Palaces and castles....Sintra

Alexa & I had a fabulous excursion to Sintra (just west of Lisbon).
First of all, the commute went without a hitch, no detours through
little streets and bus lanes, and we hit traffic just right.

Sintra was a country retreat for the nobles and there were some spectacular 'villas' with huge grounds and gardens. The kings themselves built a couple of fancy palaces, the National Palace and Pena Palace. But originally the Moors ruled the roost (literally) with your classic stone-walled castle on the hill over 1000 years ago(!!). The castle was restored by a Portuguese king, another king had a favorite painting spot in a guard tower facing his new creation, the Pena Palace. It just seems so unreal that you're allowed to crawl all around the walls and up towers (again, a lawyers dream if this had been in the US). Nestled in a forest, just so slightly overgrown, lots of scenes imagined from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. But of course, as we traversed the grounds we discussed birthday plans upon our return...she's 10, what can you say.


We rode the city bus around the sites which further emphasized the Disneyland ride theme we have going. I was glad when the bus stopped, so was Alexa. The last stop was the Pena Palace which really looks like a model for some of the Disneyland castles. Painted yellow, orange-pink with all kinds of fancy decoration (tiles, Manueline flourishes), all on top of its own hill, it was a girl's fantasy castle. (Alexa thought the Moorish castle was one boy's would especially like). Inside they have much of the original furnishings as this was only used in the summer and occupied up until the overthrow of the monarchy in the early 1900s. No photos were allowed inside which Alexa was very disappointed. (Cora-she will still try to get that bathroom photo for you...not sure what that is about. But there was a red-velvet, padded bidet...ask your mom!). The room guides were very knowledgeable and loved to explain...so nice!

Back in the historic town center (narrow, cobbled alleys and so many interesting buildings), we had the promised mango sorbet (really good) and a strong latte for mom (very much needed). The drive back was easy as traffic must start a bit later than ours with only one hitch...ended up on a short toll highway and I only had a 10euro note when the fee was .30! Oops.

Met back up with Cliff in Sesimbra and had another excellent meal at the chicken place. It was Friday night and the place was crowded with local families and a large group of women having a night on the town (reminded me of all my gal pals back at home). It has been an extremely enjoyable trip so far.

Off to Spain now...hasta luego!

Happy Birthday Alexa!

Can you believe it? Alexa is double-digits...yes, 10 years old today!
This is her second birthday in a foreign country, isn't that weird? She's the one who pointed it out of course. We've had a great day so far, here, the night is young as we just finished our pastry round at 6pm...dinner is out of the question until at least 8pm. Tonight, birthday girl's choice, so pizza it is.

After a leisurely morning (waiting for rush hour to end but to no avail, yet another accident near the bridge and an even longer commute), we headed into Lisbon again. First it was like a wild ride at Disneyland as I got on the wrong road after the exit (it had looked so easy on the map). Somehow we ended up on very narrow, steep (it has been a while since we've had clutch just to make it even more fun!), crowded, cobble-stone streets. Good thing the car comes with a button to retract the mirrors (really) as the street was not much wider than our mini-car. My internal GPS managed to get us down the hill and out onto the street I had originally intended. I kept telling Alexa this was her birthday tour of old Lisbon. Of course I did end up in a bus only lane to make that final turn but thankfully no police and off I went (what a tourist).

Our destination today was the Lisbon Aquarium, built in 1998 for the expo, and Europe's largest. It was great to be surrounded by kids and no tourists (except us). (Traveling in the off season has been great so far...perfect temperature/weather and no crowds at all). They have a main tank (huge) surround on 4 corners by representations of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Antarctic Oceans. We ended up spending the most time at the Pacific just because the otters were putting on an acrobatic, grooming show. Everytime we go to the Newport aquarium, they seem to be sleeping. Alexa was so inspired she plopped down on the floor and started drawing.


Of course, the main tank was mesmerizing. I had the most fun watching the Mola-mola as I've only ever seen them lounging on the surface. They sure look even more bizarre swimming. It was a great day, especially when your 10-yr-old tells you it was the best. The ride back to Sesimbra was our first uneventful (no traffic) journey. I did manage to go around 2 circulars a few times while getting my bearings (a few honks as well...boy, do I not like being a tourist driver!).
A little rest before heading out for the daily pastry fix (and my first latte of the day, that is hard). Then Cliff got to do the daily swim however, that ended early since there is a very aggressive group of women doing water aerobics. I took the opportunity to watch a bit of the Daily Show online....I saw the first part of the after-election show....FANTASTIC. His Obama imitation does need some work and I am not going to miss seeing the W impersonation one bit! CNN is getting a bit hard to watch but its the only option we've got at the moment...what junkies. I've already got a list of things to watch when we get back (including Oprah...couldn't get that one Sharon).

Looking forward to the birthday dinner and a little rest...I'm still exhausted after the election exhiliration. Glad I left some bottles of bubbly in the refrigerator at home!

Lots to celebrate tonight...10 years ago a beautiful baby girl and now a wonderful daughter who is such a joy!

Boa noite.

ps-
This just cracked me up...spied it on the first drive into Sesimbra, a dog agility training center! Cory, you'd be welcomed here (well, he's not the agility type). Yesterday I realized the pictures were goldens so today I just had to stop and take a few photos of the place. Wish I could have seen some goldens..missing our guy!

Exploring the explorers (November 5)

Today was our first big exploration into Lisbon and we headed to Belem to learn more about the Portuguese explorers. Being a mapper, I can't ever get enough of maritime history, just being where these brave explorers even attempted to go outside their known boundaries with such limited technology. (Yes, I prefer to go to sea in only the large research vessels, the bigger, the better and hopefully the more stable.)

Our first stop was the Monastery of Jeronimo where Vasco de Gama is entombed. Wow. This was my second time here and I was hoping Alexa would feel my enthusiasm and get a feeling for the history. It was impressive and the architecture amazing. We walked toward the monument to the explorers and also viewed the marble tiled map of the explorers (a gift from South Africa). Last history stop was the Belem Tower which was the first and last thing the sailors would see coming & going on their journeys. The very idea we were staring at it still so many years afterwards was uplifting.

We finished our stop in Belem with the famous pastry shop which has been making their divine custard creation since 1837. What's a little more powdered sugar and some cinnamon.

Such a smooth sail into history and Lisbon...unfortunately the ride home was a typical, big-city
traffic jam. Rush hour combined with an accident on the other side of the bridge made it a long
day. It was great to see the castle upon the hill all lit up as we approached Sesimbra. Also the
traffic made it late enough for us to venture out to dinner...a fabulous meal. Frango piri-piri...roast chicken with a hot sauce, a mound of fresh fries and a lot of the house vinho verde.

Yes we can. Yes we did. Hope won.

I feel we can finally have hope for our future again. I write this with tears streaming down as I look at my daughter and know there is an ability in our nation to come together once again with this new President leading us to a brighter future. We will earn back the respect of other countries through diplomacy versus force, use science to solve environmental and medical problems and have a greater compassion forall people, not just those with money and privilege.

Last night we ate dinner with people from Portugal, France and Turkey and they too were hopeful that a new era would come to not only America but the world. They wondered how we could have allowed this war but speculated it was all for making money, not oil. Yet in the same breath, they look forward to America leading the world once again. I was humbled by this view, that this view was even possible after the mess we have made these past 8 years. The world hopes with us and us with them. Yes we can.

Luckily we have CNN and we were up all night watching and waiting. It was after 3am here when it was announced and we couldn’t sleep after that. (Just when you think you are over jet-lag…nothing like staying up all night!) We wish we could have been home celebrating over at Sharon & Ted’s….looks like Sharon’s soup worked its magic once again! We’ll have a huge party on the 20^th of January, count on it.

I am so thankful to Barack Obama and his family for putting themselves through this process. Can you even imagine what it has been like!? Especially for those young daughters. Alexa is so glad they are going to get their puppy (we hope it is a golden, what can we say!).

I could go on & on as there is so much pent up emotion right now (all that hope coming to realization!) but the power just went out in our room so it must be time to get busy elsewhere…there are castles to climb and bridges to cross, figuratively and literally.

One last thought that has stuck with Alexa, something she heard the other night:

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King Jr. could walk.
Martin Luther King Jr. walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so our children could fly.

The future is looking bright…bom dia everyone!

(ps-send us some email with your thoughts...we want to celebrate with you!)

The First Castle

(Note...we don't have the best internet access here in Sesimbra. We'll post when we can...bom dia!)

Our first full day in Portugal and what a beautiful setting. The beach is spotless, the water clear and full of so many colors, brightly-painted fishing dories, a sea of red-tiled roofs and that castle on the hill. Alexa bagged her first castle today. Originally built in the 1200’s by the Moors in an area dating back to occupation by the Phoenicians, it is impressive how it has stood through time. Alexa was a bit disappointed not to see a lot of rooms/buildings where the lord once lived but couldn’t believe we could just walk around the ancient walls. I think it was a great introduction before some of the more ornate castles to come and really makes you think about how young our own country is.

Unfortunately, our runny noses have developed into more serious colds, especially Alexa.
On the way to Cabo Espichel (the lighthouse at the south end of the Tejos River across from Lisbon), Alexa fell asleep in the back seat. I explored the 17^th century church that sits above the sheer cliffs (many warning signs) very quickly while Alexa watched from the car (good thing it is the off-season and we are the only ones about with our choice of parking). An impressive church that was the site of pilgrimage lodgings that they hope to turn into a hotel some day, but for now, a gorgeous view to Lisbon to the north and the lighthouse just to the south. The lighthouse is still in use with caretakers living there. There and most houses along the way, had vegetable gardens full of squashes and cabbages and chickens/turkeys/geese making a ruckus. It is so much more interesting that the modern condos being built all over the hillsides.

Since I knew Alexa wouldn’t be up for much else besides a rest in the hotel room, I headed east to try to find the tile shop that made tiles for each conference attendee. I felt like one of those annoying RV-tourist as I would stop alongside the rode and take a picture without even getting out of the car. I should have put a sign in the window saying I wasn’t lazy, just accommodating my sick child. Unfortunately I didn’t find the tile shop but did get to see vineyards and harvested cork trees along the way. There is a lot of building going on in this area, much of it seems to be by the English.

Back in Sesimbra, it was amazing to see how a visit to the pastry shop and a dip in the pool could help out with a cold. Pastry shops are definitely going to be a favorite throughout our journey.

We made it!

Tomorrow which is today...so said Alexa and that is how it felt traveling all day & night. The getting there part is definitely not a highlight with a hot/stuffy plane, crying children and uncomfortable seats. (Note, you shouldn't sit where you can see into business class and their lounger/sleepers).

But we are here...Sesimbra, Portugal. It is gorgeous! A palm tree lined beach boardwalk with cobblestone streets, red-tiled roofs and beautiful old buildings. Our room is on the 3rd floor looking out to the beach and the surf is so loud, Cliff is threatening to close the door tonight (I think not). Alexa has already discovered that you can't walk a half a block without stumbling upon one pastry shop after another. (She did manage to eat part of a hamburger but was stuffed from some pineapple-filled, flaky, sticky pastry. We had caffeine.)

Cliff is off to the conference just up the hill and Alexa & I are off to look at our first castle-ruins above the town.

Trick or Treat?

Tomorrow is the big candy hunt followed by the trek to the airport. I'm sure letting your child eat copious amounts of candy before an international journey is a great idea!

You get what you get and missing out on trick-or-treating isn't practical when you have a 10-yr-old, you're only a kid once (drats). I'd better get a few chocolates in the deal.

Cliff wasn't able to get on the same flights as Alexa & myself so we'll meet him in Lisbon the following day. Cliff gets to hang out in Portland for an extra 8 hours and we'll wait in Lisbon for 3. Piece of cake...oh no, more sweets!?

The house project will be there waiting for us when we get back. All the new windows are in (looks great) and most of the roof (rain?!?).

See you all in Portugal!