Day 46: ode to a roadtrip and my favorite things...

Checklist for a roadtrip:

1. Brush for our hair after the wind... uhh... krisanna has one...
2. Towel... check.
3. Green peppers... check.
4. camera... check.
5. money for sweet souvenirs... check.
6. sandwiches... FOUR!?! check.
7. Hand-sanitizer... check.
8. family size cooler... check
9. … full of food?? check.
10. GPS... check.
11. people back home worrying about us??? CHECK.

We started off our morning with a trip to a cafe and the grocery store. Each grocery store here is in a mall of some kind, so in the “mall” today, we saw three “Native Americans...” or so we thought... but they were in portugal... so what would that make them? Anyway, they were each wearing a headdress and dancing around playing a pan-flute. It sounded really neat, but honestly... ONLY IN PORTUGAL... at the... grocery store!?!?!

Then, krisanna and I took a roadtrip to Obidos, which is a walled city. We realized that even though we had no cord for her ipod and the radio stations are beyond pathetic (playing only opera, beach boys, michael jackson, blink 182, eminem, and polka), we had each other, and that was BEYOND enough... not to mention a backseat full of food! We embarked and laughed the whole way there about our experiences... those that no one else will have. And only we will remember. We really have had a great time! Once we got there, we ate a prelude to lunch (our first sandwich) and headed out around the town. One of the unique things at this tourist trap is that you can walk around the city wall. I'm a little nervous when it comes to heights, so I prayed most of the walk! Along our way I got to use some of my high school french! We came across a couple on the wall and we motioned that we would like them to take our picture then offered to take theirs (a regualr occurrence at all of the tourist traps). After a smiley encounter, they said “merci.” I gasped and exclalmed “pas de quoi!” they smiled, and repeated what I said. I was THRILLED to know the right thing to say in a language other than english... even if it was one phrase... in... french! But that was enough to keep me smiling for about a half-hour... as krisanna tried to sneak a picture of them! And as we were walking down farther, I heard several little girls hopping, giggling, and counting “un, deux, trois...” and I smiled once again. I understood a small part of someone else's world... their life... even if it was french.

After our excursion in Obidos, we headed back home to rest up for the next leg of our journey. We got to chatting about our time here and how it really has been incredible and we've gotten so used to just being around each other and making memories together. It's been such a blessing! And we wondered why people worry about us... but then we remember, we're two college-aged girls... in europe... by ourselvves... taking roadtrips on a whim... but to us, this is just life. :) and we like it this way.

This evening brought one more adventure. We headed to Belem (cute little waterfront town) for dinner with Cal and Joyce. We got frango (chicken) and hit the town (very gently...)! Anyone who has eaten meat with me knows that if it's prepared for me, that means it's also de-boned for me. Well tonight, it wasn't. [all of last summer, a teammate of mine had to cut my mean for me if there were bones still in it] I do well to get three bites out of a chicken leg... but tonight, I had half of a chicken to tackle on my own... and I;d like to think I did well. :)

I had very few requests when I came to Portugal of places to see. One was the Torre de Belem. And I decided I wanted to see things here at night. So, they catered to my desires, and let us come later in the day.

I realized again today several of my FAVORITE things...

1. palm trees (because they remind me of fireworks)

2.fireworks (because they remind me of palm trees) 

3. STL Cardinal baseball (because Pujols is the man and they shoot off fireworks for homeruns)

4. fountains.

5. nighttime. EVERYTHING looks better with city lights illuminating the backdrop.

6.Stargazing

7. making new friends.

8. Making memories with old friends.

 9. Portugal.

10. bagpipes

11. And... bedtime. :)

1. thus concludes today's adventures... tune in next time... for...