Born 44 years ago in the island nation of São Tomé – where he received the birth name of Timóteo Tiny Santos – e came to Portugal when he was just five years’ old and soon identified Torres Vedras as his town. From the nineties on, when he became one of the founders of the hip-hop movement in Portugal, he started going by the initials ‘NBC’ (Natural Black Color). He stated in 2017, on a record considered as one of the year’s best, that “Toda a Gente Pode Ser Tudo” (Everybody Can Be Everything); he also sang “Igual a Ti” (Just Like You) in the 2019 Portuguese Song Contest, where he was awarded second place.
Living in Torres Vedras, away from Lisbon’s cosmopolitanism, has never stopped him from projecting his voice and his message, or from collaborating with other big names of the music world. Torres Vedras gives him “the sea, the quietness and the space to create his children without major issues”. There is also the gastronomy and the wines, from which he particularly favors the famous “bean pastries”, the Benjamim, adding that “I always bring some when I travel, so that I can show the rest of the world what we make in such a small town!”
How do you present the Municipality to those that don’t know about it?
I would say that it’s a town, with the sea nearby. Quietness. Space to create the children without major issues. And there’s no lack of food and wine, for those that appreciate it.
Complete the following sentences:
Only in Torres Vedras will I find… the best “bean pastries” in the world, the Benjamins, that I always have to bring with me in my international trips, to show the rest of the world what we make in such a small and charming town!”
A perfect day in Torres Vedras includes… wake up early, go to the Santa Cruz beach to catch the sea breeze, have lunch around Santa Cruz, return to Torres Vedras for a coffee at the Roots, while the children play at the Várzea park playground; finish the day with dinner at the A Colmeia restaurant, and go for a ‘nightcap’ at the Vinil Café Bar.
We cannot leave Torres Vedras without… eating some Benjamins (cheese pastries).
Your best of Torres Vedras:
Places that we cannot miss visiting and the reason why:
– a monument: the Torres Lines, for their historical significance in the successful defense of Lisbon against Napoleon’s troops’ invasion and takeover.
– a museum / cultural space: The Lisbon Aqueduct (Aqueduto das Águas Livres). It’s interesting to understand how this public works infrastructure was built, such a long time ago, with the sole purpose of supplying water to the city. One can grasp the altruism of the city in providing, from earlier on, a better life to its people.
– a garden: Várzea, a place created from nothing; where before there was only dirt and old stuff, an incredible garden was built, a site that became, for all purposes, the town’s fascia.
– a panoramic view: the view of the town from the Castle. It’s very nice!
The best leisure / outdoor activities in Torres Vedras: Well, from surf lessons in Santa Cruz, to the wine trails for the connoisseurs.
The best hotels: Areias do Seixo and Hotel Golf Mar
The best restaurants:
– For author’s cuisine: Noah
– For fish and seafood: Santinhos, in Turcifal
– For world food: Tawa Sushi, near the market
– For appetizers: Cantinho do Chefe
– For a “good deal” meal: Páteo do Faustino
– For late night dining: O Gordo, right in the town center
– To enjoy the view: Restaurant Panorama
– The best coffee houses: Casa da Avó Gama
– The best bars / nightclubs: República Wine Bar
The best stores for shopping: it depends on personal tastes and ages, but I prefer Carsportif, as it has always new products for all tastes!
