Our Last Night in Cascais

Wow, I can't believe our trip has come to an end. It feels like just yesterday we were sitting in my kitchen starting this blog! We truly have had the most amazing time! All in all we spent time in seven countries with numerous layovers in other countries that I can't seem to remember anymore. The seven were Portugal, Spain, Tanzania, Canada, France, Italy and Albania. We did step foot in Kenya during our safari but I am not sure we can count that! I think all in all my favorite was France. I love the romantic feel of Paris and the beautiful countryside and who am I kidding, it's the country where we got engaged, so of course its my favorite!! Tanzania was beyond my wildest dreams and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have gone on that adventure. I HIGHLY recommend going on a safari there!!! We really enjoyed Albania and the amazing landscape, the delicious food and the hospitality of Ida's family. Also our first Albanian wedding did not disappoint-it was a blast! Italy was gorgeous and it was great to be there with my parents and my good friends Anna and Micah. Although our trip to Ottawa was brief, I really enjoyed it there. It is soooo clean! Our trip to Spain was so fun and it was also my first experience staying in hostels. They were not as bad as I had thought and they are definitely the way to go if you're on a budget.

Portugal, Portugal, Portugal. What can I say? This country is so many things to me, other than the sightseeing we have done. It's running on the boardwalk by the ocean everyday. It's waking up to sunny days, pretty much everyday! It's eating pasteis de nata and drinking port wine. It's watching english movies on Hollywood channel at 9:30pm. It's going down to the cafe and playing cards or hanging out with Bela and Fransisco. It's playing basketball in our backyard. It's being with the love of my life, everyday and all day!

We have definitely learned a lot about our relationship being here together. I am not going to lie and say it's been a walk in the park. It's stressful traveling! It's stressful being in places where you can't express yourself because you don't know the language. It's stressful not to work, I know that sounds weird, but it is. I think that this trip has made us stronger as a couple. I know it has made me appreciate how patient Graham is with me. I don't handle change well and can get pretty anxious at times, but Graham always knows the right things to say to make me feel better. I am certainly lucky to have him as my fiance and I know that if we could get through this trip together, we can get through anything life throws at us.

I'll sign off for now or else I'll keep rambling. I am excited for our future and am blessed to have had this once in a lifetime experience!!! Can't wait to see you all in America, good ol' wonderful America!!!

Harvesting Goose Barnacles (Percebes in Portuguese)

So you might be wondering, What in the world do Liz and Graham do in Portugal to keep busy? Well many days we wake up and wonder the same thing so we must get creative.

Recently I (Graham) went fishing with Francisco(our english speaking friend who owns a local cafe), I caught nothing, he caught 2 small fish. Although we didn't have much luck he taught me how to locate and harvest Goose Barnacles (Percebes), which a are a rare delicacy and only found along the west coast of Portugal and in NW'ern Spain. You can find them at the seafood market for $100-$150 per pound or pull your own. Since $150 for less than a pound of protein once you've remove the shells is a tad out of our pauper budget, Liz and I returned the next day at low tide to try our novice hand at pulling Percebes.

After reaserching online about Percebes we learned the best and biggest barnacles are said to be located in the most secluded and hardest to reach places. Liz and I walked down the craggy rocks to the surging sea and after looking for a few minutes we located a few decent size groups of Percebes. With the new Putty knife I bought for the purpose of prying these barnacles off the rocks, I was able to pull and pry some large Percebes from the rocks. We spent about an hour searching and pulling and filled a quart size plastic bag with our first harvest of Percebes.

Afterwards we returned home and were rewared for our efforts when we tried the tasty morsels after we boiled them with bay leaves, onions, and piri-piri peppers. They were teriffic tasting - similar to that of lobster or crab! Attached are a few pictures from our meal that night.

Ciao Bella!

After our wonderful journey in Albania, we headed over the Adriatic Sea to the land where my great-grandparents came from, Italy! I have always wanted to go to Italy and experience the culture having been raised by my very Italian mother. And I was extra lucky to experience it with her=)

We spent a few days in Rome with our good friends Anna and Micah. They took us to the best restaurants and to their favorite gelato spots. We did the typical sight seeing tour around Rome, including visits to St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter in Chains, The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Coliseum. It was wonderful.

Then we met up with my parents in Florence. There we walked around the city and were drenched in sweat by noon. Don't ever go to Italy in June! We did one of those double decker bus tours and saw the countryside of Florence which offered breathtaking views. We dined, we drank and we overindulged on gelato. I can't decide what my favorite flavor is, but I'm leaning towards Nutella!

After a few days in Florence we packed up like sardines in our tiny rental car and hit the road. We journeyed to Siena and stayed in an old castle atop a very steep hill. Aside from the hike up, we loved our place there. We could see all of Tuscany, the vineyards and the rolling hills and even Perugia (where Amanda Knox is currently serving jail time). We enjoyed shopping in San Gimignano and dining on the best pizza and panna cotta I've ever had!

Next on our trip was a visit to Assisi. We stayed in the most wonderful Villa, again on the top of a large hill. The people there were so incredibly nice and I would highly recommend their place if anyone is planning on going to Assisi (it is called Relais Parco del Subasio). My mom and I went shopping in the downtown area and also went into the Basilica of San Francesco which was absolutely beautiful! We had a really great time!

I really loved Italy and being there with my mom was an experience I will treasure always!!!

Here are a few pics!

Wild and wonderful...... Albania!

Well, we survived 10 days in Albania with a traditional Albanian wedding and a 2,000 foot mountain climb in the remote valley of Thethi.(Small mountain town in North Albania)

Albania is a small(maryland size), yet incredible country that offers so much diversity with the Albanian Alps, Adriatic Sea, rich farmland, and layers of history. I know we sound like a travel agent, but we had the best time!

The cost to travel Albania is merely 1/3 the cost of the United States. All the food is organic and tastes amazing. We ate farm fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, all which reminded us of the farmers market in Charlottesville. The homemade feta, bread, brick oven pizza, and various meats in Albania are wonderful too.

We also enjoyed traditional Raki, the grape liquor that is traditionally drunk morning, afternoon, and evening! Fresh mountain trout from the glacial streams in the North was also a special treat.

It was tough leaving such an amazing country, but Italy next week shouldn't dissapoint. Here are a few pictures from our travels!

Friday the 13th (we're not superstitious, thank goodness!))

Ok Ok, this is probably the blog that you've all been waiting for.....

We started the day by going to Musee de L'Armee and walking around downtown Paris. We breezed by the Eiffel Tower to pre-book and I was in awe....it was truly amazing! We had plans to go back there that evening to see it illuminated so we headed on to Versailles. Talk about a wonderful site to see with all the ornate detailing, paintings, and gardens! That Louis the 14th really lived large!

After exploring Versailles, we went back to the apartment to get ready for our "date night" which was going to be dinner at a cafe right down the street from the Eiffel Tower and a night climb of the tower. I was secretly hoping that Graham would propose at some point on our trip to Paris, maybe even at the Eiffel Tower so my radar was definitely up! We found a great place to eat and I had to go to the restroom as soon as we got there (had to wash the germs off my hands from the subway ride) and when I came back to the table, I went to put my napkin on my lap and there was the ring! I was in total shock!!!!! Graham got down on his knee (as fellow diners snapped photos of the whole thing) and asked me to marry him. I can't remember much of what he said, I just knew I was beaming with happiness and that he said some pretty sweet things! I have always dreamed of the day when someone would ask me to marry them and I just couldn't believe it was actually happening to me, right there, in Paris! It was romantic and loving and it now feels as if my life is complete. We celebrated with champagne and then climbed the tower (and then had more champagne) and had an absolute blast. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun! We are truly blessed and lucky to have found each other and to be able to be on this adventure together. Thank you everyone for your love and support!

here are a few pics!

Paris Day Two!

This morning we woke up around noon after recovering from somewhat severe jetlag. Once we motivated we set out for Sacre-Coeur, the Basilica of Sacred Heart which is located on top of Montmartre Hill. We toured the wonderfully detailed Church and admired the beautiful panorama of Paris from the grand front steps. Afterwards we explored the neighborhood of Montmarte and stopped for lunch outside a small cafe where we shared a champagnion pizza.
We then set out to see Jim Morrison's gravesite at Cimetiere du Pere LaChaise. After walking through a maze of moss covered gravestones we finally found the famous singers gravestone which is guarded full time. Also burried at Pere LaChaise is French singer Edith Piaf and french painter Pissarro. After paying our respects we hopped back on the Metro and headed northeast to find futuristic park, Parc de la Villette.
This park has 10 themed gardens, including a Mirror Garden, Bamboo Garden and garden of islands. Here we walked a couple miles, snapped a few choice photographs, then returned home to rest our feet and have dinner with our hosts Aune-Laure and Frederic.

A fun filled day in Paris!

It took a redeye over the Atlantic and a layover in Zurich to finally get to Paris, but boy was it worth it. This morning we set out for the two islands located in the city center of Paris, Ile St-Louis and Ile de la Cite.

We enjoyed a stroll across Pont Neuf where we visited the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris and learned all distances in France are measured from kilometre zero; marked by a bronze star outside Notre Dame. Afterwards we walked to Berthillon Ice Cream Shop, and enjoyed a cone of what made them famous.

Liz requested that we buy some local cheese, a baguette, and a bottle of French wine to drink in the park by the river- guess what, I gave in... The Rochefort was my favorite, hers was the aged Chevre. We then sauntered to the Musee du Louve and enjoyed viewing the Mona Lisa among other thousands of sculptures and paintings. Did you know the Louve stretches 700 M along the Seine and if one were to glance at each piece of art it would take them 9 months? We'll save that challenge for another lifetime:)

Two other highlights of our afternoon were watching the sailboats in Tuileries Garden and walking the Promenade Plantee, a romantic elevated park similar to the High Line in NYC.

Next on our agenda is Sacre-Coeur and the Eiffel Tower!!

It's been a busy month!

My sincere apologies for being such a horrible blogger! The last time I wrote we were taking care of Graham's grandfather in the hospital in Cascais. I am happy to say that the four of us made it back to America and that Harry is recovering well! Graham and I accompanied his grandparents on their flight to Vermont from Portugal about a week earlier then our planned visit to America. We have been busy skiing in Vermont at Killington, fishing and relaxing in Key Largo, turkey hunting and fishing in Canton NY, exploring Ottawa Canada and spending time with my family in Alexandria. Tomorrow is Graham's 30th birthday and we are going to Sperryville to celebrate with some close friends and enjoy homemade bbq! Phew, it's been a busy time!

We leave on Monday for our next European adventure. We will be in France (Paris and Nice) for 2 weeks and then on to Albania and Italy! We are so excited to see what the next 3 months abroad will bring.

Our families are all doing well. My dad turned 66 yesterday and may need a hip replacement in the next few months (yikes). My nieces and nephews are star softball/baseball players and we have been fortunate enough to be able to go to some of their games. My sister-in-law is pregnant with the 9th grandchild due in November. Graham and I have been working with a jeweler on our engagement ring and wedding rings. Stay tuned for more on that front =)

I think that's about it for now! I'll try to do better on the updates....I really have no excuse....considering I don't have a job! haha!

Love to you all!

Here are a few pics to enjoy!