Portugal Adventures: Getting Back in the Swing of Things

We were quickly reminded how differently the Portuguese culture operates upon our return as we sat at a restaurant for a good 20 minutes before ever being attended to. I don't understand how they can think people would want to wait 20 minutes to even be greeted and handed the menu. I guess I think if you are at a restaurant, you are either hungry or thirsty, so probably want to start with either somewhat soon.

Having Maritha to come back to made it so much better! We spent the weekend as a family getting the house put back together, grocery store runs, and reminiscing on our time at home. Come Monday I was dreading Andy going back to work, but thankfully had a friend to spend the day with. Annabelle seems to enjoy hanging out with Toodles although they cannot speak to one another. She still tries to hold his hand, give him hugs, scream her happy scream, anything to make him play with her. He still isn't fond of her hugging and touching him, but keep telling him he will like it one day :)

Porto Public Transportation - Annabelle and I experienced our first Porto public transportation ride. We needed to get to the supermarket in preparation for the Starr visit and Andy leaves for work so early I couldn't bear to wake Annabelle up, so decided that we would take the bus to the mall and get our groceries. Thankfully Maritha decided to join us and she had done it previously so knew somewhat where we were going. We picked one of the hottest days yet and after standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes in the hot sun, we boarded a jam packed bus with NO air conditioning. I had Annabelle on my lap, sweating and thinking that I was going to pass out and no one would know what to do with me. After almost an hour we made it to the mall, which is a whole 5 miles away and carried on with our day. Not sure we will be doing it again, but glad we experienced it…I guess :)

Fish at the Grocery Store - the smell…the eels…the presence is just…well…barf. Most days I walk down to a small local market about a mile away and the second I enter the doors, the smell of fish starts penetrating the air. I think I'm more sensitive to it, but try to get in and out…quickly. Some days they have some very interesting looking fish that I have no clue what they are or how you would even begin to cook it to eat it? Guess people like it.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, the exposure on the beach is getting higher. As in, very little to no coverings. Girls, women and even older women all wear these bottoms that are basically just strings that go up their bottoms, but not like a normal thong. Doesn't matter how small, large, fit, squishy, you wear them…and let it all hang out. There have not been as many topless women on the beaches, although with the cruise ships coming in almost daily, there is more of a variety of nationalities here and have started to see more bronzing topless beauties. Annabelle and I were playing on the beach the other day when this women came up in her workout clothes, sat down next to us and proceeded to take off her top, full show, then wrap this towel around her and hit the beach. I couldn't help myself and was snapping away. I'll spare you from the other photos I've taken along the way.

Waiting at the bus stop. Annabelle loves planes, trains and automobiles, so it was a great time for her riding the buses!