Monserrat Palace in Sintra

So... I'm catching up on some big and little trips we've taken in the last few months (it's funny how a little thing like a baby can make such a big splash in your life).  First up: a day trip to Monserrat Palace in Sintra.  This was one of our last pre-baby excursions, as you can see from any shots of Jyl's profile.  This is also one of our last Sintra palaces that we had not yet visited.  I think Quinta de Regaleira is still my favorite of the attractions on the Sintra "mountain," but I think it is definitely worth a trip if you are a fan of any of the following: interesting water elements, intricately decorated palaces, abandoned churches, giant ferns, waterfalls, and/or a diverse landscape with plants collected from around the world.  Enjoy! 

 

 

Festival of Light

There are those days where we are visually and viscerally reminded of how lucky we are to live in such a dynamic place.  The annual weekend of the "Festival of Light" in mid-September is one of those times.  We wandered the town on a Friday evening admiring the impressive array of different artistic exhibitions that all use different light elements to make their point.  From the thunderstorm of light bulbs... to the 100 meter citadel wall covered in rotating slides... to the large "light flower" made up of the work of many school children... to my favorite: the luminous 30-foot long koi fish gracefully floating above the buildings... it was all a feast for the eyes. 

Quão incrível! Looking back after 1 year abroad

Wow.  One year ago we were still recovering from our jetlag, overwhelmed by the prospect of starting at a new school, and had positively no Portuguese skills to speak of.  A year later, and we're jetlag-recovery experts, we can certainly hold our own in any Portuguese grocery or restaurant, and starting the school year seems relatively exciting (as much it can...).

Living in Cascais, Portugal has been a very enriching experience, and I'm absolutely grateful for the opportunity.  Getting some distance from the USA seems like taking time to get from space from one of your best frenemies... I feel like I have a better appreciation for some of the things that we really have going for us, like hoppy ales, Mexican food (even if we've commandeered that), and a general outgoing, optimistic go-get-em' attitude.   I also have had time to realize some of the things that America is missing out on, including a relaxed pace of life, roundabouts, and truly socialized healthcare. Taking this time has allowed me to travel to a host of fascinating and beautiful places in Spain, Andorra, Morocco, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Lichtenstein, & Italy, in addition to exploring all that Portugal has to offer.  We have a fantastic day to day living experience; example numero uno: right now the musical sounds of the "Festa do Mar" are floating in the window from next to the beach, just 200 yards away, in one of the many fun activities that our city hosts throughout the year.   If we go 200 yards in the other direction any Saturday, we can buy cheap delicious organic produce any Saturday of the year at a farmers market.   We can easily walk to a diverse array of restaurants, cafes, clubs, beaches, or parks.  How could someone not appreciate all this?


As we cross this threshold and start to roll into our second, it's hard not to think about what things will be like one year hence.  If all goes well, it looks like it'll be the beginning of a completely different part of our lives.  In February, if/when the tiny person growing in Jyl's womb decides to come out and rock our world, it's safe to say that we will never be the same.  Will we be able to resist the urge to nest closer to the family we love so much?  Will baby me mad if she/he finds out that we blew his/her chance at EU citizenship?  Could this lovely place pull us to stay and settle in where the ocean air whispers softly through our windows and the sun kisses terracotta tile roofs and white-washed walls?   It's hard to say.  For now, we will just enjoy the blessed lives we live, and let that be enough. 

Espana & Mi Mama.

I'm not sure if it's a good or bad sign that I'm finding less and less time to put these little diddies up on the interweb... life keeps on chugging along with work, the day to day routines, and the occasional adventure.  Our first family visit came to pass just in time for my birthday at the end of February.  Mom & Ken took an epic trek from all the way over there in Seattle and stuck around for 2 fantastic weeks.  In that time we took advantage of our "carnival" break from school to head on into Spain, where we visited roman ruins in Merida, got lost for hours in Sevilla (in a bad way), and later got lost for days in Sevilla (in a good way).  We played games, ate well, drank often, and marveled at the beauty of the old Andalusian city.

My 6 highlights included:
First, climbing the towering Giralda which reached above one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and allowed us to look out over the world (it's always nice to see things from up high).
Second, going on a night time stroll over the rolling contours of the Metropol Parasol, the world's largest wooden structure, and a bargain at 3 Euros with a glass of wine included.  I do have to say... is it really the best idea to give people alcoholic beverages when they are several stories up on an undulating open sculpture?  No matter... we didn't fall.
Third, wandering the twisting streets.  Despite the ridiculous amount of trouble we had driving in to the city, I soon came to love getting lost in the narrow alleyways.  After a few days of walking every which way, I started to feel like I had a sense for the place, and loved the chance to encounter.
Fourth, the tapas.  We sampled and dabbled across the city, and ran into a lot of tasty bites.  I love to eat... and Seville obliged me, little plate after little plate.
Fifth, although it wasn't a huge focus of the trip, it's always great to find a place that caters to my tastes.  Ceverceria International was that in spades.  Great atmosphere, delicious tapas, and a beer list that could take months to properly explore. 
Finally, Flamenco.  Oh boy, Flamenco.  I went into the Casa de Flamenco expecting to be whelmed; not overwhelmed, not underwhelmed, but somewhere right in the middle.  It's so great to be wrong.  I was flush with goose-bumps from the start of the performance to the end.  It was passionate, vibrant, bold, and so perfectly executed.  That night, after mom & Ken retired, Jyl and I decided to stroll down to the old corner bar, where we found an impromptu flamenco performance every bit as passionate and impressive as what we had just paid to see.  We sipped 1 euro beers, tapped our feet, and smiled the irrepressible smiles of people that have just hit the jackpot, but are trying not to gloat. 

Straight off the plane, it's time to try some Portuguese pastries!

Lisbon street art.  Awesome! 

Pouring my birthday beer: Westvleteren 12, the alleged "Best Beer in the World."

Checking out the fish auction in Cascais

No trip to Portugal is complete without a trip to Santini's!

Enjoying our favorite restaurant in Portugal

Enjoying roman ruins in Merida

Roman bridge

hand-carved stone cannon balls.  Couldn't have been an easy job. 

The bones of Columbus.  Grrr.

The view from the top.

Cerveceria International

View from the Metropol Parasol

Casa de la Flamenco

We stopped at the Castle in Beja, Portugal while driving the winding way home. 

So happy to have shared these things with my mum!