I had a blast in Portugal for five days, with the “traveling trio.” By means of introduction (settle in for a paragraph) I’ve been part of a “cooking club” in DC for the past 11 or so years (minus a brief hiatus when I was working full-time while in grad school). CC includes a group of approx 8-10 of us who get together monthly, and the person hosting chooses the theme/menu and sends links to recipes for the various dishes (that’s how it works now but for a long time it was typing out the recipes from cookbooks). Everyone chooses a dish from the list and brings it to to the host’s home, where we do whatever final prep is needed before enjoying the meal. The matriarch of the CC, Becky Brown (she has a great blog called My Utensil Crock) is good at keeping us on-task so we spend a few minutes talking about what we made, how/the recipe worked, what we did to modify the dish, or what ingredients we didn’t have and had to toss in a substitute or maybe just leave it out altogether (usually that’s me). Then we move on to discussions ranging from celebrity gossip to solving the world’s problems. I bring this up because last year i teamed up with two of my CC friends (also not married and adventuresome) to take a trip together to Iceland. We had a fabulous time- I highly recommend Iceland, btw. And we deemed ourselves the “Traveling Trio” and had an interim domestic trip to Chicago before planning an extended Columbus Day weekend trip to Portugal. Then,Teha’s Travels took shape and it worked out perfectly for me to meet Page and Jenny in Portugal in between other adventures. Here we are first reunited (minus my left eye- no selfie stick on this trip):
You should also know that Page is a travel planner extraordinaire, with Jenny a close runner-up. This is excellent for me as I don’t need to do anything in prep for the trips. Page makes (and even prints out) itineraries, that I consistently lose my copy of. Good thing she has back-ups! The best part is that the duo of my trio is also super-fun and very flexible. So even the stuff on the hard copy printed itineraries are subject to change (and often are) based on whatever we feel like doing at any given moment.
We met up in Porto and settled into our home for two nights, “Top Flat,” which was true to it’s name. Porto is a gorgeous city on the water (most predominantly the river) and the Top Flat offered THE most amazing view.
We embarked on a great free walking tour of Porto and learned the history behind the fortress walls, stunning cathedral, and the old train station that is adorned with over 30,000 tiles. 
We enjoyed many of the food and drink offerings from Porto, but got too busy exploring to visit the official port-making establishments along the beautiful river. We did have time to stop and join two local girls jumping in the river on a hot day.
We then ventured on to Lisbon, and started our first full day with an excellent food tour of the city. The food was delectable but the historical info and entertaining nuggets really made it stand-out. 
The tour ended with a ferry boat ride to an island across the river from Lisbon and the three of us explored a bit by walking to the other side, where we found a restaurant whose claim of being waterfront cannot be questioned…to the point we worried about falling in! 
Later that day we lost one third of the Travelling Trio (Page) who had to give into the body aches and chills that had started the day before and gotten worse (she’s a trooper and had suffered silently). Poor Page spent most of the last two days in bed and while Jenny and I kept going, it just wasn’t the same!
That night after dinner we realized the Washington Nats (vs. Cubbies) play-off game was taking place and wondered if we could find an establishment with a cable dish who would put it on. Some googling led us to an Irish bar where we quickly discovered there was no chance of seeing the game. The bar was full of Swiss futbol fans getting amped up for a match the following night against Portugal. 
iNeither Jenny or I knew anything of this particular sporting contest until then but quickly learned it was a big deal as the two teams had been been neck-in-neck for first place and the winner would clinch a spot in the 2018 World Cup. I’dnever been to a pro soccer/futbol match and the enthusiasm around this one sparked my interest so I asked a few (exactly two) Swiss guys if they had extra tickets. The first laughed in my face and explained how HUGE this match was and how it had been sold out forever and they’d travelled all the way there for the game, etc, etc. Undeterred I made my second inquiry that resulted in an “actually, I do have two tickets!” said almost like he’d forgotten. As I actually think he had given that his friend who couldn’t make it at the last minute had a family emergency to attend to. For some reason (it was late and I still hadn’t grasped the importance of the game) I still negotiated with the Swiss guy and for some reason (unknown) he ended up selling them to us for 20 euro each! Given that the supply on tickets online was exactly zero (we checked) I’d say we got a good deal. And now I feel a little bit bad about my negotiations!
The next day was a big one for Jenny and I as we first trained it 30 minutes, to a town called Sintra for a day of site-seeing (poor Page hadn’t moved from bed, and was really loving being completely incapacitated in a foreign country). 
We followed the (thankfully) very precise instructions of Jenny’s friend who had been there the week before. The two of were lost without our beacon, Page! We toured the Pena palace that is out of this world in it’s grandeur. 
King Ferdinand really did it up with his renovations in the 1800s. They really went all out and some may say it’s a smidge over the top, They even have the furniture from back in the day in all the rooms..so many rooms! 
We then explored the vastly contrasting Castle of the Moors, just down the hill. It was surreal thinking about long ago it had been constructed, and how they moved all those rocks! Here were are token castle pics (looking closely for Jenny- think Where’s Waldo).
We rushed back to Portugal and made sure Page was stocked up on water and meds before metroing to the game. Thankfully our seats were not with the Swiss so we could cheer for the home team (yes, I also felt a smidge guilty about this but there was no Swiss gear for sale on the street and one must have gear for a match like this!) 
It was a phenomenal game resulting in a 2-0 win for the home team. The energy in the stadium felt electric as everyone (literally EVERY one) of the 61k+ fans sat/stood transfixed on every single second of the game. Men, women, and children alike did not take their eyes off the field, minus halftime but even then everyone was careful to be back in their seats early. 
Maybe it was because it was a weeknight but we also noticed that very few people were drinking during the game. I guess that would have required getting up and missing some play to get drinks, but even at halftime we saw only a handful of people drinking beer. I just couldn’t imagine a sporting event in the U.S. with the spectators having that level of sober intensity and enthusiasm. Anyways, the game was a blast and we felt so lucky to have stumbled across the tickets!
The next day Jenny and poor Page headed black stateside (yes she still felt like crap and had to take a long flight). I took a quick flight to Madrid where I’d spend a night before my red-eye flight (yes, another Flash Pack tour!) I’d been to Madrid for the Vespa tour I took in July but didn’t spend much time in the actual city and was excited to see more. That night I met up with Javier, the amazing guide of the Vespa tour. He went above and beyond in his duties by not only returning a phone charger I’d left at a hotel during the tour, but also giving me an evening walking tour of the city (I told you he’s amazing!). 
I started the next day with a run in the stunning Retiro park before taking off for more exploring. The museums were closed due to a bank holiday so Javier suggested I hit up the same spots we had the night before as they are different (and equally beautiful) in the daylight, and of course he was right. I explored some bustling must-see plazas, (Plaza de Mayor, Plaza de Santa Ana, and Plaza de Espana) as well as the breath-taking Almudena Cathedral and the well-protected Palacio Real. 
Then, it was back to the good ole airport! [As an aside, it blows my mind how few metro stations in Europe have escalators or working elevators, and even on the train-line where people will definitely be lugging suitcases. Or maybe I’m just being a lazy American.]
Stay tuned for adventures on the third continent of the trip…India!
Side note: These have been very pleasant perks of solo dining- being able to score tables for one sans reservation and having some great interactions with restaurant staff who seem extra helpful and chatty. At one restaurant in Marseille the owner sat down with me for a while!
With a protest under my belt, I ventured on to the Aljaheria Palace, where everything was in Spanish (including the free tour) so I didn’t learn much about it but enjoyed seeing it nevertheless. I mean who doesn’t like a good palace? 
I then explored the La Magdalena cathedral and went to the top of the bell tower for aerial views of the city. 
After much more exploring and a delicious lunch I went back to my hotel to relax for a bit before heading back out for dinner. 
Well, once I sat down there was no getting up again and I ended up having room service (which they said was “no charge” when they delivered it- Zaragoza was turning out to be the opposite of Marseille as far as luck was concerned!). My evening activity was Face-timing with my brother and his family and I swear my nieces and nephews look older in just a month.
So, I grabbed my rain jacket and made the best of the weather by touring the city on foot. I hiked up to a castle on a hill overlooking the city with spectacular (albeit rainy) views. 
I also checked out a few churches, including the main cathedral and learned about Basque history at the San Telmo museum. Unfortinetly many of the displays weren’t translated to English but I got the gist, I think. Speaking of language, while Spanish is obviously the primary language, I learned that about 35% of San Sebastián residents speak Basque and, being very close to France, there’s also a large French speaking population. So, English was usually fourth on the list of languages to be translated. And, I realized that despite taking Spanish to the required “literature level” in college, I know exactly enough to be dangerous. Meaning I can stumble my way through basic dialogue, so people think I actually know the language and respond accordingly- leaving me with absolutely no idea what they said. To avoid that I started just speaking in bad enough Spanish that it was clear an English response would be appreciated.
At first I was concerned how long they had been sitting there but then realized they replenish them pretty frequently and you can also order off the menu for items not displayed or a fresh batch. This was a really fun way to sample a variety of their seafood heavy dishes. I even got into the various ways they serve sardines!
The next day I awoke to my promised sunshiney day! 
I motored my way to the surf shop, excited to reunite with my new favorite sport. Given that the waves were just a liiiitttle bit bigger than in Morocco I figured another lesson was a good idea. Unfortunately the timing of my lesson was when the tide was almost high and there were currents rushing in every which direction. My instructor, Griffin, was not deterred by this and we started with a little refresher on the beach. Interestingly Griffin recommended a completely different way of standing up on the board than the instructors had in Morocco, and had me lay in the board and push myself up so my bad was arched, like the cobra yoga position, and then from there swing my foot around to stand up. This presented a challenge in that my back did not seem to want to bend in that direction. Having had lower back issues in the past I was wary and shared this with Griffin who said it would be easier when in the water. I wasn’t convinced but I figured Griffin knew best and I ventured out to give it a go. I managed to stand up once using Griffin’s “new and improved” method, and given the high tide my surf in was more of a drop into the sand than a graceful coast. I felt a twinge in my back and then a tightness that put off little alarm bells in my head. Everything in me wanted to go back out and keep surfing but in a responsible big girl moment I listened to the little voice saying “this is not a good idea.” Griffin at that point acknowledged that maybe in the future I should stick with the original method I learned in Morocco. Thanks Griff. And, thanks to a very talented massage therapist (who I stiffly meandered to immediately after leaving the surf shop) my back felt a lot better the next day and there seems to be no long-term threat to my future surfing career. All in all my relationship with Surfing has hit a blip but, let’s be honest, our first few dates in Morocco were a little too fairytale for a real relationship. I feel like we’re on a good path now and I can’t wait to get together again!
Next stop…Christopher Columbus’s homeland!
We first gathered in Marrakech where we met each other and our guide, Issmail. I have to say that 
There was also amazing food everywhere you turned with the smells from the delicious spices wafting through the open air. 
We had dinner at a “street stand” which I did not expect to be a sit-down meal, lit by gas laterns. We were served multiple courses that included Morrocan salads, traditional bread, kabobs of deliciously marinated chicken, beef and veggies, and the most delish couscous I’ve ever had. Here are my new friends:
Dinner ended around 10pm and us lame-o’s headed back to the hotel, happily satiated and sleepy, while the activities in the square would go on until the early morning hours. This is because it’s too hot to be romping around outside during the day, so the cooler evening hours is when the action happens. And it’s definitely a lot of action!
The expansive mountain views were breathtaking and the accommodations were rustic and authentic yet very comfortable, with the lodge having been built by locals and all of the rugs, blankets, and tapestries woven by female villagers. 
It also felt a little bit like being in a tree house- and one of the rooms was actually in a tree. Also, the food here was the best of the whole trip (and I had some REALLY good food this trip) and it was made by one women using all local ingredients (really no other options) with the most delicious spices to ever touch my tongue. I was always into spices but this trip has increased my interest to the level of an obsession. The next day we embarked on 10-mile guided hike, through the rolling, rocky peaks and expansive valleys of the Atlas Mountains. 
Our hike culminated at a Muslim shrine, where we enjoyed a packed lunch before heading back via a different and equally beautiful route. The hike was fascinating both to see the varied topography of the mountain range and to get to know my fellow travelers more while chit-chatting during the 7-hour expedition (okay, I admit it- at points we were too tired to muster either a chit or a chat). 
We were pretty famished after the hike and welcomed a dinner of “tangine,” which is a popular Moroccan slow-cooked dish where a crock-pot is replaced with a cone-shaped clay pot and a good old fashioned flame. I’m not a huge carnivore (minus bacon) but I throughly enjoyed the beef tangine that night, that was in the format of meatballs. The vegetarians in our crew also had high praise for the flavorful vegetable and potato tangine. It was extra-cool eating in the traditional style of sitting on the floor in large cushions with our legs crossed. 
The next morning I awoke to the 5:30am call to prayer, bellowing from loudspeakers perched on the top of a nearby mosque. I mentally hit the snooze button and the follow-up alarm (an hour later) was in the form of roosters cockadoodledooing. I have to say, I really liked it as a wake-up mechanism. Maybe a call to prayer followed up by a rooster should be an alarm app? You heard it here first, so don’t steal the idea!
After breakfast we set off to our next destination, the town of Essaouira, which is a smaller city than Marrachech, and more laid back (aka, fewer crazy moto-bike drivers and aggressive vendors). It’s also a beautiful port town and is encompassed by huge fortress walls adorned with cannons. 
We seemed to have brought some rain with us to Essaouira and battled the elements during our walking tour of the city (nothing stops this group I’ll tell ya!). Our tour included a glimpse into woodworking shops producing some of the most beautiful wood pieces I’ve seen- it’s a good thing I have no room in my luggage (btw, I’m reminded of this every time I’ve checked a bag on this trip so far when the person behind the counter looks at me, points to the number on the scale, I shrug and smile abashedly, and he/she winks and lets it slide- so far at least 😌). I also saw the spices and fish markets, where I could have stayed for a while just taking it all in- I really don’t have the words to explain how amazing the spices are (I may have mentioned this already…). 
After dinner our guide led us to a live music venue. A super-fun member of the group, Daisy, had a birthday that night and wanted to bring it in with some dancing! And dancing we did. I’d say our group pretty much dominated the dance floor the entire night and our dancing seemed to get better (but probably got worse) following a round of tequila shots at midnight. Here’s the birthday girl, looking miserable-
The next morning we were a bit sleepy but gamely explored the beautiful port and beach area and then did some shopping. 
Sorry family and friends, I REALLY do not have room in my bags to bring you gifts. Maybe I can find things “Made in Morocco” on Amazon? Stay tuned- all might not be lost in the gift department…
When we arrived at the resort we were happy to be there but also sad that we had to part ways with Issmail- his touring duties were done for this trip. We tried to convince him to stay but he said he had another tour (likely story). Our farewell foto-
We spent the next three days in the luxury of the oceanfront resort relaxing, eating (a lot…more delicious bread and an amazing array of fresh seafood), laughing (also a lot of this), taking in the most beautiful sunsets, yoga classes, AND surfing lessons!! 
So, I am now in-love with Surfing. It’s, like, an official relationship. Surfing toggles between laughing at me when I launch off the board dramatically (goal is to stay on) and giving me a big smooch when I catch a wave and actually stay on. Regardless, I always have fun with Surfing and am saddened that I didn’t meet him until now. Let’s hope it works out in the long-run as I’m clearly all in. Should I be playing it cooler??