The Charm of the Less-Traveled

For the weeks leading up to this trip, I tried to do as much research as possible on Portugal and the city of Lisbon. And I have to admit that although Portugal has beautiful coastlines, friendly people and great food, there isn't anything particularly famous about it, especially in comparison to its Eurpean neighbors.

I find that there is something very charming about that.

On Sunday, a few of us who had arrived early decided to take an open-air bus tour of the city.  The day was gorgeous and thankfully no wayward bird deposits landed on me during the ride.

SIDE NOTE: Did you know that once a renegade seagull dive-bombed my head when I was in Barcelona? True story. It was so disgusting and paralyzing. I just stood there trying to find a way track down that bird and barbeque it.

Anywho, I snapped some pictures of this beautiful city and some of the more historic sites it has to offer...

...such as Lisbon's oldest bull fighting ring.

One thing that is prevelent is the national pride of Portugal's many explorers, such as Vasco de Gama, Magellan and many others whose names I don't remember. Everywhere you go you see homages to these men who braved the seas in search of new lands. And as a result of these adventures, there are 9 countries in the world that speak Portuguese.

This particular monument is known as the Monument of the Discoveries.

Another fun fact is that the Portuguese love their pork.

Mmmm...tasty. Wendi and I even tried ham-flavored chips. Not too shabby.

But the most famous monument in all of Lisbon is the Torre de Belem, or the Belem Tower.

It was built from 1512-1515 and marked the starting point for all of Portugal's explorers.

It is situated at the mouth of the river and the Atlantic Ocean and became the symbol for the era of Portuguese expansion.

SIDE NOTE: The tower is not really that big...those are mini-sailboats helmed by children.

And that is my ginormous head. It looks like I have two black eyes but I just call them "jet" and "lag."

This tower is so small yet so detailed in its design. It is a must-see if you are ever in Portugal!

We have already finished our sessions for today so this afternoon we are taking a tour of the older part of the city and St. George's castle. I have no idea who George is.

And I also plan on eating a Magnum bar or two.

What are you up to today?

My Room with a View

For our week in Portugal, we are staying in a fabulous hotel called the Hotel Tivoli. It is amazing in every way. They have several around the world and I would highly recommend them if you ever need a place to stay the night.They are modern and clean and serve amazingly huge breakfasts every morning. What is not to love?

Plus they have extremely handsome men who work at the front desk and remember your name. After I had first arrived, I went back downstairs to ask how to hook up the internet in the room. One in particular greeted me by saying, "Well hello Sarah. How is your room?"

In which I replied, "My room is perfect, thank you. Would you like to dance with me in the lobby?"

Only half of that is true.

Of course this would be incredibly romantic if he only memorized MY name but I am almost certain it is part of his job description and I am sure my  40+ colleagues have received the same treatment.

Darn it.

Anyway, here is a small tour for you. Wendi and I are living it up on the 15th floor (they have a floor 0 here). It is pretty spectacular!

Pay no attention to me in the mirror. I tried to stand like the Pioneer Woman does in all of her hotel pics but I just looked lopsided.

Our bathroom is beautiful! It is a dark marine blue with white and silver accents. I could live in there.

And here is the Tejo River that runs into the sea. The bridge in the background is one of the longest in the world. And those white dots you see hovering above the ground are little gondolas that go up and down the coast so you can a better view of the water and the coastline.

I am pretty sure I have a better view than they do!

Just to the right of this picture is the Oceanarium and it is said to rival that of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

This is the view to the left side of our window. We are in the very modern, trendy part of the city. And that bridge in the background is part of the long bridge that goes over the river/ocean above.

We began the conference this afternoon and I managed to sneak in a few one-liners. And I may or may not have worn sequins. Afterward, after I climbed the 16 flights of stairs from Hades, I found myself with no dinner plans so I went down to the hotel restaurant and sat by the window watching the people hurry by in the pouring rain. I felt very introspective and European which doesn't happen often for this extroverted, wanna-be cowgirl. And I also enjoyed the most glorious meal of a Greek salad followed by creme brulee. My boss and his wife joined me for dessert and we didn't leave the restaurant until 10:15. A stellar evening in every way.

Tomorrow is our first full day of the conference. We have Associates here from five countries and volunteers from several states. They are an amazing group of people so I know my tap routine has to be spot-on tomorrow!

Talk to you later!

Oh, P.S. My spellcheck only works in Portuguese. If you see a typo, feel free to contact my agent.

Diet? What Diet?

I have been in Portugal for 32 hours and thus far I have eaten:

Chocolate
French fries
Ice cream
A Magnum bar
Custard pastry
Steak
Hamburger
Pasta
Peanut butter
Fruit
Coffee

To counter this massive caloric intake, I have:

Walked. A ton.
Climbed the stairs to my hotel room on the 16th floor.
Walked some more.
Thought about working out.

Level of guilt I feel:

ZERO.

Guilt-free, caloric-laden travel is the only way to go.

Welcome to Portugal

I have landed in Portugal! A few things to share with you:

1.  I slept on the plane without my neck pillow. Isn't God great? And I didn't drool.

2.  I can see the ocean from my room.

3.  The people are warm and friendly

4.  The weather is fabulous and sunny.

5.  They sell Magnum bars on every street corner

6.  They also have an H&M right across the street.

7.  And I was greeted in the lobby by a man wearing an itsy bitsy bathrobe and the hairiest legs the good Lord has ever created. I have no idea why he was wearing a bathrobe nor do I know why he was in the lobby, but there he was, in all his hairy leg wonder. They were magnificent. I tried to look away but I couldn't. I will blame the jet lag.

8.  So far, this trip has been a success! More to come after I hit the hay.

Woe to the Man Who Sits in the Middle Seat

I am so tired I don't know where to begin. And I'm still in Denver. That does not bode well, folks. Jet lag hasn't even happened yet.

However, I will say that I am finally excited. I mean, really excited. I have always wanted to go to Portugal. In my mind, it must be very beautiful and old-wordly and full of fisherman and beautiful white-washed buildings.

That could also be Greece.  But whatever.

I am still excited and I promise to take tons of pictures for your viewing pleasure. I did finally decide on a plane outfit...I know you were wondering. I have on comfy jeans, a white t-shirt, a black blazer, a fabulous scarf and cute little black booties that are super comfortable and easy to take off.

Speaking of which, it is always hilarious to me that we have to practically strip to our skivvies to pass through security. Such an awkward picture of humanity.DIA is a virtual smorgasbord of people watching.

I feel like I am rambling.

However, we have hit a bit of a snag. I would be panicking at this moment if it weren't for the fact that I feel like I just took an Ambien even though I didn't. But it's serious, people. Are you ready?

I couldn't find my inflatable neck pillow.

I may cry. Seriously. And all the German-speaking people around me will probably just stare at me but I DON'T CARE. Emotions are good for them. Friends, I need my neck pillow. It is part of my routine. It's what gets me over the ocean and back again. And more than that, the person next to me needs me to have my neck pillow too. Things could get ugly. There could be drooling and flopping and the dreaded head-bob. And that's before we even take off. What's going to happen in six hours when we are literally HANGING over the Atlantic and my neck pillow is 1000 miles away?

Drama. That's what's going to happen. Drama.

I am already praying that there is not some sort of international incident. But I really can't make any promises. Sleep is my best friend and I NEED MY BEST FRIEND.

Okay. I have to go now. It is almost time to board. And there is a Ben and Jerry's right around the corner. It is literally calling my name. I love when it does that.

Adios my friends!! Talk to you soon.

Birthday Boy

Today is the day.

Today is my brother's birthday.

The same brother who told me I was adopted.

The same brother who gave me dating advice on the phone yesterday.

The same brother who made it into the National Honor Society AFTER he graduated high school.

Do I sound bitter?

Yep, it's his birthday.

And I am so glad he is older than me.

Happy birthday, big brother!

The Tyranny of Travel

Have you ever noticed that when you are about to take a trip you suddenly must complete every project you ever set out to do AND buy a new wardrobe PLUS deep clean your shower and rearrange your closet?

Anyone?

No?

Well then maybe I am just a special brand of nuts because every time I go on a trip I realize just how abysmal my house looks and how everything I have ever worn is completely dead to me and I must replace it immediately with cuter clothes that will surely be noticed and appreciated by everyone I meet in the world. Because we all know how important it is to try to not look like a tourist when you are, in fact, a tourist.

You would think I would have lightened up by now or at least learned that you really only wear two pairs of pants when you travel. But my Type A personality shines through during times like this and my shower really could use a deep clean anyway.

Today, after my next massage appointment for my shoulders, I plan on making the following loop: TJ Maxx, Ross, Old Navy, Target and the grocery store. This is to ensure that I have tapped out every possible discount store for every possible piece of clothing that I may or may not need plus the ever-important stop to pick up my Super Chunk and perhaps a good magazine or two. When I get home, I have three loads of laundry to tackle, downsize my shoe selection from 7 pairs to 4 and try to remember to pack important things like my passport and my inflatable neck pillow.

And while we're talking about it, I highly recommend a neck pillow that inflates. This way you don't have to carry around a heavy one the entire trip. I also recommend sitting by the window on overseas flights so you aren't bothered 20 million times by your row mates wanting to get out and go to the bathroom. This is especially helpful for me because I have a phobia of public restrooms with the airplane bathroom being the absolute worst place I could ever imagine going ever. Ever. EVER. Not ever.

Just the thought of it makes me want to suck my thumb.

Moving on.

I have also found that the hardest outfit choice to figure out is the ever-important outfit for the plane. Oh the thought that goes into this decision! I am tired just thinking about this decision. I don't like wearing sweats because I feel frumpy and slouchy and cranky when I get off the plane. But I would never wear heels and a suit unless I am on my way to meet the queen. But we all know that I would probably be wearing a ball gown anyway, so that argument really doesn't matter. But what does matter is that perfect balance of comfort and cuteness, tailored and practical, and clothes that don't wrinkle too badly because chances are you will wear that outfit at least one more time before you get back home. I am still trying to figure this one out for my flight on Friday. 

My world is so hard.

I really could go on and on about how I travel and the many things that are on my to-do list, but I know you have more important things to do like BREATHING and BLINKING than to read this blog. So, what are some of your travel tips? What do you wear? Where do you sit? What items do you put in your carry-on bag? Are you nuts like me?

Oh, and quarta-feira feliz!  That's "Happy Wednesday" in Portuguese.  Who knew?