Life seems to be moving at too fast of a pace for me to really write in much detail anymore. The last two weeks have just gone by so quick, but (cliché cliché) it also feels like an eternity ago that my parents landed in Madrid. That is pretty much where I left off, having yet to post anything about the amazing vacation we had in Portugal and Spain. I don't even know where to begin. The OCD in me wants to make a post for every adventure we had, from arriving in Lisbon, touring Sintra, driving south to the Algarve...I want to describe every meal, tour, hotel, apartment, landmark, people, morning, afternoon, evening, and night! And thats only for Lisbon. Then I have to describe our drive south the the Algarve, the experience there, and then the next week in Madrid, where I got to play host and show my family everywhere I have been, and even explore some new places. Our Italian friends, Roberto and Luisa, who my parents met over 30 years ago in London even came for a quick jaunt to be with us in Madrid!
Each place, car ride, bus ride, tour, conversation, meal, and just being together with my family holds so many fun memories. I just looked through the pictures we took and am overwhelmed at how much I want to say, how much I want to tell them that I had a great time and miss them all ready, and how I want to not only write in this blog to attempt to relive every moment for myself, but also to let all of you know every detail that we did since this of you who have been following seem to enjoy what I have to say! And I thank you for it! :)
Unfortunately, I don't have an extra two weeks to spare for just blogging, so I am thinking of what I can do to sum everything up. In one way, I can just put up all the picture, but I don't even know which pictures to put up and I can't put them up without a caption or description. Part me thinks I should just skip those 2 weeks and keep the memories and pictures and write a blog in my head about it, but again, the OCD in me will not let me break from posting about my experiences here, so I am still trying to think of someway somehow to share a jam packed 2 weeks into one blog post. OY!
A list of pictures might just be the only way to do it...
First mom and dad came to Madrid for the weekend...I took them on a little tour and showed them a few places. It was quickly and easily established that Robin Berrin is not a fan of Spanish cuisine...although he does like the wine!
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| Dad with his favorite literary characters: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza |
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| Perdiz (partridge) and bean stew! Tapas with mom and Dad |
Then Stan arrived and we all went to Portugal! First we were in Lisbon. Lisbon: weird language, dilapidated buildings, nice people.
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| First meal in Portugal: Bacalou rice stew |
One day we took a day trip to Sintra. A beautiful oasis/paradise (so green and lush!) just a short train ride from Lisbon.
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| Pena Palaca courtyard |
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| Pena Palace |
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| Muralla |
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| Pena Palace in the background |
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| Rich man's house with pretty gardens |
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| the pretty gardens... |
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| No caption necessary |
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| Another meal of bacalou in Lisbon...We ate a lot of fish! |
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| The most beautiful way to see Lisbon....with an aerial view |
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| Hipster twins! |
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| one of the cooler graffitis in Lisbon....most was just gross tagging on what used to be very beautiful buildings |
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| apertivo |
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| toasting with port and green wine |
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| Portuguese Easter bun |
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| the building across from our apartment...delapidated was the word of the week |
After a few days in Lisbon we rented a car and headed south to the Algarve! The land of British tourists! Imagine Miami spring break in the states...but with Brits in Portugal
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| Driving to the Algarve! |
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| hotel breakfast buffet...the reason my clothes don't fit anymore. The 2 weeks were FILLED with eating! Doing what we Leitner-Berrins do best... |
One day we left our little beach town, Albufeira, in the center of the Algarve and headed to the most western point in the south. We drove through little towns and beaches, taking a country roads and just meandering our way along the coast.
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| First little beach town, Carvoeiro |
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| We got to watch the locals push that boat from the top of the beach into the water. Quite creative, they used the bumpers to roll it down the sand. Didn't look like it would be quite to easy rolling it up again... |
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| Transportation vehicle...managed to get us safely from point A to B, and then to C, D, E, F, and G. |
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| Lunch! Bacalou Stew! |
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| Where we stopped for lunch! Fortaleza de Luz (in Luz), an old fortress turned into a restaurant. Great view of the beach, and great food! |
We eventually made it to point Sagres, where Henry the navigator had his sailing school...maybe.
Our hotel was right near this cute little beach. Although it wasn't quite beach weather, we managed to enjoy some of the sand and sun, when it came out.
Dinner at Johnny Hooper's restaurant...with a saxophone perofrmance!
One night, Stan and I went out on "the strip," Albufeira's bar street. We saw lots of Hen Parties, and invented a new kind of dance, "The Chicken Piri-Piri"
Piri-Piri sauce...inspiration for the Piri-Piri dance.
Back to Madrid and did the typical Madrid Sunday. Woke up late, went to a "sitio real," Aranjuez, one of the many palaces in the outskirts of Madrid, ate lunch, took a tour, walked around the gardens, had coffee, and headed home.
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| lunch: Perdiz salad! |
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| Aranjuez |
One night in Spain I took my family to Templo de Debod to watch the sunset and botellon/picnic on the grass.
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| botellon provisions: wine, cheese, bread, grapes, olives |
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| sunset over Casa del Campo |
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| Templo de Debod |
Another night we met up with Pilar and Sergey for drinks and tapas!
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| Real brother and host brother |
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| Real mom and host mom |
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| Dad |
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| Mom and Luisa |
Then our friends from Italy, who we haven't seen in 10 years (since the first time I met them!) came to meet us in Madrid. Mom and Dad met them while they were on their year euro-trip in the 70's. The last time we had seen each other was when we were in England 10 years ago!
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| Dad and Roberto |
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| Drinks and Tapas in Mercado de San Miguel |
We went to the Palacio del Pardo and had a yummy lunch in a super legit little restaurant/bar with hunting food!
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| Stan loved Jamon flavored ruffles...not surprised |
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| Saying good bye to Roberto and Luisa with a promise to see them before the decade is over |
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| Solitary Europeans |
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| Matza Pizza |
One night Stan and I met up with Kate, Stan's from from Pitzer. She took us to a really great Austurian Sidreria
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| This is how you pour the cider... |
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| I'm still working on my distance, but my aim wasn't too bad |
On Saturday, mom and Stan left, so Dad and I had a day to ourselves!
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| We went to the Thyssen to see the Chagall exhibit |
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| And had a deliciously warm bowl of Udon! |
Saturday night I finally came home to celebrate Sergey's birthday! It was a nice distraction from saying good bye to mom, dad, and Stan. It was great to get to know the family, and Pilar put out a really nice spread of yummy sandwiches and made an interesting (and delicious) carrot and coconut cake (not carrot cake, but a cake with pureed carrots!). I met the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! Sergey was a goof the whole night, acting like a typical new 14 year old! And he liked the gift I got him...an assortment of what I assume to be teenage boy DVDs!
Still recovering from these last 2 and a half weeks. But I don't have much time before I head off to the outskirts of Frankfurt with mom this coming weekend to hike around the Rhine River!
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