Chasing the Sunset
Greetings from Sunny Portugal!
Today after a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit Kelsie and I opened the curtains to look outside. To my horror I saw something frighteningly evil in the sky. I had no idea what it was. It was grayish and blocked the sun. That's when my common sense clicked in and reminded me of a very common thing in weather land: CLOUDS. You see, we haven't really seen them much in the last few days. On Wednesday there was a ridiculous fog that was so thick we couldn't see the buildings beside us (okay, a slight exaggeration)but Thursday and Friday there wasn't a cloud in the sky at all. Like, at all. And that is NOT an exaggeration. The sun here is so strong. Anybody who knows me is aware of my ocd when it comes to sunscreen. I love the stuff. I burn really quickly in Canada, but here, I put on my Banana Boat SPF 48 and 25 minutes into the sunshine my arms are pink. No kidding! But I'm a smart girl and carry it with me all the time (yes, my arms, but also the sunscreen) and I wear my hat. Otherwise I'd look like all the other cooked lobsters on the beach (or, the British). Some people here are so tanned they have a purple tint to them. Its a very strange thing to see.
I should write about our first adventure in Portugal. It happened on the very first night we arrived. We hailed a taxi at the airport and told him where we wanted him to take us. He happily obliged, and continued to speed down the expressway. PAENTAL ADVISORY WARNING:Mom - if you're reading this, please stop now.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, anyway, we're driving down the highway and I'm noticing how strange it feels to be in a car after months of only train travel and the occasional bus. It feels really fast. I glance at the speedometre and see it hovering at around 130km/hr. Ah, so it isn't just me - we are going really fast. Ah well, I continue to stare out the window at the beautiful scenery (hills, farms....blue sky). It feels like we're going even faster so I check the speed again - 150km/hr. YIKES. I try to console myself by staring at the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, philosophising in my head about speed demons in Canada and their counterparts in Portugal versus safety and thank god for seat belts. I feel Kelsie nudge me and nodd towards the speedometre...its at 200 km/hr now. I laugh nervously out the closed window and think how at least the last thing I see before my imminent death will be a nice sunset. Who could ask for more? It feels to me as though we are chasing the sunset around the earth. Checking again, it is still at 200km/hr.Our cab driver is perceptive and tells us he saw us looking at the speed, and makes up some shlock about how it was just a short speeding spot for some excuse or other. He makes amicable conversation about speed laws and fines in Portugal and then drops us off at the hotel. Alive.
Lesson learned: before visiting new countries, learn the language, or at least the phrase PLEASE SLOW DOWN SO I DON'T DIE.
Today after a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit Kelsie and I opened the curtains to look outside. To my horror I saw something frighteningly evil in the sky. I had no idea what it was. It was grayish and blocked the sun. That's when my common sense clicked in and reminded me of a very common thing in weather land: CLOUDS. You see, we haven't really seen them much in the last few days. On Wednesday there was a ridiculous fog that was so thick we couldn't see the buildings beside us (okay, a slight exaggeration)but Thursday and Friday there wasn't a cloud in the sky at all. Like, at all. And that is NOT an exaggeration. The sun here is so strong. Anybody who knows me is aware of my ocd when it comes to sunscreen. I love the stuff. I burn really quickly in Canada, but here, I put on my Banana Boat SPF 48 and 25 minutes into the sunshine my arms are pink. No kidding! But I'm a smart girl and carry it with me all the time (yes, my arms, but also the sunscreen) and I wear my hat. Otherwise I'd look like all the other cooked lobsters on the beach (or, the British). Some people here are so tanned they have a purple tint to them. Its a very strange thing to see.
I should write about our first adventure in Portugal. It happened on the very first night we arrived. We hailed a taxi at the airport and told him where we wanted him to take us. He happily obliged, and continued to speed down the expressway. PAENTAL ADVISORY WARNING:Mom - if you're reading this, please stop now.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, anyway, we're driving down the highway and I'm noticing how strange it feels to be in a car after months of only train travel and the occasional bus. It feels really fast. I glance at the speedometre and see it hovering at around 130km/hr. Ah, so it isn't just me - we are going really fast. Ah well, I continue to stare out the window at the beautiful scenery (hills, farms....blue sky). It feels like we're going even faster so I check the speed again - 150km/hr. YIKES. I try to console myself by staring at the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, philosophising in my head about speed demons in Canada and their counterparts in Portugal versus safety and thank god for seat belts. I feel Kelsie nudge me and nodd towards the speedometre...its at 200 km/hr now. I laugh nervously out the closed window and think how at least the last thing I see before my imminent death will be a nice sunset. Who could ask for more? It feels to me as though we are chasing the sunset around the earth. Checking again, it is still at 200km/hr.Our cab driver is perceptive and tells us he saw us looking at the speed, and makes up some shlock about how it was just a short speeding spot for some excuse or other. He makes amicable conversation about speed laws and fines in Portugal and then drops us off at the hotel. Alive.
Lesson learned: before visiting new countries, learn the language, or at least the phrase PLEASE SLOW DOWN SO I DON'T DIE.