Swanning

Soph has been over for a couple of weeks. We headed off to swan around europe for a week or so. We started in Portugal with a couple of days in Lisbon and Sintra, and then hired a car to explore. We learnt a few things: in Portugal, lift the lid before pouring tea (a lot of tea was spilt learning that one), and serviettes are to prevent you from getting greasy.

Elevador de Santa Justa... and Soph climbing down from the top platform...

Soph in the 9 tiered initiation well at Quinta de Regaleira, a very intricately designed and decorated villa in Sintra, with an even more intricately designed garden complete with amazing subterranean world.

Kat at the Moorish castle at Sintra, after a very steep 2 km climb up the mountain.

Like many old area, Evora had a problem with cemeteries getting too full, so they decided to exhume everyone and use the bones to make a chapel. Creepy or clever? You decide. The church it was attached to also facinated Soph because it was a lovely old stone cathedral, where they had rendered the flat walls outside and painted the stone work back on. The original stone work was still visible in the windows and gargoyles etc.

the beach. it has been a year, a long cold and wet year.

We followed that up with a couple of days in Madrid, where we got upgraded to 5 star! We were there for the two festivals of the 1^st May and 2^nd May, so no shopping but plenty of parades, free concerts, and partying people, although they may be there all the time.

A funky tapas bar

Everything is not ok on the subway...

And finally a few days in Paris for shopping and for Soph to catch up with friends. I had never seen Paris in the summer. It was fabulous, if somewhat crowded with tourists. We had a picnic in one of the parks – one where you can sit on the grass, and dogs aren’t allowed. I think we were easy to spot as foreigners, as we headed for a shadier spot facing the park, rather than stretching out in our bikinis in full sun and facing the sun like the locals.

Monet on display at the Musee de l'Orangerie

I put more photos on facebook and here.