Birthday Bash at Carillo Beach

On July 19, we celebrated Andrew and Austin's 15 and 13th birthdays respectively on Carillo beach. Austin shares his day with Captain Rob so there were dual parties making for a large party. The boys enjoyed their day; playing badminton, boce ball (see the boys with Larry G and George S) and visiting. Everybody brought something to eat and drink and of course we had cake; lots of cake! Captain Rob's cake was especially festive displaying his sport fishing occupation. John, Majic and Mark enjoy the festivities too.

Our friends, Majic, Anna and Daniella, from San Jose joined us for the weekend and gave the boys new shirts. The boys display their new shirts in one of the photos.

Canada Day at Carrillo Beach

Here we are with friends, both Canadian and American, celebrating Canada Day. It was a terrific afternoon with no rain until it got dark, which was perfect timing. Everyone brought a nibbly and drinks plus Larry G. brought his boce ball set and large Canadian flag.

John, dressed in Canadian red and white is with our American neighbour, George Stone and next to George is Bill, from Calgary. Joe, wearing the Canadian umbrella hat and his wife Betsy (Canadian kerchief around her neck) are standing with our latest Canadian additions to the community; Colin and Kathy from BC.

Austin is playing boce ball with the guys (Larry G, Shannon and James) on the beach and both boys are posing with Joe and Betsy and Carol (another Canadian).

Most of us Canadians are in the picture with the flag for a group shot.

Happy Canada Day to all!

Boys Go Deep Sea Fishing with Jack

When our friend Jack Lischka, from Alberta, visited us in June, the boys and John went fishing for a day. Here they are on the open seas in all their fishing splendor (and their catches too)!

Lisbon

We spent the last two days in Lisbon but stayed in a hotel just outside in a small suburb called Loures. The hotel property was filled with citrus trees and we ate our fill of oranges and greatly admired the lemons. We dined in a Chinese restaurant both nights before our departure which was a pleasant change.

On Thursday, we drove into Lisbon and I conducted a walking tour of the Monastery of Jeronimos and the Ajuda Palace. In the Monastery are the graves of Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry, the Navigator. The palace was once the royal palace and now houses the Ajuda library. We didn't know how far the palace was but the hike kept us warm and it was down hill all the way back so much easier going.

We had a picnic lunch in the park where we met a Canadian soldier who was backpacking through Europe. Right across was the River Tejo and the Monument to the Discoveries which was designed to commemorate the Age of Discoveries; the central figure is Prince Henry the Navigator, who founded the Sagres School and was the pioneer of the great discoveries made by Portugal.

Although it was a nice day, 20 degrees Celsius with sun, cloud and rain, we just never warmed up and were first in line the next morning to drop off our rental car and get on that plane home.

Antonio Pinto's house

Here are some photos of John's friend, Antonio Pinto's, house where we stayed. Adelie and Chico hosted a BBQ for us and a bunch of their friends. In one of the pictures, you'll see the local padre has stopped in to say hello to us. Another photo shows the wine vines strung up over the driveway. Unfortunately they are looking poorly due to all the rain. They make their own red and white wine and last years wine was just fine so we're in good shape for tasting.

A picture of the beautiful creek shows the rushing water that is just below their house.

North to Amarante

We spent 3 days in Amarante visiting friends and touring the city. The weather here was quite miserable; cold and raining however the city was lit up beautifully at night and our walks through town kept us from freezing. Look at our large group that walked through town one evening to see the lights. Adeli, Chico and their daughter Bia have a large number of friends and on most evenings, after their dinner, walk together for a couple of hours or so. Ambitious bunch.

Hanging out at the Club

Here are some shots of the boys with their friends; us visiting Brian and Sharon, Fred and Mary at their apartment; a view of the large pool from their balcony; and Andrew with staff member, Bruno. It actually looks sunny in a few of these pictures. This will be a fond memory as we move to the cooler north.