Sojourner's Sojourns
Natural Beauty + Sojourns + Wellness
At the tip of Sintra's forested mountain range you'll find Cabo da Roca, Europe's Westernmost point.
Here the land melts into the sea. Hints of turquoise fade to jade, before blending in smoky wisps of white into the infinite sky.
The air, crisp like lemons. Eucalyptus trees and Maritime pines fill the landscape.
This is one of the worlds many perfect settings.
One of the things I absolutely adore about travel is the likely hood that you'll run into something wonderful and unexpected. Such was the case, when we accidentally found ourselves smack dab in the middle of the Festival of the Iberian Masks.
The what?
The Festival of the Iberian Masks is relatively new, less than ten years old and is a joyous celebration of Portuguese culture.
Loud, bawdy and fun, it feels like a carnival of sorts. Participants dress in elaborate and colorful costumes and masks as they march, gyrate and holler in celebration of their shared story.
There were masks that resembled bull heads, there were masquerade style masks, and priest costumes. The masks and costumed dress served to preserve an individuals anonymity as they are allowed the freedom of expression. People used this to their full advantage as some marchers veered off the parade course interacting with spectators. One man, with a bull-horn mask, went so far as to head butt unsuspecting observers. It was all in good fun as he was met with shrieks of excitement and chuckles.
Even Ohm, who is afraid of clowns and big bird, laughed and clapped to the music and at the masks.
The parade marched down Terreiro do Paço, up Rua do Ouro (where we happened upon it), and into Praça do Rossio (one of Lisbon's main downtown squares).
What sorts of discoveries have you happened upon on your travels?
In a city bursting with restaurants, bakeries and cafes, the worst part about eating in Lisbon was deciding where and what to eat. I had a horrible cold the entire time I was there (of course) which made tasting and smelling almost impossible. My senses were restored my last two days and I did as much snacking and eating as humanly possible to make up for everything. Here are some of the great things we sampled.
Lisbon is welcoming us with twinkling eyes. We've hit somewhat of a winning streak, particularly when it comes to this unseasonably warm and sunny weather. In a city that is gray and sodden a typical 138 days out of the year (June-August are supposed to be lovely), Lisbon, with its perfect Mediterranean summer weather is a city of extremes.
For us, Lisbon is revealing nothing of her dark dreary side. Clean, beautiful, ornate and charming, this city of surprises can add gritty and edgy to its virtues.
I'm awed by the graffiti street art that sprinkles many of Lisbon's old historic buildings. The city at times reminds me of an elegant older lady, sophisticated and dressed to the nines with both arms full of shocking colorful tattoos.
Take a look...
What do you think, art or sabotage?
I recently stumbled across these photos from my first trip to England- my first trip outside of North America.
It was the summer of 2002, I had just finished my graduate work at NYU and had six weeks to kill before I was set to begin my first job. My friend Robin was in London studying at the University of Westminster and invited me to stay with her during my six weeks of freedom.
I jumped at the opportunity. I had always liked the idea of travel. I had always wanted to see the world. I just hadn't gotten around to it between my conservatory style undergrad training that bled directly into fast paced and all-consuming grad school. There seemed to be a million distractions and traveling was simply a dream deferred.
Then I took the leap.
Something happened to me during those six weeks in London. The once deferred dream, was a dream realized and the dream was turning into somewhat of an obsession.
I tasted every new thing I could. I drank pints even though I wasn't a beer drinker, just because that was what was done. I visited the countryside, stared, mouth agape at the crowned jewels and the latest exhibits at the Tate. I went shopping at Harrods, Top Shop and Hadleys. I drank tea and indulged in scones and crumpets with clotted cream. I stood at the gates of Buckingham and Kensington Palace. I walked the banks of the River Thames and marveled at Westminster Abby and the Tower Bridge. I cheered at football matches, rode double-decker buses, splashed through puddles, and gave silver pounds to the street performers at Piccadilly Circus. I ate curry and shepherds pies, I tried marmalade and digestive biscuits. I sat in pubs, cafes and gardens and wrote for hours.
It was the summer I contracted the travel bug. The summer I stepped outside and into myself. It was perfect and it was imperfect.
It was the summer I got lost trying to navigate my way from central London to the outer zone of Dulwich (long before google maps had been invented to save us from ourselves). It was the summer my credit card was stolen at a pub while I sat working on a story enjoying some fish and chips. It was the summer I saw how Americans were sometimes perceived negatively abroad. It was the summer I saw the frustrations of many of England's immigrants living and striving to achieve the "English Dream" (if you will) in Outer London.
It was the summer of a powerful awakening.
Though the photos are somewhat blurry as they were taken on a fun-saver camera, long before my DSLR would become the standard and though many of the photos are missing, I still feel the hope and optimism of that summer.
Throughout my last decade of international travel, I haven't spent much time in Europe (barring brief trips to Paris and Amsterdam).
As I pack my bags, I'm excited to return, if only for a little while, to England before I move on to explore Portugal. It has been a little over a decade. So much has happened. There is so much more yet to come!
Do you have a favorite European destination?
