A friend in need is a friend in deed!

   Marbella is beautiful! I spent the last two days just relaxing and lazing around. I read in the the park, on the beach, in Orange square while drinking coffee, while eating tapas, in seaside restaurants. You name it and I have probably been there, read there. I've been eating a lot too. Mostly ham on bread, ham on bread with cheese, serrano ham on bread, iberica ham chorizo grilled.... ham ham ham. So much ham that I just want to eat a salad! Of course aside from the ham I also had the best calamari of my life yesterday. Big, thick tender slices of calamari with a perfectly crispy, light coating drizzled with lemon juice. Not those rubber little loonie sized rings hidden amongst batter you find in most Canadian restaurants. This calamari was sublime. 

   Today I went on a big walk today. I spent about an hour and a half walking down the seawall and back. It wasn't as warm and sunny as yesterday but it was still warm. We just seem to be getting hitting with crazy wind so it cooled things down a bit. I took a break from the tapas at lunch and had Italian food... in Spain. It was so, so. The actual pasta its self, as in the pappardella noodles, were wonderful and fresh tasting. They were just prepared in a way that was lacking excitement. Plain old under seasoned cream sauce with such thinly sliced mushrooms they almost didn't exist. Some more salt and pepper and maybe some basil with perfectly sauteed, tender slices of mushrooms would have made me a little more enthusiastic about the meal. I think if you combined Pagliaccis pasta preparation with the fresh, tender noodles from this place then you would have a match made in heaven. Side note: Yes, I do love Pagliaccis but I really think they should take a step in the right direction and start using fresh pasta instead of the boring, chewy dried stuff you can buy at any supermarket. I expect more from a place with bread that good!

 Remians of an Arabic castle.

 My favorite blue.

 Paradise. Windy paradise today...

 My dream home. A one room casa on the beach. Of course the yard needs some work before its ready for me.

The seawall walkway.

  When I arrived back to my guest house today there was a new person chatting with the ower. Turns out its another gal from Canada so we are going to grab some dinner together tonight. It will be nice to have someone to chat with since the last couple days have been just me, myself and I! The one and only thing I really miss about Canada are all of my friends and family. I have realized that because I have so many different friend groups that I really have certain friends for certain occasions. I have friends that I see live music with, friends I laugh like an idiot with, friends I catch up with after extended periods of time apart, friends I eat indulgently with, friends I party with, friends I beach with, friends I cook dinner with... You all know where you fit in and I miss you all!


   Anyways, I had better prepare myself to brave the weather tonight. It started to rain about an hour or so ago. After two weeks of sunshine and warmth I have been completely spoiled. I can no longer bare the idea of wet shoes and wet hair! Wish me luck! xo.

Back from the Rock.

   Hola amigos! I am back from my brief disappearance. The last few days have been relaxing, intriguing and wonderful. After I left Lagos, I spent the better part of one day plus one night in Sevilla before moving onto Gibraltar for the last three nights.

   Sevilla (or Seville) was absolutely stunning. I may try to get back there to explore some more before I leave Spain. There is SO much to see. So much history, color and culture. There was so much going on in Sevilla with its Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian influences. There are orange trees and outdoor cafes lining the streets which add to the romantic atmosphere of Sevilla. Tapas and flamenco are in abundance.

Orange trees and a beautiful balcony in Sevilla.

   The hostel I stayed in was great. It was in a 500 year old Jewish mansion. They did several different tours each day (walking tour, tapas tour, and nightlife tour) with a few other hostels so it was easy to meet people. I met some new friends from Germany, Finland, and Austria who I hope to meet again soon. I decided to go on the walking tour. It was free entertainment for three hours. The guide did a great job showing us through Sevilla. He filled us in on so many stories and so much history that I don't feel like I missed out too much by only being in Seville for one night. However, if I had stayed longer I would have loved to check out the cathedral and the alcazar.

My hostel. Ok, so it doesn't look like much here but it truly was stunning. Tiles, glass ceiling, terraces and all! PS - there are gold fish in the fireplace.

My favorite part of the walking tour, The Plaza. Check my Flickr to see photos of the exquisite tile details.

   Later that night, my new friends invited me to meet up with some of their friends from Austria. We went out for a wonderful tapas meal. I had some chicken with almond sauce and also some little bread tapas topped with serrano ham and quail eggs. As a group we shared the fried potatoes that had this delicious tomato-ish sauce stuff on top. Yum!

   On Tuesday, I caught the bus to La Linea. Pauline and her husband, Aris, met me in La Linea and we walked over to Gibraltar. Its hard to imagine but there is only one way in and out of Gibraltar which includes walking/driving through the airport runways to get into the actual country. It is an absolutely tiny country that is really just one small city. Small it may be but quiet it is not. There are SO many vehicles and the sound sort of bounces off the Rock of Gibraltar creating this deafening sound. At times its almost impossible to talk its so loud. Not to mention the insane amount of vehicles that add to the noise. Gibraltar really is an experience but the only thing to really see is the rock and the monkeys.

Half of the Rock of Gibraltar.

 Most of Gibraltar the country/city.

Me and some monkey friends. TONS more photos on Flickr.

   After settling in, the three (and a half if you include soon-to-be baby Evan) of us set out for some lunch before heading to the cable car that goes up the rock. The cable car scales the side of the rock and drops you off in amongst the rocks history, abandoned military buildings and monkeys. The views are stunning but the monkeys are what really got my attention. There were so many babies out playing in the trees and clinging to the adults backs. They were so precious! I could not get enough pictures of them! I loved them so much. We ended the day with a nice laid back evening in after we spoiled our dinners with smoothies. It was an enjoyable day and it was so wonderful to see Pauline after so many years!

  On Wednesday, Pauline and I enjoyed an afternoon of breakfast, coffee and lunch. It was very relaxing and so nice to just catch up and chat. It was even nicer to be chatting with someone in English with an accent I didn't have to strain myself to understand! We spent the evening in La Linea eating tapas and drinking tinto verrano with some of Pauline and Aris' friends.

  I had originally only planned to stay a night or two in Gibraltar but Pauline and I decided to do a day trip to Tarifa on Thursday. Tarifa is the most Southern point of Spain. It is surrounded by beautiful beaches where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea meet. We enjoyed some lunch and coffee in the old town before heading back to Gibraltar.

Beach in Tarifa.

   This morning I left Gibraltar. I was very sad to leave thanks to Pauline and Aris making my visit so wonderful. They were the perfect hosts and I am so thankful to them for everything!  I very much enjoyed our visit. I made my way to Marbella by bus. Marbella is mostly a resort town and I am treating my self to a few days on the beach and in the sun before starting my home stay near Granada on Monday. I splurged on a private sweet in a guest house. The owners are so welcoming and its nice to have my own space for a few nights before sharing the apartment with the other Workawayers.

   I spent the rest of today laying on the beach and in the park reading. I ate some tapas and drank wine along the seawall. I expect tomorrow will be about the same. Reading, eating, drinking and maybe some walking. I will update you on all the happenings of my hard life in Marbella soon! xo


 

First Beach Day of the... Winter?

   Yesterday I traveled from Lisbon to Lagos. Lagos is a beach town on the South coast of Portugal. It is the low season right now so there isn't a whole lot going on but in the summer its a serious surf/party town. Its a very welcoming little town and has a very laid back vibe to it.

Historic city center walls.

   I got to town around 2:30 yesterday, checked in at my hostel and went out for a walk around town. I was pretty exhausted from being on the bus for almost 5 hours with a screaming child kicking my seat behind me so I laid low for the night.


   Today, I went out and did some more exploring around town. I wore sandals for the first time this year and were my toes ever happy to be free! However, they are still embarrassingly white. After a walk about town I went on my first adventure of the day to Meia Praia. Praia means beach in Portuguese. Meia Praia is absolutely stunning. Soft sandy beaches as far as the eye can see and gorgeous ocean waves lapping against the shore. Some where just over the horizon is the continent of Africa. Its crazy to imagine. I lazed around and walked the beach for a good hour or so just soaking in the sun and splashing in the water. The water was definitely warmer then most beaches in Canada in the summer but still not warm enough for me to brave going deeper then my ankles. If you know me at all, you know I hate being cold. Therefore, I usually avoid going anywhere near being in the ocean when in Canada.

 Buddy just soaking in the sun at Meia Praia.

   After playing on and around the beach most of the day I was getting pretty hungry. The gal I shared a room with in my hostel suggested a restaurant just outside of the town center where its mostly locals and they serve authentic Portuguese cuisine. That was exactly what I was looking for so I headed in that direction for lunch. I chose a wonderful cod fish cataplana. It was a sublime mixture of peppers, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, clams, prawns, bacon, chorizo and, of course, cod. With olives and crusty bread to start and a 0,50 euro glass of wine I was more then satisfied with my meal!

   Before heading to the beach for a siesta, I decided to try the infamous portuguese pastry that I kept forgetting to try in Lisbon. They are called Pasteis de Nata. They are a custard cup basically. They are so delicious I am a little sad I hadn't tried them sooner!


   I wandered down through town to another beach. With rocky cliffs and sandy beaches it was a perfect place for a little nap. I laid on the beach for awhile and soaked in the sun. As I was getting up to leave I noticed a familiar face just down the way. The guy from Victoria who I met at the hostel in Lisbon just happened to get into town today. Since we are both traveling alone we decided to meet up a little later tonight to experience some Lagos night life... if there is any in the middle of "winter". Considering I have to be up at 5am to catch the bus to Seville, Spain I doubt it will be a late night anyways. Talk to you soon!

Muito bom praia! (Very good beach!)

Walking through a fairy tale.

  Today was a good day. I took the Train to Sintra, which is about 40 minutes outside of Lisbon aka Lisboa (pronounced Leesh-bow-ah in this region). Sintra is a beautiful little fairy tale. A village on the hillside surrounded by palaces and castles. Its where the royal families used to vacation. Its absolutely magical. Of course to get the full experience it would take a few days and quite a bit of money. Since I only had one day I only visited one of the palaces and wandered around the village for a while. There are a couple of convenient bus lines from the train station in Lisbon that stop at all of the sights. Other then the palaces and castles there are several museums also. I definitely suggest Sintra as a place to visit. The scenery is breathtaking and the village is quaint. Its a great place to just relax with a pastry and coffee at one of the many "pastelerias" that can be found all through Lisbon and Sintra.


   The palace I visited is called Palacio nacional da Pena. The Pena National Palace is surrounded by a lush park also. The park and palace in itself could make a full day trip. Its huge and there is so much to see. I just did the palace portion today. I figured I had already done both a castle and a park in the last couple days so no need to over do it.


   There is a trolley for an extra 2 euros that takes you to the top of the park where the palace is. Since I was feeling a little lazy from the last couple of days I decided to splurge and take it up. It was a nice little ride to the top and it dropped me off at the foot of the palace. Now, I have to say, just seeing the Palace from this spot would have been enough for me to snap a few photos and call it a day. Its simply gorgeous! However, my ticket permitted me full access to the palace. Inside and out. I was able to walk along all of the walls to the view towers and turrets. I took hundreds of photos. The thought that went into the design of the whole thing astounds me. Its so elaborate and much more beautiful than anything thats ever been built in North America that I am aware of. I would be more then happy to call it my home! The inside was just as stunning as the outside but unfortunately I was not allowed to take any photos inside.


  After a wonderful tour of the palace I had lunch in the restaurant upstairs. I had yet another ham and cheese sandwich on "polar". I didn't really know what polar was but it turned out to be some kind of pita like bread. I also had a wonderful glass of sangria. I have a feeling I will be drinking a lot of sangria in the coming weeks since its the same price as a soft drink. Here are a few photos of my day. For more photos check out my Flickr  HERE. There is also a Flickr preview which is located at the bottom of the page which doubles as a direct link if you click on it. It takes quite a while to get them all uploaded so they might not all be up yet. But they will be eventually!

The National Palace of Pena

Above: The Moorish Castle in the background 

Sintra Village

   

Change of plans.

   I had a funny thought today. I think I might have given my cab driver from the airport the other night a 12 Euro tip on a 8 Euro ride other then the 2 Euro tip on the 18 Euro ride I had expected. I had asked how much the ride would be when I got in the cab and he said in his thick accent "aye-ti" which I couldn't tell whether that meant 8 or 18. I asked again and I was pretty sure he had said 18. When I he pulled over at the hostel he put my bag on the ground and started to give me change from the 20 Euro bill I had handed him. I said to keep the bill and he was extremely thankful! He thanked me repeatedly and lifted my backpack and helped me put it on my back. I thought "Wow! The Portuguese are extremely happy, thankful people! This is great!" Now that I think back, I remember checking the estimated cab price online and I was quoted at 10 - 15 Euro to the city center. I am pretty sure I gave the cab driver a ridiculously huge tip. Oh well, I guess its good karma for the start of my trip!

  Anyways, on to today. I had intended on heading to Sintra for the day but I slept a bit longer then I had expected and was feeling lazy first thing. I had a bit of a late start to the day. I find that since I have been here I wake up in the morning almost feeling lost. Its not a bad thing. Just different then I am used to I guess.  I am used to waking up in a familiar bed, in a familiar city, doing my familiar routine and seeing familiar people. All of that has been flopped on its head the last several days. Nothing is familiar other then the things i carry on my back. Its refreshing. 


   I headed out today around 11:30p. My first stop was the Botanical Garden. It was beautiful but for anyone planning on visiting Lisbon I would say its not a must see. I did enjoy my time though and I took several pretty pictures of the plants. There were Palm trees and succulents galore. My favorites! I wandered down to the Assembleia da Republic. The Assembly of the Republic is the Portuguese parliament.  Its a beautiful white building. I can't even begin to imagine how they keep it such a pristine white!

   After dragging my tired legs up the hill to the Estrela area I had a nice break in the Jardim de Estrela (Garden of Estrela). It was absolutely delightful. Such a pretty, relaxed park. I stopped at the little cafe in the park and made some notes in my book about the day. I noticed one of the cafe attendants kept looking in my direction but didn't think much of it. When I went to leave I brought my plate up to the counter and thanked them, "Orbrigado!". The cafe attendant had a huge smile and blurted something to me in Portuguese that I did not understand. Either he was hitting on me or he was just surprised I brought my plate up. It was hard to tell... but I am guessing the former judging by the size of his smile. One thing I have found is that the men in Lisbon are very respectful, not to mention good looking and well dressed. In fact, all of the people in Lisbon seem to be well dressed. Especially the older generation. Its quite refreshing seeing so many good looking, well dressed people. Unlike Canada where pajamas, sweat pants, and slippers are basically an acceptable form of public attire. Since it is "winter" in Portugal right now everyone is fully layered up with wool coats, boots and scarfs. Yet here I am in a sweater and leggings sweating my little tush off most the day walking up all the hills!

   While in Estrela, I went to check out the Basilica da Estrela. It was absolutely stunning on the outside. I wandered in to take some pictures and I noticed a sign stating that tours to the roof were every 30 minutes so I decided to check it out. I went in to the cathedral to kill some time before the tour started. After a couple pictures my friend from the hostel, Mihaela from Romania, came in just as I was heading to the roof tour. We both went up together and were able to get a lot of pictures for each other. The roof top was amazing! We were able to wander all over, into the bell towers, and even into the loft inside the vaulted ceiling. It was beautiful, breathtaking. I took a lot of beautiful photos. It was definitely the highlight of the day and for 5 Euros it was totally worth it.

  After that amazing adventure, I wandered down to the Palacio de las Necesidades. It was a beautiful all pink building with armed guards and a wonderful across the street. I sat in the park and relaxed, pondered life, the usual park things people do.

   
  I ended yet another long, eventful day at the Parque Eduardo VII with a ham and cheese flaky pastry sandwich in hand and a bottle of water. I laid in the sun and observed the pedestrians. It was relaxing and calm. The sun was just going down. I had a realization that I finally understood the reason for parks in cities. After growing up in a small town with a slow pace, moving to Victoria seemed exciting and fast paced but I still always thought parks were just meant to be pretty places amongst the concrete. I guess because in the grand scheme of things Victoria is such a slow paced, laid back city I was never able to fully put parks to their full use. Of course, anyone that knows me knows that I am huge fan of just wandering through Beacon Hill and laying on the hillside for hours over looking Dallas Road but only now did I fully understand them. Laying in the park today after two full days in the hustle and bustle of Lisbon, with all of its sounds and buzzing vehicles and energy I felt total relaxation and refuge amongst the craziness. It was an amazing moment.

   Anyways, I am back at the hostel for the night. Turns out one of the guys here is from Victoria/Washington. Him and the Australian guy have been jamming on the guitars all night which has been wonderful. Good night, Canada!


   

I have landed!

   I made it to Lisbon! After a grueling 16 hours of traveling I finally arrived. My hostel is cozy, the people are great, and I slept like a baby last night. I adjusted to the time difference surprisingly well. I have no jet lag at all. Probably because I didn't really sleep on the plane.


   I ventured out today to explore Lisbon. I cannot believe what a beautiful, friendly city it is! I am absolutely in love with it! The small uneven cobblestone streets with their smaller, more uneven sidewalks with vehicles passing just inches away were slightly unnerving at first. Even for me!

The road my hostel is on, just to the left.

   After a few minutes I quickly adjusted to the pace of the city. There is a lot to observe! I walked down the centre of the Baixa area, which is the main city core. There are beautiful pedestrian only streets and many shops, buildings and sculptures to look at. The Arco da rua Augusto was beautiful to see.

Arco da Rua Augusto

   After a while, I made it down to the square along the Rio Tejo. The view was stunning. I could clearly see the Cristo Rei Statue on the other side of the river. I started taking a lot of photos at this point and kept my camera out almost the whole day. I made my way back up through Baixa to the Marques de Pombal. It is a huge statue in the centre of a huge round about. I saw it last night on my way from the airport but I really wanted some photos. By this point I was starting to get pretty hungry so I grabbed a chocolate croissant and sat in Rossio Square. I was feeling fairly inspired by this time and I was ready to go out and see some more!

Square near the water. It was HUGE!  

Cristo Rei Statue 

Marques de Pombal

Rossio Square

  I decided to head up to see the Castelo de Sao Jorge. I was going to take the trolley but decided to walk instead. The castle is on top of a hill so it was a nice brisk walk up to the top. The area surrounding the castle was absolutely amazing. I found a beautiful look out point to stop and take some photos. An Asian girl was kind enough to take a photo of me over looking Lisbons red roof tops and the Rio Tejo. On my way up I found the Lisbon Cathedral and decided to come back to it. 

Inside the Lisbon Cathedral on my way back down the hill.

   I finally made it to the top of the hill, navigating my way up with no map. It was a fun adventure... however, I could see the castle walls but no entrance point! I wandered around and around and finally found a trail that went up behind the castle. I was still pretty confused at this point but I luckily found a security person who kindly guided the way to the ticket booth. It was only 7 euros and it was definitely worth it! The views alone are amazing but being able to climb the castle walls and towers was so much fun. I felt like I was stepping back in time! I spent a good 2 hours or so just wandering around. I met a nice couple from Ottawa who took a picture of me over looking Lisbon. He was an amateur photographer so I got a few pointers and had a nice chat with them.

An arcway at the Castelo de Sao Jorge over looking Lisbon.

   By this point I was feeling pretty hungry so I stopped at a little cafe outside of the castle walls for a bite to eat. Since I was forced to eat mystery meat on the flight to Lisbon due to me being starving and not having any other options, I decided that a meat sandwich wouldn't be so bad again. So no more vegetarian me! I had a nice little sandwich with cheese and meat on a crusty baguette for just 2,50 euros. Not bad!


   After my little adventure up to Castelo de Sao Jorge I wandered back down to Baixa and went to the MUDE- Museum of design and fashion. I think they must be under going to renovations. It was free and didn't seem to have much in it. I had heard that they had a fashion exhibit but I didn't see it on any of the 3 floors. However, they had this "interesting" exhibit downstairs with a bunch of huge bank vault doors and fake deposit boxes. Some of the deposit boxes had different types of beans and seeds in it. Now, I would say I am the type of person who is into art and analyzing it. I even find a lot of modern art is quite fascinating even though its bizarre. However, I feel like maybe I just missed the whole point of this exhibit. Maybe I am not as artsy as I thought?


   After a quick stop at a grocery store I made it back to the hostel. I think I am just going to take it easy to night and do some research and planning for the next few days. Its a nice chill vibe here at the hostel which is fitting because its called the Lisbon Chillout hostel. After a day of walking up and down hills for 8 hours in the beautiful 16 degree sunshine I am ready for a good rest!  


XO!

See more photos HERE