No time for elections when you have golf, dinner in Cascais, Lisbon Portugal

So rumor has it in America the Democrats are triumphing and Donald Rumsfeld is the first conservative casualty.

What would I know? I’ve been at dinner the past week, where in Portugal, it lasts about as long as a round of golf – and is equally, if not more enjoyable.

The term “gastronomy” is used here more often than I’ve heard it the rest of my lifetime. The reason for this is that food and the production of entertaining guests, especially dinner, is viewed as an art/science here. It’s taken very seriously. The amount of people in uniform around your table rivals that of open heart surgery. Wine is fabulous and the food, often fresh fish and clam, is top notch.

Golf, especially at a time when Scandinavians and Germans are holing up for winter, is especially popular now. Days feature temps in the upper-70s and are sunny. For some reason it only rains after sunset. A coincidence?

Come to this area - Lisbon and Cascais in particular - on the edge of Europe for the Porta wine and other local red and white brands, seaside links golf courses like Oitavos and temperate winter weather. Shorts and sunscreen are the norm here, even in November. If you can believe it, this is the low season for the area (which also means empty hotels offering discounts).

More from Lisbon and environs coming soon to GolfEurope.com, just let me digest a little, first…

Oitavos at Quinta de Marinha in Cascais, near Lisbon, is among the country’s finest golf offerings – it’s also a haven for the cold weather European countries in the winter.