It was past two o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Alcobaça, a city in central Portugal that sprouted along the banks of the Alcoa and Baca Rivers, from which it derives its name. We were there to visit its famous church and monastery. By that time, all of us were famished and could think of nothing but food. Our Tour Director walked with us to the square facing the monastery. The short trek from the parking lot took us through winding cobbled alleys, where we were g