Home safe

We arrived home last night, and were thrilled to be met at the aiport by Marion, Stephan and Tyler. We had a lovely visit with them, Nicole, Morgan and Lucas (who appears to have grown a foot since we left).

Our luggage has yet to arrive in Vancouver, but we remain ever hopeful.

More photos and last updates to come...

Safe, sound, and many tales to tell...

Hello again. This is Emily writing from the bustling city of Barcelona. We arrived just this afternoon, and finally have access to internet again. Our last 5 days in Granada were largely spent out of Granada...we spent day one at the breath-taking Alhambra (add to your must-see-in-your-lifetime) lists. After that we spent the next three days driving through the gorgeous (and rural...hence no internet access) country side. It was lovely. I need a nap now, but we will be sure to update again soon and add some photos.

hugs and love,
Em

Peace in the Middle East

Hello dear friends and family. I (Emily) am finally able to be the one updating the blog as my dear husband sleeps...We are in hot and sunny Andalucia, having arrived by the high speed AVE train from Sevilla to Cordoba this morning. The train was very comfortable and only 42 min. We are here in Cordoba during the Feia de los Patios...the May Patio Festival. A time when the normally private inner courtyards of the homes and businesses around Cordoba open to the public for viewing while the flowers are in full bloom. We will start our walking tour of the patios around the city after the siesta, though we have already had a long visit to the Mezquita (cathedral), the main attraction in Cordoba.

After visiting the Mezquita and other sites in Sevilla, it is with a clearer picture of the history of the relationship between Muslims and Christians that I now contextualize the current ¨Peace in the Middle East¨. We are staying in the Jewish quarter of Cordoba, in a Catholic country, once rulled by the Moors. The Mezquita is a wonderful, huge mosque with shimmering golden mosaics and rows and rows of red-and-white striped arches disappearing off into infinity, it is clearly one of the great creations of Islamic architecture, founded in 785 on the site of a Visigothic curch that had been partitioned between Muslims and Christians. What is so remarkable, is that in the middle of this historical Mosque, they plunked a 16th century cathedral and the surrounding parts have tons of smaller Capillas. It is such an odd mixture of the two religions, but together they make a most remarkable and historically notable building.

In Sevilla, I visited the Alcathar, another Moorish/Spanish fortress of great strength and beauty. Here too there have been controversies over the history, and a melding of history and architecture. Located next to the gigantic and austentatious Cathedral in downtown Sevilla, this intriuging and beautiful complex is intimately associated with the lives and loves of several later rulers, above all, the extraordinary Pedro I of Castille (1350-69) who was knows as either Pedro El Cruel, or Pedro El Justiciero. Originally founded as a fort for the Cordoban governors of Seville in 913, the Alcazar has been expanded or reconstructed many times in its 11 centuries of existence. There are walls, gorgiously decorated, that have a section above reciting the powers of Allah, and directly below, exhalting a Spanish King. Such beautiful combinations of complex contraditions abound...as do controversies about history. It seems every time they do an excavation, they discover that a building thought to be founded by the Christians was founded by the Moors or vice versa. (Glad I don´t have to sit in those board room meetings). Here it is clear that the locals and goverment officials refer to the Mezquita as ¨the Cathedral¨, while our guide books refer to it as the ¨Mezquita¨.

I guess the question is, with these centuries of conflict, would we ever expect to find peace in the middle east?

On a brighter note, Michael and I continue to have a lovely time. Our last hostel was not fancy, but it was central, and relatively clean. Much the same can be said for the current one...though the bed is much more comfortable! We have 2 nights here before heading off to Granada, to see the ultimate in Moorish splendor: the Alhambra. We look forward to checking out the patios this afternoon and tomorrow...though our tired feet need a rest as well. I can not believe how much walking we do every day. I just keep saying ¨My butt is getting smaller. I am earning that Sangria and Tapas¨.

On a more personal note, (sappiness coming...be warned) I am so in love with my husband. I really lucked out finding and keeping Michael. He has been a rock of fun and spontenaity and sanity helping me to balance my ·slight· tendency towards planning and controlling everything-something that is NOT possible when travelling in Portugal and Spain. Michael is so supportive and fun, and ACCOMODATING. He is also emencely capable, and quite an insightful blogger as I now see ...though I beg to differ with some of the ·ms hung over cranky pants· comments. I am a very very lucky woman.

Hugs and love to you all...I miss you (and big hugs for Andy too...give him an extra treat from his mum will ya?)
Emily

Hangovers are bad...

Well, yesterday did not go quite as planned I'm afraid. Silves turned out to be a dissapointment as the major sites were being renovated, I did manage to buy Emily a great pair of shoes at an outdoor market which she seems fond of. We ended up leaving Silves early and drove back along the coast to Lagos for a sailboat tour of the beaches and sandstones grottos that define the area. Definatly a must see! The fisherman here have named all the curious rock formations so we got to see the livingroom, the elephant and even the toilet (Shaped like, not used as one) up close and personal.

We had dinner planned at the Solar de Mas where we are staying, and it was easily the best meal we have had in portugal. Momma cooked for us a traditional meal of Cataplana which is a sort of Fish stew made with fresh clams, prawns, monk fish, potatoes, onions, peppers and love all in one big pot. The staff here truly are amazing, so much fun to be around!

We've made some friends here, and last night was highlighted by great food and drink with new friends, with many a toast which goes to explain the subject of this post. Hangovers are indeed, bad.
Now, head in hand, we are off to Seville via Faro and Spain. I look forward to seeing the differences between Portugal and Spain and Seville promises to be an outstanding good time... however we are both sad to leave this place, it's people and most specifically Solar de Mos.

Thanks for reading!
-Michael

Great planning vs. Alarm clocks.

Alarm clocks win every time. We are off, very late and amidst the general teasing of the staff and fellow tourists here.
Last day with the car, and I have a good feeling about Silves (The town we are headed to right now) everyone says it is fantastic. Sadly, because of our delayed waking we are missing out on a boat tour of the grottos here... but we got some much needed sleep so it's all good.

Gotta run!

-Michael

Ahh Lagos... and the reason I'm here.

So we have arrived in this little party town and I have nothing but good things to say about the place we are staying at, Solar De Mos.. absolutely fantastic. The staff here are warm and helpfull with the perfect dose of cheek. They make fun of us tourists while taking fantastic care of us. The entire staff appears to be related, which adds that extra flair. It's funny to watch the bartenders fight about which is the better Port.

Time is still passing very quickly for us, our days are packed with spectacular adventures. We are making full use of the car we have rented, and have explored in full both coasts of portugal as well as forays into the interior. Standard site seeing has taken place, and Emily and I are getting along famously. Some of the standout spots we have visited are the grottos along the coast here that unfold in shocking reds and oranges into a aquamarine ocean breaking against the rocks. I also can't say enough about the driving here... lush rolling hills with tiny towns tucked away that are all friendly and rustic. Ancient monastaries hidden in hills that take some intrepid travel to find, but are always worth the effort. This is a land with such a rich history, and if you look hard enough you can find it everywhere. We could not have picked a better spot to visit, and I could not have picked a better person to be here with...

*** Warning, Sappy! Guard your eyes! ***

I love my wife. Emily has been fantastic... and as beautiful as it is here, she outshines it all. She is a joy to travel with, always up for an adventure and as giving as we all know her to be. I find myself sneaking glances at the passenger seat more than I do out the windows of the car. As breathtaking as Portugal is, she is the one that truly takes my breath away. I'm here on my honeymoon with the best woman I have ever met, and I was lucky enough to trick her into marrying a normal, boring guy like me. Portugal and the beauty here has brought a light into her eyes that no camera can capture, and I am not ashamed to say that I am glad to have her all to myself here. I love her, with all my heart. We are all lucky to be her friend, but I alone get to be her husband, here on our honeymoon, and that thought alone makes me happier than all the beauty in Portugal.

-Michael

Lagos (Thanks Keith!)

We have arrived, with no small amount of adventure no less, in Lagos. I can say at this point that the coastal drive down from Lisbon to Lagos should be featured in every tour guide (Even those not about Portugal). The drive is one of unending beauty, calm lush greens and shocking ocean blues - We have pictures, if you are nice... we will share them.

Yesterday I promised to talk more about what we did in Lisbon, so here is the rundown of a whirlwind 3 day tour.

Yummy Food:
When a pastry shop has been open since 1873, and you are in the neighbourhood... you go to that pastry shop. The recipe for the 'Belem' style tarts is a well guarded secret, and only the four owners of the shop know it. To be clear, I am saying that we ate a pastry that has been a secret recipe since 1873. How cool is that?!

Old Stones:
Naturally we visited a few of the old cathedrals, castles and monastaries sprinkled around Lisbon. In addition to that, and quite possibly the standout is a location we scouted out during a daytrip to the small town of Sintra a 20 minute train ride from Lisbon. I could write a novel of it's glory or you can wait to see the pictures... again, if you're nice.

Street Parties:
The Lisbonites must scoff at the Mardi Gra, that shit happens every night here! We generally spend the day being tourists then nap from around 7pm-10pm so that we are well rested enough to drink ourselves silly while eating glorious food. However, once night stands out in particular and that is the wonderfull evening we spent at the Bairro Alto. This is a subsect of 10 some odd blocks, that consist of bars, bars, bars, jazz clubs, fado clubs, bars, t-shirt shops (I bought one!), bars, book stores and more bars. Here's the catch, the bars don't actually have any room indoors so the entire 10 blocks is outside. Drinking, eating, dancing and laughing. If you are ever in Lisbon and in search of the proverbial 'good time', this area has you covered. Convieniently, it never actually closes however the hopping good time is from 11:00pm to 6:00am or so.
(Michael's Tip: If you are travelling with Emily, make her drink water before sleeping or she will wake up with crankypants hangovers.)

Emily will have more to say I'm sure, she's currently in the bar enjoying a beer while I slave away at the computer. Thanks very much to Keith for booking our stay in Lagos for us... and paying for it! He's such a sweetheart. There is a good chance that the floral arrangement in the suite we have will be remembered by Emily and I for a good while.... largely because it was a bed of rose petals shaped like a heart. Sadly the lovely setup didn't survive our honeymooning :o

-Michael

P.S. Hi Mom! Pretend you didn't read that last bit!

Whirlwind tour

Hello All, I have to be quick because we're being booted out of this netcafe soon. However I want to let you all know that we are leaving Lisbon tomorrow for a nice long drive down the coast to the town of Lagos in the Algarve.

Once we arrive and get sorted, I will update with details on what we have been doing in the past few days which will include:

Pastries in Belem.
The tomb of Vasco de Gama (He found the trade route to india that kept Portugal wealthy for nearly a century).
Amazing monastaries and castles.
Museums!
The gardens in Sintra.
Mad street parties in Bairro Alto.
The best Tapas restaurant in all of Lisbon (Run by brazillians)
Renting cars and 'driving' in portugal, an instructional essay.
Coastal amazement on our drive to Lagos.

See you tomorrow! (ish, don't hold us too it - we may be too busy honeymooning)

Fado and Portugal,

My darling wife and I, having had a bit of a nap and the delight of awakening to the Lisbon evening went on a search for traditional Fado music. Lisbon is the birthplace of Fado, and to come here and not experience it is a mistake that will leave you poorer for it. Refreshed and mildly cranky, we trucked out to find a Taxi in the cobblestone square once used to welcome traders from all over the world. Determined, we made the tourist mistake of saying we did not want a tourist experience and wished to enjoy a traditional Fado performance. Naturally, our driver took us immediatly to the place that all the tourists who say that go. We sat down at first, amidst what we thought were locals with a sly smile on our faces delighted in our ability to be better than the average tourist.
The arched red brick roof distracted us, as did the food and for me, the beauty of my darling Emily kept me from noticing that we were directly beside a very large table of loud and unsurprisingly obnoxious tour-bus group.
Suitably amused with ourselves we resolved to ignore them while eyeing their wine for any possibility of heisting it from their table.

The lights dim, and we settle back to be lifted away by the beauty of what is described as bluesy folk music. It is terrible. Have you ever listened to music, and wondered why the people around you enjoy it while you do not? This was not like that, even the hosts cowered and grimaced as the man on stage wailed through the lyrics to an old tune. Emily, slightly shocked I'm sure, leaned over at one point and asked 'What do you think Simon Cowell of American Idol would say?'. I laughed and shushed her, in case the drunk and very french tour-bus crowd to our right heard us speaking and started heckling us instead of the singer.

Ahh yes, passable food. Horrible music and a very large crowd of noisy french folk. Steller! More wine please.

Hours pass, and a heavy rotation of singers take place, some passable, most as horrible as the first. Then, magic. The tourbus leave, we are alone. It is dark, and only by squinting through the miasma of smoke can we see a small table of locals eating a very late dinner. The lights dim further, and the same singers we had seen all night play again. There is no audience here anymore, Emily and I have been accepted or forgotten, either way, the music comes alive. They sing in words we cannot hope to understand, but the soul of it is all there before us. There is no noise from the few people listening, we have all set aside our knives an forks and listen with rapt attention as through the swirl of intricate melody and song we hear it. With glistening eyes we see it. With beating hearts we feel it.

Fado is not about the music, not the performance. Fado is about expressing pain in the only way you can. Fado is about working tirelessly for that brief moment when you are allowed to eat with your friends and family as you always have. Fado is about a city long past it's prime, but not so long past that it has forgotten it. Fado is about pride, pain and the bittersweet feel of both. Emily and I sit, amazed. The cab driver did not bring us to the wrong location, he simply didn't warn us that we would have to learn how to understand what we heard. The french tourbus group will never hear Fado, no matter how many stops they make on their tour. The moment they walk in the door, the tradition turns to performance and all the beauty is lost.

When the singing subsides and just the musicians play for us, a lilting and soft tune that brings tears to our eyes.
The staff notices as we applaud, perhaps a little too loudly, and they are back to the performance. We leave, partially because it is late, and partially because we are intruding.

Portugal,
I would be remiss if I didn't say at least something about Lisboa (It's not called Lisbon here, oddly enough) itself. We are in the capital of Portugal here, and as I mentioned earlier it is a city past it's prime. The days of being the only trade route from India are long past, but still evident. Saying that this city has seen better days is not an insult, it wears that mantle with dignity. Preservation of the treasures of the past is important here, as is the tourism of people who are impressed by it. However Lisboa still has the soul of a city built on trade, only now it's knockoffs and soccer jerseys rather than exotic spices and silks. To be here now, admiring the city evokes a kind of melancholy. It is ancient and beautiful, but we are looking into the past here, wishing we could see it as it is meant to be. That is the best way I can describe it. I am touched by this city. I am touched to be here with Emily.

Off on our next adventure, I believe Emily will post next so it will be far less boring and introspective. Love ya all!

-Michael

We are in Europe!!!

Hello all. Happy to report that we are safe and having a wonderful time in Lisbon. We had tremendous luck with our travel. All of our flights departed on time, and we were totally pampered. We had been nervous about a connection in Heathrow where we only had an hour and 20 min, but when we got off the plane, there was a United Airlines Agent there to greet us and take us to our next gate...she passed us through secret halls, and whisked us into priority security screens lineups. It was amazing! I have no idea what we did to deserve the royal treatment.

We arrived to a sunny beautiful day in Lisbon. Our Penseon is right the HEART of the old quarter...our room, while small, is bright, clean and provides all we need. Best of all we look over a lovely Praca (square with statue) and there is a metro station out front. After a much needed shower, we headed out to explore the area. We are amazed at the tiled roads, mosaic tiled buildings, achitecture, and sculptures. This is an amazing city. We stopped for a lovely cappuncino at an outdoor cafe and tried one of their tradional Portuguese tarts.

We have continued exploring, and tonight we plan (after a siesta) to go for dinner at a Fado club to catch some local entertainment.

We discovered that Monday is Labour Day here...and there will be little to do besides watch the demonstration (signs everywhere). We may try to leave a day early for Lagos to enjoy Labour Day on the beach!!

We have some photos, but I am not sure how to upload them...I will try another day!!

Hugs to you. Hope all is well.

Much love,
Emily and Mike

Itinerary

Our itinerary
Depart Vancouver Thursday April 26th.

Lisbon Friday April 27th. Pensao Praca da Figueira. 4 Nights.

Lagos Tuesday May 1st. Solar de Mas. 2 nights.

Seville Friday May 4th. Casa Sol y Luna. 5 nights.

Cordoba Wednesday May 9th. Hostel Lineros 38. 2 nights.

Granada Friday May 11th. Hostel Suecia. 4 nights.

Barcelona Tuesday May 15th. Hostal Goya. 5 nights.

Arrive home to Vancouver Monday May 21st.

Welcome to our honeymoon blog!

Thanks for taking an interest in our honeymoon. We are finally off this Thursday for our long awaited (ok, only 8 months delay) honeymoon to Portugal and Spain. We will be gone for just over 3 weeks. No laptops, no cell phones. With Emily just having finished her PhD (woo hoo!) this will be a trip to really enjoy and celebrate! Neither of us has been to Portugal or Spain, but we both love good wine, tapas, and history. YAY.

So far I (Emily) have managed to get myself down to one carry on and one half-empty checked bag that weighs only 36lbs...a major accomplishment if you knew me. Mike, being his practical and smart self is only taking a carry on (I have a fantasy that it will leave Mike open to carrying my extra bag...a girl can dream...).

I confess that I have packed an extra bag in my suitcase. I will be on the hunt for good shoes and bags. Can someone explain to Mike that a woman can never have too many of either of these?

Well, lots of little details to wrap up here...I will post our itinerary, and we will go to internet cafes to update and upload photos as we go!

A special thanks to Penny, Danica and Lily for taking care of our dog Andy while we are away!