Saturday my roommate Gina and I were taken on a tour of Sintra, Portugal! The Portuguese teacher along with his wife and daughter took us out for lunch - traditional chicken, salad, and french fries. The chicken was delicious and it was fun to experience some of the Portuguese culture. After lunch Danilo, Ava, and Sara took us through the center of Sintra. Sara is one of the students in my 8th grade class. There are a few pictures of from the town center. Lots of little shops were off the streets that twisted and turned around corners.
We got to walk through a fancy hotel that's part of the Tivoli chain. It was fun to see the ornate decorations and furniture. The walls were painted with different scenes and in some rooms the paintings went up onto the ceiling. There was a double staircase that reminded us all of a fairytale.
Our afternoon finished off with a drive over the mountains to the coast. Some of the roads were so narrow (they'd only pass for a one way road back home), but oncoming traffic would come barreling past us. Most Portuguese drivers are excellent at maneuvering in tight spots! The countryside was beautiful and fun to get some of the history from our tour guides. Two of the beaches were stopped at are considered some of the best for surfers. It was fun to see some surfers in the water catching waves in. At the last beach we drove by I saw some paragliders! That brought back fun memories of my paragliding experience in the Alps. It was fun to see more of Portugal and also get to know Danilo, Ava, and Sara better. Danilo and his wife don't speak much English so Sara was our translator and did a great job.
The sun shining on the water was beautiful and I snapped a few pictures along the road on our drive back.
Saturday night I got to babysit for Robb and Anna - the couple who teaches in the high school. They have 3 kids. The girls were so excited to have me come and didn't wan to go to bed. We were in the middle of a game so I let them stay up a few minutes later than their bedtime. It was fun to play with them and give their parents a chance to go out.
After church today the Pastor and his wife had lunch for some of us. It was a delicious traditional Portuguese dish with fish, potatoes, onions, and hard boiled eggs served over rice. I enjoyed the lunch and the fellowship too. It's been a busy weekend, but I've enjoyed having a chance to get out and see some more of this area and get to know people better.
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