Sesimbra, Portugal - By Heather Brama It was time to get away from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of the big city and take a seaside vacation in Sesimbra. About an hour's drive from Lisbon, this beach town was exactly what we were looking for. We opted for the easy route to get there by using Uber. Our driver was a lovely man who used Apple Translate to tell us all about the great places near the town. Our Airbnb was off a main hillside road...on a road with no name so it was a bit of an adventure knowing where to turn off from. Thankfully our driver was as determined as we were to get us there. When we finally arrived, it was another adventure figuring out how to get both in and out of the residence but really all it took was a bit of elbow grease to get the door to open. And although scary at first thinking we'd be locked inside with no food near dinner time, it was absolutely worth it for the sweeping panoramic views from the cliffside out over the ocean, town and nearby castle. That evening, I had a burger on my mind and had seen great reviews for a place called Oltre Hamburgueria on Instagram. My sister needed no convincing so we set off down the hill towards town. Our directions quickly were of no use due to the difficulty finding street names so it was a miracle we found it. Ol' Eagle Eyes (my sister) managed to see the sign through a sliver between the buildings lining the boardwalk. The short of it, Oltre did not disappoint - the burgers were fantastic and the vibe was unique. We sat at a little table across the 'street' from the shop and alongside a ledge from which we could view the ocean. After dinner, we set off back to our hill but heard some rather loud music throughout the streets. Wondering what it could be, we followed our ears until we stumbled upon a carnival. What luck! As we walked through the lights and sounds, passed cotton candy machines and carnival games, we arrived at the very back where I spotted my favorite ride of all time. I have no idea what it is called but it the one that spins ridiculously fast and always has a backdrop of the latest popular artists. As it wasn't running at the moment, I was able to convince my sister it is a rather tame ride and got her to go on it with me {insert smirking smiley face}. Needless to say, she screamed her 'Sofia Vergara in Modern Family' scream the whole time and my abs honestly hurt from laughing so hard in response. We both wobbled off the platform to wander over to the big stage that had been set up. We were able to enjoy one Fado song before the band took a break and we decided to head home for the night. On our first day, after failing to get in on a tour group to the Sesimbra Natura Park, we decided to make our own tour. We headed down from our hill once again and got lost in the winding streets going up and down and up again until we finally found the hidden entrance for the hike to Castelo de Sesimbra. It wasn't a tough hike but the heat and all the hiking we had already done in through town did make it a challenge nonetheless. It was truly exciting when we made it around a bend and saw the castle walls jutting up from the landscape. As we were the only ones there, it truly felt as though we had gone back in time. We descended from the castle on the backroad through the countryside in an attempt to find our way to a hidden beach. We ended up at a crossroads when we realized were hungry and out of both food and water. Knowing the hidden beach had none of these items and it was still rather far away, we headed in what we believed was the direction of the sea. When we finally reached the edge of town, the first restaurant we came upon was the fanciest one in town, Portofino Restaurante Bar. As we were quite disgusting from hiking in the hot sun by this point, the hostess sat us outside and away from other people. We did not mind as this afforded us an unobstructed view across the beach. This is where I had the absolute best take on ceviche of my life. To name a few ingredients and get your mouth watering, I recall there being tuna, mango, strawberries, red onion, jalapeños and cilantro. Twelve out of ten, indeed. Needless to say, after a full day of hiking followed by dining at Portofino, we were exhausted. But did we pack it in? No way. Instead we headed to a nearby gelato shop called Fini Premium Gelato for some sugar and caffeine. The work of art I consumed was their take on an affogato. It was devine. Following dessert we did a lot of wandering around, exploring every nook and cranny along the boardwalk. Impressively, we engaged in lots of shopping with no buying. Then is was time to sit. Sit and watch the waves rolling in, the birds looking for fish (and crumbs), the kids enjoying a carefree day. We sat and watched nothing and everything for quite some time before heading to our final dinner in Sesimbra. We wouldn't be total Americans if we didn't follow up a night of burgers with a night of tacos. So, tacos it was. We went to Taco Pexito and sat on what could only be described as large stairs. There were lounge spots and bench seats facing the water. It was colorful place with lively music and an enjoyable crowd from around the world. We even had a visit from the owner, who had just come in from surfing on the biggest surfboard I have ever seen. As a person barely capable of swimming, I know nothing of this sport so for all I know if could have been a SUP (but I still think it was a giant surfboard). Following dinner, there was really only one thing left to do. Head back up, up, up the hill to our accommodations. Upon arriving we cracked the wall of windows wide open to let in the sound of the sea and the celebration of some big deal soccer win in Portugal that night. We cracked a bottle of vinho verde and watched a romcom; occasionally glancing to the left of the tv to gaze at the most perfect view of Sesimbra likely to exist. It was the most perfect conclusion to our vacation by the sea. Sintra Countryside, Portugal - By Heather Brama After less than 24 hours in the magical city of Lisbon, Laura and I packed our backpacks for a journey to Sesimbra. But first, a countryside tour near Sintra. (If you are Googling these locations, yes we were all over the map!) To meet our countryside tour guide, we first had to find the train station. We headed in generally what we felt was the right direction and only had to stop once to re-orientate ourselves into the right-right direction. In our defense, we hadn't had our caffeine yet for the day. Once we arrived at the station, we opted for acquiring our tickets through the self-service stations. After timing out a few times and spilling an unfortunate amount of coffee, we had our tickets. I think tried to use my ticket to go in through the exit, but again, lack of caffeine is my completely valid explanation for this error. A kind but sarcastic guard helped us out and let us know the Sintra train would be on track 3. How he could possibly know we needed the most touristy train line, I'll never know. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) We kept a close eye on the stations and managed to get off on the right stop to meet our guide Diogo and his lovely 1970's Fiat for our Vintage Countryside Tour. I won't tell you how many times we ran back and forth to either side of the train station exit to find the 'north side parking lot' until we realized we went to the right place the first time but had arrived a few minutes before our ride. (It was 3 times, 3 times back and forth.) Diogo welcomed us into his time machine and we ventured into the countryside. It was a beautiful journey through real non-tourist places. We arrived to a village that was nestled into the mountains. Our guide informed us we were going to take a short hike to a hidden waterfall. We first strolled down a quiet neighborhood street before we veered off the dirt road and into the forest. It wasn't long before we reached a creek and followed it to a beautiful waterfall that spilled into a serene swimming hole. There was not a soul in sight. Diogo mentioned the reason for the quiet was because he is from the area and that this waterfall is really only known to locals. After a slightly more strenuous hike back to the car, we were back on the countryside roads. Our next stop was a mostly abandoned but completely storybook-like village in the mountains. We parked and were immediately greeted by a Jack Russell Terrier who bounced up to say hi and bring us over to a picnic being set up by Diogo's wife Rita. They let us know it would be just a couple minutes and recommended we take a moment to explore. Upon our return we all sat to enjoy some time together, eating and drinking traditional Portuguese foods and drinks. Among the food was homemade pastéis de bacalhau, a fried cod and mashed potato comfort food popular in Portugal. They joked it was the Portuguese version of 'fish and chips' which I found quite fun. It smelled absolutely delicious but due to my fish allergy, I left the tasting to Laura. She is not much of a fish eater but did agree it was delightful. We also ate some locally made cheese, bread and a delightful jam made by Rita. For drinking we tried a local red wine as well as a cheery liquor called Ginja. This particular batch of Ginja was homemade by Diogo and his father-in-law. It was tough to leave the village but our last stop, an old fishing village turned surfing hot spot, was waiting. On our way to Eniceira, we drove through Mafra and had the chance to see the incredible Mafra Palace. Interesting fact, the king who commissioned the building of the Mafra Palace knew the time to build the palace would far exceed his own life but wanted it built anyway. A legacy, I suppose. At our last stop we spent some time watching the waves roll into the bay, viewed the ruins of an old military fort and learned a bit of history about Eniceira. We capped the day off with a local specialty called Ouriços da Ericeira from Casa da Fernanda. It was a warm, gooey sweet pastry and it just what we needed to end this magical day. Lisbon, Portugal - By Heather Brama Born only 16 months apart, my sister Laura and I have experienced a lot together. After 30 (or so) years, the one thing still missing? A sister trip! Laura is well traveled within the United States but it was time to get some ink in her passport so we set our sights on Portugal. When we arrived, we had the joy of being greeted by a driver holding a sign with our names, an encounter everyone making their first trip aboard must experience. It was a quick ride into the heart of Lisbon to the Charming Lisbon Downtown Apartment that was to be our home base for the next 5 days. The place held all the charm I could hope for and we immediately opened the floor to ceiling doors to welcome in the hustle and bustle of the Chiado neighborhood. After a few selfies (and a few usies) on the Juliet balcony, we freshened up and headed out to take in our surroundings. We very quickly stumbled upon a landmark of Lisbon, the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Plaza). This enormous square opens to the Tagus River and was once the location of the Royal Palace. I attempted to photobomb a couple other ladies who quickly requested my sister and I just join the group photo. My sister, who missed my photobombing attempts due to taking her own selfies, was very confused when I pulled her in and told her to smile. After some more wandering around, it was time for a quick bite. We settled upon an Italian restaurant with sidewalk tables and shared a prosciutto and basil pizza. I know, you're wondering, how did we end up eating Italian as our first meal...in Portugal? First, there is a lot of Italian food in Portugal (so it seemed, at least). Second, we may have eaten Italian but we refreshed ourselves with the Portuguese Vihno Verde. Believe it or not, we did book a tour for our first night. So, after finishing our delightful meal, we set off for a Lisbon Chill Out Free Walking Tour. This a tour that is tip-based and run by locales. They skip the main touristy (easy to find) stops and really get you up to speed on how to navigate the city. Our guide was very passionate about history as well so we learned a ton about Lisbon's past throughout the entire journey from a historic earthquake in 1755 that changed everything to visiting landmarks relevant to Freedom Day. Somewhere between Zambia & Namibia - By Heather Brama To say the two week Southern Africa trip was planned is an understatement. It was detailed down to the minute and all available for viewing pleasure in both the form of a Keynote and a Google Sheet. So on our last night in Zambia before we headed back to Cape Town, when Megan suggested, 'hey, thoughts on going to Namibia instead?' I of course said, 'well, why not?' Seriously, I was ready for an off-the-books adventure by this point in our journey. So we sat there at Jollyboy's, on the bright orange windowless porch calling our credit card companies to help get our flights changed (we had used points). We were successful in absolutely nothing and actually ended up messing up our current tickets so bad that we had to go into the airport office the next morning, hours before our flight, to have it fixed. We sat in that office just hoping we weren't out our flight money while the airport manager tapped on his computer. Each new window he needed to fill in seemed to take longer and longer to load. Finally, he looked up and said, 'to Cape Town, right?' Megan and I took one look at each other and quickly said, 'sure, unless you can get us to Windhoek today instead?' He looked perplexed.'You know that is Namibia, right? You want to go to Namibia?' We excited announced yes, please. And so the click-clacking of keys and loading circles began again. In the end, he was able to get us on a flight twenty minutes later for a total change fee of $20 each. We were so excited, we had nothing planned and only two one-way tickets to Windhoek. Fortunately, we had a stop in Johannesburg where were able to use the airport wi-fi to find a place to stay when we arrived. And off we went. To Namibia. |