2017 - My Favorite Pictures

2017 started with fireworks in Coimbra over the Mondego River.  I love this picture because it looks like the Dandelion flowers I would blow to make a wish when I was a child.  I never dreamed that moving to Portugal would make many of my dreams and wishes come true.

We went to castle Montemor-o-Velho with our good friends/family Vitor and Teresa.  It was my first visit to a castle and I was overwhelmed walking on the walls and trying to imagine what it was like when kings and queens of Portugal lived there 929 years ago.  The picture below was captured by Vitor.  I had just walked out of the church when I closed the door and realized I had locked it and no one else could get in.  There was no one around to unlock it.  Oops!

Vince and I sitting on the castle wall.  The blue sky was clear and bright and although it was a cold windy day, we had the best time.

                                                 Our friends/family Vitor and Teresa

When we moved from Eugene, Oregon and had to leave our favorite coffee shop Mes Amis, we were heartbroken because it was the most special place and we always felt like family.  We were not sure we would find the same feeling when we moved to Coimbra.  But we did!  This building is 487 years old and has been a coffee shop for 94 years!  It was part of the monastery of the church of Santa Cruz in Coimbra which is 886 years old.  The inside has marble tables with leather chairs and has arches high in the ceiling blackened by years of smoke from candlelight and a beautiful stained glass window.  It is a very famous cafe and draws local people as well of tourists from all over the world. We love the fact we can sit outside most of the year, but we also have a favorite spot inside too. 

Last year when we went to England and then on our cruise around the Western Mediterranean we told the men working there that we would not be in for several weeks.   One of the men didn't get the message and when we returned he was overjoyed to see us.  He told us he was worried we were ill or decided to move away.  It was so very sweet.  Each day when we show up we are greeted like old family friends.

Vince and I went to the park and while our friends Teresa and Ines were playing on the swings we decided to have our own fun.  Vince has a mischievous grin and he is about to drop me when I least expect it.  My look is "Don't you dare!"  We giggled like little kids.

 One of my dreams come true was going to Liverpool, England!  We met our friends Joyce and Malcolm and they showed us around.  I am standing in front of the childhood home of Paul McCartney!

                    I am feeling like a stalker in front of the childhood home of John Lennon!

Our friends Joyce and Malcolm 

Living in Portugal we have found the cost to travel throughout Europe is very affordable.  The cruise we took gave us a few hours in each port to see if we would like to come back for a land trip sometime.  The answer is yes!  We saw things we never dreamed we would.  This is Rome and the Pantheon.

Trevi Fountain was so crowded but we managed to toss one of the keys from our Love Lock into the fountain.

    I was overwhelmed seeing The Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

We only had an hour and we could have stayed all day.  

 We had a stop in Gibraltar and had the best Fish and Chips, but the Mushy Peas we had at Joyce and Malcolm's house were delicious. 

     These ladies were deep in conversation when I walked by on our way to coffee in Coimbra.

I never get tired of the bright blue sky and white puffy clouds 

and having the windows open nearly every day of the year. 

My veggie lady!  Her name is Maria Helena and she has been selling at this indoor market for 50 years.  She is adorable and always makes sure I have the very best.  She gives me hugs and kisses!

We went with Vitor and Teresa for an outing to villages in the central part of Portugal not too far from Coimbra.  I like this giant cork cork.

             Sun and Malcolm Jr. are messing around on a replica of The Tower of Belem in Lisbon.

Vitor and Teresa took us to the coast to a town called Figueira do Foz which is about an hour and 20 minutes from Coimbra.  It is a pretty place,  but then again the beaches and towns along the Atlantic coast are spectacular.

 

This is a monument in Lisbon called Monument of the Discoveries.  It is located on the Tagus river where ships in the 15th century departed to explore trade with India and the Orient.  There are 33 statues of monarchs, explorers, cartographers, artists, scientists and missionaries.  I caught this picture and could only wonder what things will be like in another 500 years! 

I took this picture on the coach from Manchester in the north of England to Southampton in the south to catch our cruise ship.  England is rainy and grey like the Pacific North West and it rained the day before when we were checking out Liverpool.   But the next day was incredible.   The blue sky, big puffy white clouds and the bright yellow of the rapeseed fields were very special.

Santa Margherita, Italy.  It was very pretty and I could only imagine what it looked like with way less people back in the 50's.   We bought two Gelato ice creams and it came to $14.00!  Touristy much?  That will teach me to ask for a price first!

We visited our friends Jmayel, Sacha, Story and Eden and they took us to Busaco Palace in central Portugal.  Originally built for the last king of Portugal 132 years ago and is now a hotel.  The forest surrounding the area is a very nice place to talk a walk. 

This would be a pretty place to have lunch but only guests are allowed to be inside.  Probably a good thing because the palace grounds gets tour buses daily.

Jmayel, Sacha, Eden, Story, Vince and Me

In Coimbra very near our apartment is a large park space near the river.  There is a re-enactment artist group that puts on gatherings throughout the country.  This one was small, but it felt real to me and as I watched the jousting and hand to hand combat I felt like I had been transported back in time.  It was an eerie feeling and I kept telling myself, "You are safe, it is the year 2017, it is only pretend!"

I kept pinching myself and saying to Vince, "We are in PARIS!"  I am glad we wandered out after we got settled into the hotel to find some dinner.  We found the tower and as we watched it started to sparkle and did so for about 5 minutes on the hour until midnight.  We felt so lucky, and it was more romantic than I could have imagined. We went back the next day and walked under the tower.  Wow is the only word I can come up with!

We met our lovely family in Paris and all went to The Louvre for the day.  Another moment of picking my chin off the floor every 5 seconds.  The place makes my heart beat faster.  It was so exciting to see just a fraction of what the giant building holds.  We do want to go back here for several days!

        Walking through a quiet part of the museum I noticed this woman sketching this piece.

The next day we went to Montparnesse Tower.  It is an office building with an observation deck 56 stories high.  We saw the Eiffel Tower just over 2 miles away and the surrounding city of Paris.  It was a very fun day.  Vince and I were trying to make a heart with our hands together and couldn't get it right so Lisa told us to to this and it makes a small heart!   Just a cute thing from Japan.

 We were all goofing around and I couldn't get the phone in the right place for a selfie.  We were all laughing so hard.  The next thing I know both of my men are giving me a kiss!  OH, this melts my heart!

 Taylor's Port Wine House.  We have toured wineries before in California, but this was special.  Just after this picture we went to the garden for a tasting of the ports they make and I tripped, fell and my new phone I had only bought a week earlier flew out of my hand and landed screen down on the concrete.  Steven came running over and helped me up.  I guess my strong bones and padding helped because I only had a scrape on my leg.  After everyone calmed down and knew I was alright, Steven said, "Didn't I teach you anything?  You are supposed to protect your electronics at all costs!."  There was grass just inches from where it landed! 

              Ibuprophen and a couple of glasses of port later we were feeling REALLY good!

This is a town in central Portugal called Obidos.  It has castle walls and cute narrow streets with shops galore and tons of tourists.  

 This is Antonio Costa.  He works at our coffee shop, Cafe Santa Cruz.  We went with our friend EV to listen to a Fado Music Performance one evening.  I bought a CD and the insert was a painting of Coimbra.  Antonio came to tell us he painted it and showed us the original hanging in his bosses office.  He said he would bring one from home to show us.  About a week later he brought the one you see in the picture.  He has been painting since the 1960's.  Vince bought this for me for Christmas and we showed Antonio where we hung it in the apartment.  He was overjoyed and so am I.

This is the view we see everyday from our side of the river.  He painted it in 2010 and the trees are much bigger now.  I love the people and the bench.  It makes our living room so warm and cozy. 

We are so fortunate to be here in Portugal and we absolutely love our city of Coimbra.  Special people have come into our life and our hearts are full.  We have so much more exploring to do and I look forward to sharing our adventures with everyone.