dbxcakes

Our trip from Lisbon to Seville was long. It allowed us to catch up with our sleep, read our books or listen to music. It was also nice to just stare out at the rolling hills. We passed through Alentejo area with its cork and eucalyptus trees. We made stops in towns with white-painted villages and olive and almond plantations. One almost desolate town was so tiny, no one seemed to care that cars were parked on the sidewalks. Seville was nice, especially because our hotel was in town. Most things were walking distance. The supermarket was next door. Our hotel also had a bar and pool on the top, sixth floor. Our first night we went to a flamenco show. The food was tapas style but nothing special. The dancers were beautiful and talented, but we probably could have found a better show on our own. Still, all the colorful outfits and Spanish music were entertaining. Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at La Plaza de España which lit up in the evening. We spe

It's obvious with the many monuments near the Tagus River that Lisbon was active during the Age of Exploration. The Belem Tower, for example, celebrated these discoveries. We also visited the Moorish Citadel and Black Horse Square. With our new friends Mommy and Daddy Aguilar from Toronto, Bobot or Albert in the middle, and Chris to the far right. We drove along the scenic Portuguese Riviera past Estoril. We stopped by Cascais for lunch. We had Portuguese roasted chicken with piri piri sauce which was tender and tasty. We strolled up and down the streets and along the fishing port. Our last stop of the excursion was in pretty Sintra. The Portuguese noble families are known to stay there; artists go there to find inspiration. We visited the 15th century Royal Palace with its beautifully tiled walls, fancy furniture and large kitchen with opened, cone-topped chimneys. It is the oldest medieval palace in Europe. We even had time to purchase trinkets and have our

We fell in love with Portugal and its people as soon as we got to Coimbra. It is the third biggest city in Portugal and has the most ancient and said to the best university in the country. We had a great view of the city from our hotel. We took a picture with Mommy Cres from Toronto. Our first night we walked through their old town and up the street to their busier area with bars and clubs. Like the university students who hung out in the area, we sat ourselves at the patio to enjoy good conversation and good cervejas. I had their Portuguese beer called super bock, Len had coffee and my cousins enjoyed caipirinhas. Of course we had some natas, egg tarts, also! On special occasions, students there dress like the kids from Harry Potter with their suits, cape and matching hats. They were willing to pose for us and loved having people from Los Angeles in their country. Apparently it doesn't happen often. The next day we roamed the hilly cobbled streets of Coimb