterfront, one for fish and one for fruit and vegetables - sells the catch directly from the boats that landed it that morning.

The train from Lisbon to Faro takes around two and a half hours and deposits you at the gateway to the eastern Algarve, with Olhão, Tavira, and the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa natural park all within easy reach. The park itself - a system of tidal lagoons, salt marshes, and sand islands stretching 60 kilometres along the coast - is where a significant portion of Portugal's clams and oysters are farmed. Boat trips into the lagoon from Faro or Olhão end at islands with seafood restaurants that have no road access and receive their supplies entirely by water. The clams eaten there, pulled from beds a hundred metres away, are among the most straightforward and satisfying things you can eat anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula.

Photo credit Lisha Riabinina via Unsplash

Portugal's Atlantic North

Porto and the northern Minho coast operate on different seafood principles from the Algarve. The Atlantic here is colder and rougher, the fishing culture older, and the cooking less influenced by tourism. Bacalhau - salt cod - is the defining preparation, with estimates suggesting Portugal has over 365 recipes for it, one for each day of the year. Whether that figure is accurate doesn't matter; what matters is that in Porto, bacalhau com broa (salt cod with cornbread) or bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (with potatoes, olives, and hard-boiled egg) appears on menus that have been cooking it the same way for generations. The Mercado do Bolhão in central Porto, recently restored, sells dried and salted fish alongside fresh produce and is a useful introduction to how the city actually eats.

The coast north of Porto around Viana do Castelo and Caminha has a different character again - wide estuaries, green hills dropping to beaches, and fishing villages that receive visitors but haven't been reorganised around them. Lamprey from the Lima river is the seasonal obsession between January and April; it's not for everyone, but the preparation here - braised in its own blood with rice - has a directness that serious eaters find hard to ignore. The Minho region also produces the vinho verde that pairs with local seafood better than anything imported, and the combination of mineral white wine and whatever came off the boats that week is the simplest argument for eating in northern Portugal.

Italy's Cinque terre and Ligurian Coast

The train from Florence to Rome connects two of the cities that most visitors use as bases for coastal day trips. From Florence, the coast at Viareggio and the Cinque Terre are reachable in under two hours; from Rome, the Lazio coast at Anzio and the fishing port of Fiumicino sit within 45 minutes by train. The point is that Italy's seafood geography is accessible by rail from almost anywhere, and planning coastal eating around train connections rather than driving gives you more flexibility and better access to the port towns where the fish actually lands.

Liguria runs along the northwestern Italian coast between France and Tuscany, and its relationship with the sea is embedded in the food in ways that aren't immediately obvious. The region is best known for pesto, but the fishing tradition here is old and specific: anchovies from Monterosso, salt-cured and pressed in terracotta jars, are a different product from anything sold in tins elsewhere. The Cinque Terre villages - Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore - are heavily visited, but the seafood in Monterosso and Vernazza is genuinely good if you eat at the places that have been there for decades rather than those catering to the day-trip crowd. Acciughe al limone (anchovies in lemon) and stuffed mussels are the dishes most specific to this stretch of coast.

Italy's Adriatic Shore

The Adriatic coast offers a different seafood culture from the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian sides - flatter, more industrial in its fishing operations, and less photogenic, but with a directness in the cooking that the more touristy western coast sometimes loses. Ancona in the Marche region is the main port on the central Adriatic and the birthplace of brodetto, a fish stew that varies in its exact composition town by town but always involves multiple species cooked together with vinegar and sometimes saffron. The market at Ancona's port is one of the best fish markets in Italy and worth arriving for at 7am before the professional buyers have cleared the best of the catch.

Further south, Puglia's long heel of coastline produces some of Italy's best raw seafood. Taranto's Mar Piccolo lagoon is where much of Italy's mussel production is concentrated, and eating cozze crude (raw mussels with lemon) at the waterfront in Taranto is the kind of experience that doesn't translate into a restaurant elsewhere. Gallipoli on the Ionian coast and Otranto on the Adriatic both have historic old towns on promontories above the water, and the combination of architecture and seafood eating makes either one a reasonable base for several days. The ricci di mare (sea urchins) available from April to August in this region, eaten simply on bread, are the thing visitors come back for specifically.

The Verdict

Choosing between Italian and Portuguese seafood misses the point - they're answering different questions. Portugal cooks from a tradition of long voyages and preservation: salt cod, cured anchovies, wine-braised shellfish. Italy fragments into regional micro-traditions where the preparation depends entirely on what the local boats land and what the inland larder contributes. Both reward eating close to the water, eating early, and ignoring menus that try too hard to impress.

Conclusion

The best coastal eating in either country tends to happen in places that aren't trying to be destinations - fishing ports, market towns, villages where the restaurant has been in the same family since before tourism arrived. Italy and Portugal both have those places in abundance, and the seafood there is better not because the fish is different but because the kitchen isn't cooking for anyone it needs to impress.