Saturday was a relaxing day with no rush to be anywhere. We took it easy and took in the peace and quiet and country air. 

My personal chef made the most amazing smoked salmon and caviar omelettes for lunch. Restaurant quality!

We decided to make use of the car and explore the region. After putting Ponte Da Barca into Google maps we were directed down some very dodgy narrow alleyways with stone walls just wide enough for the car! It was an adventure to see where we would end up! 

By sheer coincidence, we finally found the bridge we were looking for.  There was a small mixed goods store that we explored for trinkets but ended up only buying some nice Ports to imbibe with dinner. 

Sunday morning brought rain and the soft sounds of water falling from the skies.

Scott was finding and rescuing wayward frogs who were hopping into the pool but there was no way out for them.

After packing up and leaving very positive reviews about this Airbnb, 

we started the 4 hour journey to Sintra through some fierce downpours and high winds.

A couple of hours into the drive, we decided to just keep going to Lisbon and settle.

Our apartment, booked through Booking.com was in an old building with an old elevator which took us to our 6th floor accommodation. 

This apartment was in another area of Lisbon in the Praça do Comércio. We had some river views, the long bridge and the Jesus statue from our front windows. 

For dinner we found a little restaurant in the street below and consumed Seafood soup, grilled octopus and creamy cod. We then found a liquor store and bought a nice bottle of Port to drink on our last night in Portugal. 

Monday morning was checkout by 11am but our flight with Ryan air was not scheduled until 5pm. Timeout Market was the place to while away some time. The market was refreshingly uncrowded as the holiday period for Europeans had finished. 

We were really lucky to have found the parking spot for our car on R. de Mouzinho da Silverado in Porto, despite the heavy traffic at the time that we arrived on Thursday night. It turned out to be a rare spot that was free without a time limit so the car remained there for 2 nights. 

Scott had found our Stone Cottage accommodation in the Northern Mountains of Portugal for the next adventure. 

We decided to first head to Braga, the 4th largest city in Portugal. It was about 40 minutes drive north of Porto and in the direction of the mountains. The freeways were easy to navigate and Scott set a cracking pace in our little Fiat 500 convertible. 

Braga is very old (a bit tired) and centres around the oldest cathedral  with shops selling religious icons and other souvenirs. We found a parking station and walked to the old town where we had coffee and admired the delicious cakes in the counters.  

It was too early for lunch so while we were wandering through the old town, a commotion happened with people yelling in Portuguese and pointing towards a running young man. Apparently he had stolen an expensive perfume and the young shop assistant gave chase! I think he was stopped by someone and the perfume was confiscated from him. Peace was restored! 

Braga has some really old fortress type buildings which would date back to the Moors.

Scott had found a place to have lunch which had good reviews called Antù. I ordered the chicken wings with fries and Scott chose the Octopus with black rice. 

We needed to stock up for our mountain vacay so we explored the wares of the 

Merciarado supermarket and bought supplies. It is always an experience to shop in different countries and see how they present their food and the range of culinary choices.

Back on the road it took another 40 minutes to find our Stone cottage. This Airbnb listing was so clean, had ample basic provisions and even supplied coal for the BBQ. 

The car completed the provincial scene of where we were staying. The weather was relatively mild at 15C. 

Dinner was barbecued octopus and redfish with garlic infused eggplant and capsicum.

Port and bubbles were the beverages of choice. It was nice to get away from the busy cities and relax in such a lovely environment.

boa noite

Breakfast was included with our accommodation so we went down and chatted with some other guests. Breakfast was varied, ranging from cereals, eggs and bacon, assorted treats, juices and coffee. 

Time to wander up to the Sao Bento train station. The station tiled mosaics were as beautiful as ever. Outside the station there was a lot of construction for the new underground train line connection.

Scott noticed a sign to a Timeout Market next to the station.

This was new and we stopped for a beverage (and Dutch courage) before tackling the Ponte Luis I bridge (again for me).

My vertigo was not as pronounced this time but of course Scott was there to assist if needed. After creating some content, we went back to the  Timeout Market for lunch. Scott ordered some awesome salty oysters and a Francesinha which is a Portuguese sandwich, originally from Porto, made with layers of toasted bread and assorted hot meats such as roast, steak, wet-cured ham, chipolata over which sliced cheese is melted by the ladling of a near-boiling tomato-and-beer sauce called molho de francesinha. It was delicious! An Albertinha wine was the bevvy of choice.

Next to the market is an elevator which takes people up to a decagon type building… we were curious.

Well, this is the place where you can do Port tastings while looking out at the city buildings. Our waiter was extremely proficient in memorising the spiel and we were impressed with his effort and rewarded him accordingly.

He said that we were very kind and asked where we were from – so we have left him with a positive memory about Aussies.

We wandered back down to our hotel, stopping to make a reservation at the Tapas 65 restaurant for our dinner. This restaurant promised typical Portuguese fare.

We started with the traditional Verde soup and then shared Codfish balls, garlic prawns, calamari and sardines.

After a very satisfying meal we finished the night with a glass of port each in the hotel bar. 

boa noite

We decided to explore in the other direction from our accommodation and found the touristy bougie part of Lisbon with more and more tourists. Too many people on narrow footpaths helped us to decide to go back to the Timeout Markets instead and find some nice local food.

The Timeout Marketplace was crowded so we ended up deciding to eat at one of the side restaurants which did not disappoint. Scott chose the Octopus and I had the Rabbit!

We then escaped the crowd and found a mini Xmas market to enjoy. We lingered here in the sun, enjoying the music and people watching.

Heading back home for a relax, refresh and nap before the New Year booking we found another hole in the wall selling shots of cherry liqueur.

It was still 9 hours until we hit midnight … NYE had already passed in Australia. 

We made our way to O Corrido – Casa de Fado restaurant and enjoyed the set menu and Fado songs. 

New years day

Check out was at 11 am and we had to collect the car from Sixt at 12:30 so we had time to kill. We packed up , walked down to the square and found a table at the Nicola Cafe. Coffee, eggs. salmon and a Portuguese tart were consumed. We then caught an UBER to the car hire office to pick up our convertible Fiat 500. 

First stop was Nazare, the place where some of the tallest waves can be seen. It is a surf mecca with lots of campers and holiday homes amid narrow winding streets. Lots of people here too from all parts of the world. 

We decided to find somewhere on the drive to Porto to stop and eat as it was crazy busy in Nazare.

The drive to Porto took about 2 hours and the little Fiat was perfect for the narrow streets we encountered here as we made our was to the hotel.

Once settled we made our way out to find somewhere for dinner. The wind was making the temperature much colder and we were trying to find somewhere warm. Without bookings and since this was a public holiday, there were limited choices. We found a restaurant on the riverside and could only get a table outside but they did provide some heating and Blankets.

Time to get out of the wind and stay warm for the night.

boa noite

It was much colder today so it was a good time to leave Berlin.

I had checked us into our flights online and we packed and prepared to leave by 10am for our 12:10 flight.

The share car today was an Audi and it was about a 30 minute trip to Brandenburg Airport. It was very busy and we realised that we had to make our way to Terminal 2 – the low budget area of the airport. Of course we chose the security queue that took the longest and we both had items diverted for a closer inspection. The whole process took about 30 minutes! 

We had picked up some sandwiches and a beverage for the flight and went to the gate. Ryanair is a budget airline so the whole experience is low budget. 

They made us wait for a long time inside and then we had to queue outside to get on the plane for another 15 minutes in freezing temperatures. 

I had booked seats when I bought the tickets and noticed that seat 2A did not have a seat in front of it so I put Scott in that one and he appreciated the ability to stretch his legs during the flight. 

During this flight I observed an interesting series of events. Apparently the seat belt sign has to come on when the captain is outside the cockpit. So he’s chatting to the attendant for a good 10 minutes. While the seatbelt sign is on, no one can go to the toilet… so he keeps chatting with the attendant while they are turning people away who want to use the facilities. So then the captain goes to the toilet …. with the seat belt sign on!!! There was no turbulence and  then he comes out and keeps chatting. Another person goes to go to the toilet but is turned back because the captain is still outside the cockpit.  A female attendant emerges from the cockpit where the co-pilot was and the captain goes back in. The seatbelt sign is then turned off! A total of 20 minutes denial of service!

The landing was smooth and we were piled onto a bus to take us to the main terminal where Scott organised an Uber which ferried us through the narrow winding streets to our Airbnb accommodation.

I wanted to take Scott to the restaurant Michele and I loved, across from our accommodation last January called A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira only to be disappointed that they are closed until January 6th, the day we leave Lisbon. 

There were so many people milling around as this is a holiday week for Europeans. We made our way through the crowded footpaths and found the Carmo Restaurant & Bar, hoping to enjoy some good food. This did not happen, the service was poor, the food was bland so we didn’t even take any pictures.

The next day was Monday and the weather promised to be quite mild so we made our way to the Praça do Comércio, the main square in Lisbon. A huge stage was set up in preparation for New Year’s Eve celebrations. 

We then strolled to the Timeout Market and enjoyed some local delicacies and Spicy Margaritas.

It was such a lovely day so we decided to walk around through lanes and staircases to the attractions above. 

We stopped for a beverage at an outdoor cafe and took in the lovely views of Lisbon.

On our way back we chose to have some hot soup at the Mr Cod restaurant. We ordered a Sopa de Caldo Verde each and Garlic Prawns to share, washed down by White Sangria. The food was delicious and the service an improvement from last night’s choice.

I was confident that I could find the ‘hole in the wall’ cherry shot bar called A Ginjinha where you can only pay cash for the famous cherry liqueur shots. 

The streets were so crowded and we made our way back home, picking up some supplies from the supermarket next to our Accommodation and settled in for the night.

boa noite

The weather was a predicted 7C which was quite mild for a winter’s day. We decided to take ourselves into Alexanderplatz and have some lunch at Hofbrau Munchen. Scott drove a sharecar Peugot SUV into the city centre.

We ordered the Venison Ragout each and it was delicious.

While we were eating a couple arrived with their white Shitzu, Millie from Denmark. She took a shine to us and we enjoyed patting her and giving her scratches.

The Galleria shopping precinct is next to the restaurant so we entered the department store and made some purchases at the Sephora counter. 

Back home we took it easy and Scott ordered chicken wings and bites for dinner through the Wolt food app. It was an early night.

The next morning I was still feeling sick and wanted to have a day of convalescence. I also craved chicken soup so Scott went down to the supermarket for supplies and made an awesome Creamy Dill Pickle Soup which was better than any restaurant fare.   Amazing!!

After watching episodes of the Crown and YouTube clips about Portugal we retired for the night before our journey to Lisbon with Ryanair.

Guten Nacht!

Travel on Christmas Day is always a good choice as there are less crowds at the airports. The Singapore lounge in Sydney had a reasonable selection of food and the MUMM Champagne and self made Bloody Mary’s helped celebrate Christmas.

My premium economy window seat was comfortable on the large A380 Airbus plane. I had a good view from the window with no obstruction. The chicken and rice meal was quite nice with a beverage of bubbles.

At Singapore airport, it was easy to find the Singapore Gold KrisFlyer lounge and I settled in for a couple of hours. The food at this lounge was much better than in Sydney. The highlight was the 

Laksa station which tasted amazing and I will definitely choose this on my return. So far, my Gold Velocity status has meant that I did not have to spend a cent on food or beverages until the Frankfurt stopover.

For the Singapore to Frankfurt leg of my journey, the plane was a smaller Boeing 777-300ER. On this plane, my premium economy seat was over the large wing which meant I had no view. I did mention this to the attendant and he came back with an offer to get a window row to myself in economy where I could lie across and have a view but then I would have lost the premium extras such as real cutlery and glasses of complimentary champagne so I stayed put. This made me reflect on whether premium economy is worth the extra cost. You cannot lift the divider rests between the seats if you are the only one in your row. 

United airlines last year had a better set up with their Economy Plus! 

The chicken noodle meal was not to my taste but maybe because I was that person with the cough on the plane! I had managed to pick up a sore throat before I left Australia…. but then what do you bring to Germany but ‘germs’? Boom boom!

When entering Frankfurt border patrol it was lovely to be at the end of a long queue, only to be asked who had a Euro passport and being led straight past the people to enter the country on the right side of the booths! 

I chose roaming with Optus for my phone data which costs $5 a day and is completely worth it for peace of mind and time adjustments.

My flight to Berlin was with Lufthansa and I was told that my luggage would go straight through to Berlin from Sydney. So it was a nice surprise that my bag  was already on the carousel because of priority handling so I was through the Berlin Brandenburg airport in no time. 

Scott arranged a share car (these are vehicles you book online and drive to your location in the city). 

Once home we enjoyed some champagne and a light lunch before deciding to go for a walk. I needed to stay awake all day until dark as a way of avoiding jet lag…. I find this really works. 

We walked to the Soviet memorial in Treptower Park which is a massive reminder of the war and many Russian soldiers are buried here where Germany is obliged to maintain this important icon. Even Putin has been here! It is a very large park and is utilised by many dog walkers. 

We then found another sharecar and drove to the Charlottenburg Schloss (castle) for a tour and were pleased to see that the Christmas markets were in full swing here. 

We paid €24 for the two of us to do the tour of the castle and its very wealthy opulence. 

Then it was time for the Gluwein! Christmas markets are magical because the sun sets at 4pm and you really get to enjoy the market atmosphere. After a few samples of beverages and some food we made our way to the U-Bahn train station and caught a train home. 

I had walked over 13000 steps from airport to the end of the day and sleep was easy!

Guten Nacht!

My last summer’s day until December started with the challenge of packing everything into my large suitcase, including my carry on suitcase case. It was a challenge because I had purchased items over the last few weeks, including shoes, which increased the amount of items to take home.

Scott had a late night so he spent his morning catching up on sleep.

We had tomato soup for lunch prepared by my personal assistant and then, sadly, it was time to drive to the airport.

I was having trouble online checking in for my flight and seeing if I could upgrade for the long haul one home. Hence we got to the airport early so I could sort it out.

After queuing for nearly an hour I finally got to the desk and got the last premium seat from Vancouver.

For the first part of the flight from Toronto to Vancouver I was allocated a window seat but it was right at the back of the plane. I was excited to have the opportunity to watch Canada unfold from my window but alas there were many clouds.

Once through security I investigated if I could go to the Air Canada lounge at Toronto. I was told that I could only access it 3 hours before departure time and I was early. So I found a bar and ordered my last Caesar…. They will be missed!

I was allowed to enter the Air Canada Cafe at 3:45pm and I whiled away the hours snacking on samosas and sliders and drinking Pinot Grigio.

The toilets are next level here too so it’s worth keeping Gold status! The clear skies continued all afternoon and a melancholy set in about leaving this beautiful country… and my baby. It was amazing making new memories of Niagara Falls, Montreal, New York, Cobourg and Toronto!!!

Once on board I was surprised when they were giving out earphones but charging $3:95 for the privilege. I declined and kept watching on my iPad using my own airpods.

Being up the back meant a long wait for drinks and snacks and the service was not up to standard. I asked for a white wine and got a half hearted pour of a half cup of wine. Once we landed at Vancouver after a nearly 5 hour flight, The Toronto Air Canada lounge had a lot of wraps and salads that could be taken away with disposable cutlery available. I should have brought some onto the plane because this leg of the journey had poor offerings or you had to pay for better.

Back at Vancouver airport I was directed to the Canadian International Lounge. I chose a Pinot Grigio to drink and a chicken curry with rice and a loaded potato for supper while charging my devices. Cream of broccoli soup was also on offer and delicious!

They even do awesome spicy Caesars!!! So I snuck another one in before leaving the country.

So it was a great trip and once again I never saw a bank note… just phone or card payments for the whole trip.

Next stop Sydney!

Good night.

After cold brew coffee provided by my personal assistant we walked down to my salon on Ossington Street for my hair appointment. The weather was stunning again and we played some games of Backgammon.

We decided to go back to Gloria’s for brunch. It had such a lovely French atmosphere and the menu is good. We started with Bellino Prosecco,

Eggs Benedict with Crispy bacon for me and Eggs Florentine for Scott.

We loved the atmosphere in this place and melted at the meeting of the oodles on the footpath outside.

We lingered for an espresso martini each and then Scott needed a groom so he went the the barber while I enjoyed another Bellino watching the Torontorians go about their day on Queen Street.

We had arranged to meet Scott’s work colleague, Michele who has a brother named Scott at 3pm for the Ossington festival.

As we walked past the police, I had to get a photo with the law! They thought it was very funny.

We met Michele and found a table to have a chat and a drink while people milled around and live music was played from the nearby stage.

We met up with some friends of Michele’s and were guided into a building which was an office with a rooftop terrace. The fridge was fully stocked with all sorts of beverages and we discovered that Sarah, Michele’s friend, ran a foundation for indigenous issues and the office we were in was a marketing firm who worked with her.

We moved on to Sweaty Betty’s next, a popular bar that is very narrow and well attended. We enjoyed their Caesars and met another dog called Miso.

There was talk of going to see a band and partying into the night which I left to the young ones and I went back to the apartment for my last night in Toronto.

Good night.

The weather today was spectacular. My delivery boy brought me coffee while I completed the blog. The King George Inn was comfortable but the pillows were not the best. Also there was only streaming services on the TV and no real time local news.

We headed back to the lake, walked along the harbour and saw large fish in the water (fishing is prohibited here) with ducks sharing the area.

Then we finally got to walk on the sand and put our feet in the water. It was the perfect temperature! There were no waves and the lake glistened beneath the blue sky.

I realised that the RV park is called a trailer park in this part of the world.

We made our way to the main street and saw another black squirrel who posed for us!

Needing a drink, we grabbed a refreshment at Cafe Lalies. I chose the frittata and an Americano coffee, which is a long black, but I thought it was a long black with milk. It was no problem to get extra milk.

We needed to buy some items and decided that Walmart would be a good place to get these! So off we went to our very first visit to Walmart.

It was an enormous store with just about anything you need – clothing, groceries, homewares, fast food, cosmetics etc. I bought some typical American candies to take home for my students to try! Scott bought a hat.

It was after midday so we tried the Maccas McCrispy Chicken Burger just to complete the whole Walmart experience.

Back in the car park, Scott’s key would not open the car and after a few minutes frustration we realised that it was the wrong Honda! Ours was in the next row!

We took a different route to drive back to Toronto which was more picturesque and less hectic than the Highway 421.

Back in the apartment Scott went out for supplies while I organised my luggage for the flight home in two days. Since I had purchased some items over the last few weeks, I may have to take my carry on bag separately instead of packing it inside my larger suitcase. A challenge for Sunday!

We took it easy for the rest of the day and ate dinner at home, care of my personal chef!

I made an appointment for a wash and dry in the morning at the hair salon I went to last week. Tomorrow is my last full day in Toronto.

Good night!