Hi all! We are alive on Sao Miguel with minimal internet right now, but soon we will get it at casa de alves and then I can post more to say what we are up to!

Hello again! We have been very busy, up through this morning when we all woke up in the late morning (victory!). We are up in Amoreira in Catelo do Bode resevoir, east of Tomar, staying in Uncle Frank's cousin's (Luis) second home (very nice). Although it is VERY hot (the car read 39 degrees celcius today = 102 farenheit).

Wednesday morning we walked down the last portion of Avenida da Liberdade (street like the Champs) from our hotel through a couple of large plazas till we reached the Praca (Plaza) Dom Pedro where we caught the tram (#12) up to the Alfama area of town. Alfama was the only part of the city that wasn't destoryed in the 1755 earthquake (the rest of the city was rebuilt by the Marques de Pombal [a name Patrick likes to repeat at random times] ) so it is a neat and very old part of the city. My guide book says "maps are almost useless here" which is very true. We stopped at a cafe (cafe's are EVERYWHERE), took photos overlooking the river, then headed up to Castelo de Sao Jorge. We climbed lots of stairs and started to feel like we were in shape.

We took the number 28 tram (this one is always recommended) back down the hill (the Alfama is on a hill - Lisbon is made up of seven hills, each with a castle on top) and met Luis for a traditional Portuguese meal of boiled veggies and lots and lots of meats. Sounds kinda weird, but just think of a different version of the food you would eat on St Patrick's Day. Following all of this we took naps :) .

We then jumped in our car, the Green Machine, and drove out to Cascais (pronounced: "cash" then say the word "guys" but replace the 'g' with a 'k', so "cash-kuys") which is a beautiful town on the ocean. We walked around the city and ate yummy chicken piri-piri that night, as well as had the large, "imperial," size of the best beer in Portugal - Super Bock (sometimes can be found at BevMo).

The next morning we walked down the Avenida da Liberdade through the same plazas, then down a pedestrian-only street, Rua Auera, which is full of shops, to the Praca do Comercio (very large plaza on the river). We taxi'd over to Belem (meaning "Bethlehem") to walk through the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos which is a monastary and large church. It was very beautiful and unique to be there on a national holiday, Corpus Cristi, where many people went to mass, and it was first communion for a large group of children so we were able to see them process in. In the back of the cathedral Vasco da Gama is burried as well as Portugal's epic poet, Camoes. The choir sounded incredible, too! Catholics really know how to work the acoustics of a building....

We ate lunch and devoured our desserts (pasteis) at Pasteis de Belem, which is famous for tourists and locals alike (similar to Angelina's in Paris). The pastires they serve, which similar versions can be found all over the country and Azores, are flaky cups with a custard inside. Following this we checked out the Padrao dos Descombrimentos - a huge monument to the discoverers. The Portuguese are still very connected to the fact that they explored and conquered the world first - all over (including the national flag) there is the symbol of a globe with a diagonal line through it, signifying they have "been there." We taxi'd from there to El Casa Ingles which is a HUGE department store - 11 levels. No joke. Patrick needed swim trunks so he had thousands to choose from.

That evening we drove out to Arrudas das Vinhos, a wine region outside of Lisbon, to visit another one of Frank's cousins and her family. They live in a BEAUTIFUL house. After appetizers, lots of local cheeses as well as a yummy creamy one which we found out was Philadelphia cream cheese (chive and onion), we went on an adventure (!) to a fort that was recently excavated! How cool is that?? The Duke of Wellington went down to Portugal to help the locals stop the French (the British would make all kinds of friends if it meant stopping the French) and so they build three forts, and this one is on the highest point in the region (now surrounded by large wind turbines). It was really neat, especially since the family is really into history and two of their three sons have helped with the excavation (two of their sons are in high school and the oldest just started at the university in Lisbon). Dinner was fun, especially to be in someone's home, although we didn't start eating till 10:00, and I was super tired and could have fallen asleep at 8:00. We got back to our hotel a little before 1:00 and passed out.

Friday (I'm almost caught up on informing *all* of you on what's been going on!) we packed up and dropped off most of our things at Luis' apartment in Lisboa, and on one of the trips Uncle Frank was T-boned by an old man. Luckily the Green Machine only suffered a large scrape, no major damage. We then drove up to Tomar, stopping along the way for a late lunch at at a road-side gas station, restaurant, pit stop area. In the states these are lame, but here they are cool, very clean, and the food (lots of fresh options) is very yummy. I think we have had ham and cheese sandwiches almost every day.

Tomar is a gorgeous town, and it is a Templar city (aka the Templar Knights) that has beautiful gardens along the river. On the west side of the river it is "Portugal" but the east side is considered "Spain" because of something that happened 700 years ago. Uncle Frank keeps saying the "Portuguese have long memories." We visited an incredible UNESCO world heritage site (I'm just checking all of these off...) the Convento de Cristo (convent) that was built in the 12th century. The Carola, the Templars original chruch, and Janela do Capitulo, a unique window done in the Manueline style are all amazing. The Manueline style can be seen throughout the region, like at the monastary the day before, and it's "a lotta bit of everything." Everyone who designed something was a winner, and it was included. Every four years in Tomar there is the Festa dos Tabuleiros where teenage girls construct large head pieces of flowers and bread (they weigh around 15 kilos) and they carry them through a parade for 3-4 hours! We saw a few of them "in training" which was really neat. The festival is on the 9th of July.

That evening we found Luis' house we are staying at and we have been chilling on computers, watching the news and movies, enjoying super bock, and grazing on the food we have picked up. Today we all slepted in then went in the pool for a bit, and drove 30 minutes to Castelo do Amourol which is in the middle of the Tejo River (super cold river, my feet got a "brain freeze" while my body was in 100 degree weather...I was confused). We drove over to the small town of Constancia which is on a penninsula that is on the Teju river which is met by another river.

Tomorrow we are off to Fatima and a few other towns! We will be staying at a hotel in a town on the coast (I think a fortified town?) then we will be going to Lisbon the next day. Tuesday we are off to Sao Miguel!

We made it! Although it took a few interesting flights, we have arrived in one piece, sleep devprived. Patrick and I arrived early Monday morning in Boston and took a water taxi from the airport to the long wharf where we stored our bags for the day - then we sprinted through part of town to catch the green subway line to the Prudential Center (the part of the green line we took was like going through the fun part of Lombard Street on Muni.....very slowly....). We arrived just in time for our Duck Tour! Which was an entertaining 90 minute tour through the city, getting basic information about a lot of the landmarks, as well as boating in the Charles River. Following this tour we moved on to the tour at Sam Adams, which doesn´t rank as high, quality-wise, as other brewery tours we went on in Colorado (New Belgium is still the Disneyland of micro breweries). There is a "trolley" that goes to a local pub by Sam Adams where we grabbed a pint (you get to keep the glass!) and clam chowdah. We walked back through the Boston Commons and Quincy Market (where we ate dinner at Wagamama - from London!), jumped back on a water taxi and headed for the airport. Back at the airport, our flight was supposed to leave at 11:20 EST, then it was delayed and they kept announcing the delay in the terminal, and pushing the departure time back. At this point, Patrick and I were very tired. Around 12:30 without any other prior announcements, a flight attendant came on the intercom and said "This is the final boarding call to Terceira!" Patrick, myself, and the people around us ran to the gate, were yelled at because we were late (even though there was still a line into the plane on the getway) then we finally got our seats. You would think that since it´s nearly 1:00 EST at this time, almost 5:00am at our destination, they would turn off the lights and let us sleep. NOPE. They served a meal and kept all of the lights on. Around 2:00 I leaned my head against the window and passed out.

Our plane landed on Terceira (Azorean island) and we went through customs (the ink for their stamp is running out so my passport isn´t too excited) then jumped on the plane to Lisbon! Where Aunt Stephie and Uncle Frank greeted us! Arriving in the terminal in Lisbon is like arriving on a stage with family members looking for you in the audience.

When we arrived we checked into our hotel room at the Residencia Roma just off of a street that is like the Champs in Paris. Patrick and I slept for the next few hours. Halleluja. Then we went to a restaurant that only locals go to....and a guy from Pioneer who was wearing a Chico shirt. Random. The fish we ate was simply prepared with olive oil and salt then grilled. The blackeded swordwish was SO delish! And we ate sardines! Which is a big thing out here. I'm not a huge fan as of this point.....but yay for the swordfish. There was lots of wine and vinho verde aguardiente which wasn't as rough as the others I have had in the past.


I will update more tomorrow (Saturday) about our adventures Wednesday onward! We have explored Lisboa ("Lish-boa") as well as Cascais and now we are in Amoreira outside of Costello do Bode resevoir (just outside of Tomar - which is a really awesome town!). More to come in a few hours..........

Ola! This evening Patrick and I will start finding out way to Portugal through various flights and layovers. Tomorrow, Monday, we will arrive in Boston around 7:30am and spend the day touring the city (tours that are happening for sure are the Duck Tour and Sam Adams Brewery). We will then fly Monday night on SATA airlines (Azorean airline) to Terceira Island, switch planes (it will be 8:00am Tuesday) to one bound for Lisbon where we will be greeted by my aunt and uncle! By the time we arrive in Lisbon Tuesday afternoon (aka very early in the morning in California) I think I will be entirely confused as to what time it will be and where I am - but I will still be excited to finally be in Portugal! More to come once we arrive :)