Portugal

For our Thanksgiving weekend we went to Portugal! Jacob was excited to speak Portuguese and did an awesome job, and we're definitely looking forward to getting back to Portugal! We visited the second-largest city in Portugal (Porto), and we were struck by the beautiful and unique buildings, many of them decorated with colorful tiles. We also enjoyed the views of the city overlooking a sea of terra cotta roofs. Muito bonito!

The photo below is of the 18th Century Baroque Clerigos tower and church, the tallest structure in Porto. We climbed the 225 stairs to the top and enjoyed the amazing views of the city. As we ascended, we remarked that the narrow stone stairwell was creepier than most medieval castles we've visited. On our way down, a deafening clap of thunder probably had something to do with the lights blacking out, so we were left to descend the creepy stairs in total darkness!

The church in the next pictures (Igreja do Carmo) is just one of many examples of churches we saw with the combination of gorgeous stone architecture mixed with these beautiful blue tiles. (The tiles on the side of this church depict the founding of the Carmelite order.)

In addition to its location on the Douro River, Porto also sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Here's a scene on the beautiful coast. Had the weather been a little warmer, we would have spent much more time here! Due to its proximity to so much water, Porto's cuisine is dominated by delicious fish dishes. Our favorite was a plate full of about 15 fried whole sardines--fresh ones, not the slimy things from a tin. When the plate was placed in front of us and I saw whole fish--heads and all--I wasn't sure how to proceed. But when we decided to just eat everything between the head and the tail, it wasn't long before the plate full of fish was a plate full of fish heads and tails. They were so delicious! (Who needs turkey?)