Lisbon

This yankee in La Mancha had the luck to get to go to LISBON for the weekend with 5 other friends from...yep you guessed it! All over the world. There were 2 french girls, one american, and 3 spanish guys. It was an amazing trip. I had been to Lisbon before but this time it was much better because we went by car (5-6 hours) and we had the independence because of the cars to travel around the city when we wanted to. In addition to seeing all the important monuments, I mostly enjoyed sitting in the little cafes and having the typical pastry from there, a Belén, a cream filled little bowl pastry. We had such luck with our hotel. The rooms were small but with spacious beds and tall ceilings...and views of the whole city! At only 17 euro per person per night. We were blessed the first day by good weather, but then later it started raining..but alas, we saw a double rainbow shoot out of the city (looked like it was coming out of a building) and across the sky. SO BEAUTIFUL.
One of the other days we went to Sintra, a small town near Lisbon that is home to two very famous castles. One is from the 18th century and is very colorful (see pictures). The other is from the 12th century and looks like the wall of China made out of all stones and rocks. Both on top of a mountain from which you can see the entire Portuguese countryside and the Atlantic ocean. We visited both these castles, then drove to a Cape to see some beautiful coastline called Cabo da Roca. Well, we got lost but we ended up at the most goooooooorgeous beach I have ever seen in my life. I think it was actually the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. As the sun went down over the beach, the waves in the Atlantic were HUGE, and they were crashing against the rocks and foaming onto the sand. As the sun got lower and lower, it peeked through the clouds and you could see the rays poking out as though they were trying to break free from behind the cloud. Absolutely breathtaking.

Lisbon, in its city center, is very historical and veeeery hilly. Its windy little streets are full of intrigue and details that remind you how special a place it really is. You also see many more cultures there than in Spain. My Spanish friends think that there were many people from South America (many from Brazil) and Africa. Although Portugal is a small country in the shadow of Spain, it is a gorgeous place worth visiting. The people we encountered were also very kind and willing to help. It was a trip full of making mistakes and getting lost, but in the end we always saw something more beautiful than if we had not gotten lost. The pictures speak for themselves..it was incredible. :) I am so thankful to have the opportunity to see and experience so many different cultures and have so many new experiences. Sometimes I take a step back from my life here, and just think..."This can't be real."
But it is! I'm living it to the maximum, and getting to know as many corners of the world as I can. La vitta è una celebraccione! (thats italian i'm learning)
HOPE EVERYONE IS SAFE WITH THE SNOW IN MISSOURI!