13.08.15 Last day we relax and enjoy with some self indulgence. Stroll the tree lined avenues. Eat some breakfast. Do some shopping. Catch the tram and circle around the city. Drink coffee European style and eat a last Portuguese tart. It's a day that we go where-ever we want on a whim, stopping here and there, up and down and around the beautiful sun drenched city of Lisbon. Mid afternoon we find ourselves up high on a hill under cathedral bells overlookin...

11th & 12th August 2015 The days are running in-together now, savouring this totally out-of-the-blue unexpected holiday with Joel. It was only just over a month ago Joel messaged me to join him for a week or so in Spain. And now it's almost over, leaving a whirlwind of happy memories and exhaustion ( holidaying with a fit young man haha) and contentment. It's been a hard few years recently and this I hope, is the symbolic end to that and start of new things...

10.08.15 Another magical day. Each day has been incomparable. And precious. We breakfasted down by the river, Joel getting a peculiar Portuguese dish that is kind of like layers of a spicy sausage and a meat on soft bread, covered by slices of cheese and smothered with spicy sauce surrounded by chips. One look at that (tasted Iike it sounds haha) and I went for mixed toast. Which turns out has ham and cheese on it. We jumped on a "0n Off bus" (no trip to Europ...

09.08.15 The days are piling up behind me with memories of colour, food, wine, parks and ancient stone buildings. Warm sunny days and three dimensional walking, looking up, and around the next corner and through archways and wrought iron fencing. It been laughing with a son I don't get much time with usually, it's so nice to enjoy his company and good humour. My feet are aching with the kilometres we have tracked but despite that Im sure I've put on kilograms....

08.08.15 Wake up with so much excitement - so much to explore in a new city. Breakfast again on the street corner under umbrellas - the typical misting sprinklers providing a lovely coolness in this dry heat. It's Saturday morning and almost every person is walking with their granny trolley (as i would usually be to the kuraby markets) and we follow the locals and explore their food markets. Separate fish, cheese meats olives fruits and vegetable sold by vendor...