While we preferred those fruits of our Random Garden most of all, we were able to flesh out our weekly produce haul with offerings from those farmers and artisans who lived and came to market within a stone’s throw of our home in Praia das Maçãs.
Aldea’s decor is warm and friendly, with a recycled vibe 
The menu board at Aldea shows the selection of tasty choices
A couple of lojas bios rounded out those places we’d shop to stay as close to the land and the seasons as possible–while still conquering cravings for avocados year-round. We’d shopped quite a bit at Aldea before finding Quinta dos Sete Nomes tucked into the corner where the tram crosses the road on the Avenida do Atlântico. Their fresh bread enticed us–but also their selection of greens and household products.
The Quinta dos Sete Nomes offers a loja bio along the road between Banzão and Praia das Maçãs 
Specials and hours displayed on the board for Sete Nomes–plus fresh bread
But every week we’d enjoy visiting the Corner Market, where Maria last offered us tomatoes and blackberries and salsa–and where Sonia had us try on a necklace or two, ones she’d made on her travels and wanderings around Europe. Our friends who founded Sintr’aromica showed us the range of their organic essential oils, and I brought several bars of the olive-oil-based soap to take as gifts back overseas.
Maria offers homemade jams and boxes of blackberries from her garden 
A selection of the tomatoes from Maria’s garden, along with fresh parsley (salsa)
Keeping it locally grown remains important to us, even as the seasons descend into the close of the year.
Sonia crafts jewelry using polished stones and artifacts she finds on her wanderings 
A friendly couple makes their own essential oils from their herb garden–and crafts soaps scented with those oils