Canadian Morning and Final Portugal Adventures

We are safely ensconced on Canadian soil once again!  Our voyage from Lisbon to Canada was pretty uneventful, unless you count the absolutely chaotic customs process at Pearson Airport……..good God!!  What a dog’s breakfast.

Our final few days in Portugal were wonderful.  We enjoyed our routine very much and both felt somewhat hypnotized with the pace.  A change of plans for our last 24 hours threw a monkey wrench our way but with most things, the solution turned into a wonderful adventure and now, memory.

Konrad, our “landlord” had, for the first time in over 20 something years, double booked our apartment!!!  We found all this out accidentally at 15h00 the day before….you should have seen us move to pack, do laundry, etc..  The end solution, Marc and I would go to Konrad’s house and spend our final night with him and Ewald then head to Lisbon on Saturday morning as planned.  We felt it an imposition,  Konrad and Ewald were adamant and so………that’s what we did.

But before we headed off to Konrad’s we enjoyed a final lunch at Ana and  Simão’s……….with a few other folks.  It felt wonderful to be there amongst friends but sad at the same time.

Gus and Susie joined us forlunch along with Marion and David.

Ana baked panna cotta especially as a final treat for Marc. Happy fella!

Marc and Susie having a tour of his new website.

Marc and Konrad enjoying a walk around the property, which is enormous.

Part of the house…..which is also huge and impossible to capture in a single photo.

Another corner of the house. Tranquil and cool with all the ivy and the foliage.

My love of chimney’s was once again fed!

I think the house has about 9 different chimneys.

A view out from one of the patios.

Through our bedroom window.

Gorgeous roses in bloom in so many nooks and crannies.

This is about the size of a dinner plate.

Another plate sized bloom.

One of Konrad’s six cocks!!!!!!!

Our bedroom

Our bedroom, with three sets of patio doors!!!

A tiny corner of the property.

Konrad and Ewald have a peacock who adopted them several years ago. it started the mating dance when I walked close to his area!!!

The peacock

A lovely corner patio tucked into the trees.

Our gorgeous and tasty salad with dinner.

And so, following a fabulous afternoon and evening of being pampered, Marc and I headed off to Lisbon on the Saturday afternoon train.  We had organized ourselves with a great apartment and reservations at a favourite restaurant and the evening unfolded exactly as we had hoped.

It’s interesting how we go into our “zone” when we travel and how we move (mentally) from one place to another.  And so, this morning we find ourselves waking in Ontario, a bright sunny beautiful day.  Tomorrow we head back to Ottawa and our “official” return to home.  We have another suitcase full of wonderful Portugal memories to look back on and enjoy as we settle into life at home and our return tickets to Portugal for our next visit in our back pocket.  Our grand and adventurous life continues on both sides of the ocean.  What lucky men we are.