Portugal on the way home!!

The weeks have once again run away from me since my last blog post (as usual) and I am now back on my wonderful home ground – Australia! Traveling is just wonderful. Discovering new cultures, new languages and new cuisines is even more of an eye opener and just pure magic. But after traveling for 2 years one does get dreadfully homesick and totally tired of living out of suitcases! One just wishes to sleep in one’s own bed and be surrounded by one’s own “stuff!” Share a meal with a long term friend and just hang out with the faces that have become very special over a lifetime.
In saying all that, I still am not in my own home. My dear friend Michelle ‘evicted’ a student to offer her old buddy a bed to sleep in. Bless her heart and generosity. We share her apartment with much laughter, compatibility and it all just flows along happily. The endless task of booking flights seems to follow me. This time a bit more complex as my flights had to tie in with my daughters plans and Michelle’s, who is coming to visit again in the Caribbean. Four of us plan to meet in NYC for a week on the way down south, it should be just awesome and we all look forward to a “girly” week in the Big Apple. Bring it on I say!

I haven’t told you about our road trip back from southern Spain. After some wonderful day adventures, we decided to drive west and return to Brittany by a different route, this time by passing Madrid. As you know from the previous post, we spent 3 days in classical Seville and then keeping heading west into Portugal; basically entering at the very south and driving up the guts of this country and out the top back into northern Spain and into France. Bordeaux was both on our “bucket lists”, so we allowed for a few days to meander amongst the amazing chateaus and endless wine yards. I am SO glad we did because Bordeaux was sensational………but that is another story!

On the whole I was disappointed in Portugal. To be honest we didn’t spend a whole lot of time there but had a good look around the southern part which is supposed to be a tourist mecca. I found those southern coastline towns of Portugal rather shabby looking; buildings looked tired and uncared for. There seemed to be a lot of rubbish lying around on street edges and for me, we couldn’t move north faster!! I believe Lisbon is very historical and lovely but we by passed it. The bridge into Lisbon from the south was awesome and very spectacular. I know it sounds crazy but after 3 months of constant traveling and sightseeing in Spain and Morocco, we were OVER IT. I think both Philly and I just wanted to go home! I guess to be fair, I didn’t really give Portugal a good chance, but there is always another time!

We headed to the coast north of Lisbon and THAT area was stunning! Quaint towns nestled along simply gorgeous bays and coves. The days in this area were warm with cornflower blue skies and one particular afternoon was spent eating lunch at an Italian restaurant outside and across from the beach……..the freshest of fish from local waters and excellent Portuguese wine. The waiter bought us mini platters of ‘extras’, ending the meal with a stunning desert each. Both our budgets were very tight but occasionally you just have to treat yourself to something special; this was one of those occasions.

After exiting Portugal and northern Spain we crossed The Pyrenees and finally entered France again. I felt a comforting familiarity being back here and soon our eyes feasted on a plethora of chateaus and endless vineyards. Stunning beyond words we drove by one château after another. Many were closed in this “off” season which was a bit of a relief as we would have ended up being in this area for months otherwise!!
Our late night arrival in Brittany marked the end of a long fascinating journey. I felt so at home in Morocco and enjoyed the totally different Spanish culture but it was good to be back. We settled back into Philly’s home in front of her big fireplace and planned the last few days. I had boxes to send back to Australia (thank you so much Michelle for being my personal post lady!) and soon it was time to say good-bye. Philly headed back to the UK and I flew to Munich where I spent time with my parents before heading (ever so slowly) back to Australia. My Becky was in Bali completing an extended qualification on her already well-studied “500 hour yoga instructors”, so I flew there to spend 10 days with her and then together we were to fly to Singapore which was now their new home for the time being.

People tell me how interesting our lives must be; all that travel. It is, it’s incredible but you do get to a point where enough is enough. By the end of the journey I felt I could not stomach another palace, another church or village. I look forward to settling into my home again and sleeping in MY bed surrounded by MY stuff and my special friends. I miss the camaraderie and familiarity of home.

But as life and commitments continue, I am only here for 3 months before I head back to Europe and the Caribbean again…..ain’t life grand!!