It was a short week at home because of Columbus Day weekend. On weekends that have a federal holiday attached, the army here adds a fourth day off and calls it Family Day. This gives us a four day weekend, most months. Unfortunately for the high school, Homecoming fell on this weekend, this year. The school was really good about scheduling the events though so kids with travel plans over the weekend could still attend. Wednesday was a huge family bonfire at the school and Homecoming ended up being on Thursday night. Brooklyn and her friends had a great time and she was absolutely beautiful!
Friday morning, we were off to Lisbon, Portugal for a long overdue reunion with Megan and Pat.
We touched down at about one in the afternoon and grabbed lunch. We had immediate reverse-sticker shock as the food was so cheap! Our entire family got full meals at KFC for about $25. Then, we took a 15 minute Uber ride to our hotel, which only cost about $5. It’s easy to see why so many Americans end up retiring here.
After a quick reunion with Megan and Pat at the hotel, we set off together for the Torre de Belem. The Tower is a 16th century castle where the Portuguese explorers would set off from, and return to during the Renaissance. The Tower also has great views of the Tagus River and Lisbon’s bridge.
After our tour, we had some fresh piña coladas on the riverside promenade. We also tried out some Ginja, a Portuguese cherry liquor, served in chocolate shot glasses.
From the Torre de Belem, we took a long walk down to the Monument of the Discoveries, where we shared a bottle of Portuguese wine to pass the time.
Our last activity of the evening was a sunset sailboat cruise on the Tagus River. The sailboat took us under the Lisbon Bridge and past the Lisbon waterfront. The boat served wine and charcuterie, and the kids all got to take turns sailing the boat.
After the sailboat cruise, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and multiple rounds of Rummikub.
Saturday, we took the train to Sintra, which is famous for the number of palaces of castles there. After the train ride, we took tuk tuks up into the Sintra Mountains to visit Pena Palace. The Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. The Palace has been in use since the 1400s, first as monastery, and then as a palace for several Portuguese monarchs. It is still used today by the Portuguese president and government for State occasions.
After we toured the palace and had lunch, we hiked down to the Moorish Castle. The Castle is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and dates back to the 800s when the Moors controlled the Iberian peninsula. It was an important stronghold during the Reconquista in the 1100s but now all that is left are castle ruins. It is a lot of steps but the top has beautiful views of the city of Sintra and the countryside below.
After the Moorish Castle, we ended up hiking all the way down out of the mountains and had dinner in Sintra.
We took Ubers back to Lisbon and made it back to the hotel in time for a swim in the rooftop pool.
If we had one tip to share about visiting Sintra, it would be to take an Uber there. We thought the train would be cheaper and faster. And while it might have been a little cheaper, we definitely spent extra time waiting on the train and then getting up to the palaces. The tuk tuks up to the palaces from the train station were pretty pricy though. We could have saved a little time and energy just Ubering the whole way there and back. We definitely plan to go back to Sintra and will know better next time.
Sunday, we took a walking tour through Lisbon and got to see many places throughout its famous neighborhoods of Bairro Alto and the Alfama, as well as the downtown area. We walked a ton and our guide kept things super interesting, even for the kids. Brooklyn surprised me later by recounting some of the things she remembered from the tour.
After all of our walking, we took a short rest at the hotel and headed out for dinner at a Fado restaurant. Fado is traditional Portuguese music and we enjoyed the show along with lots of Portuguese food and Sangria.
We finished back up at the hotel with more games and a few more beers.
Monday morning, we said our goodbyes, and headed back to Stuttgart. We had so much fun catching up with Megan and Pat, and the kids had so much fun hanging out with their friends from back home. It was good for everyone to spend time with familiar faces. On top of that we lucked out with beautiful, sunny weather and temperatures in the 80s, which was a welcome break from the winter temps we’ve been having in Germany. Lisbon was a beautiful city that we just barely scratched the surface and we definitely plan to go back.
We made it back home in time for a trip to the commissary and enough time to wash a few loads of clothes for the week!
Gilcrests Abroad 