Leap Year

I am deeply, incredibly pleased to report that Weather Wars has been funded on Kickstarter.  We’ve raised the $6,000 that was our base goal, allowing us to make the game available for sale.  We’ll ship to our wonderful Kickstarter backers first, and later sell the game via our website and other venues.

While this is fantastic news, we’ve got four days left before our Kickstarter ends at about midnight (California time) on Saturday, April 14th, and we’re still getting pledges - 9 and counting in the last 2 days.  This really gives me hope that we could hit what Kickstarter calls “stretch goals”  - improvements to the game that we will ship if we reach higher levels of funding.

We’ve got two promo cards we’d like to unlock for all our Kickstarter backers, the Blue-Nosed Reindeer and the Buffalo Chicken, which add a bit of variety (and quite a few chuckles) to the game.

What I’d really like to hit, though, is the $7,500 funding level.  If that happens, we get to roll out the Safari expansion that we’ve been working on.  I don’t mind the grunt work of game production - getting quotes, calculating shipping and customs, and registering with government safety agencies.  I know it’s part of the process, and I accept it.  The thing is, though, I got into game design because I like designing games.  That’s where my talent and my passion is.  It seems a waste to have hundreds (or thousands?) of people playing Weather Wars, but only Daniele and I getting to enjoy the expansion that makes it so much better.

I think one of our new one-power creatures, the Chicken-Chasing Jackal, makes playing with the Safari expansion seem like you’re playing a whole new game.  His ability is simple - it “chases” each Rocket Chicken in play away from her owner, moving one player to the right.  Early in the game, this is minor - it’s just a couple of power worth of Rocket Chickens moving around.  But once someone has three or more Chickens, each time they move they trigger - blowing up five-power animals as they go.  When it’s so important to control how many summer animals versus winter animals you have, what you choose to blow up majorly impacts the game.  And of course, we as designers didn’t stop there - the Safari expansion has a 5-power animal that can’t be destroyed by Chickens, and another 5-power animal that actually WANTS to be destroyed.  It adds a whole additional layer of strategy for the deep-thinking players, and quite a bit of random chaos for those just enjoying the ride.

As yummy as the mechanics are, I may like the flavor even better.  A jackal chasing all the chickens in a circle, their rocket backpacks exploding everywhere?  That’s just so “Weather Wars.”

I really hope we get to roll this out.  We’ve got a few more days, and we need to hope that our backers convince enough of their friends to sign up so that we reach this stretch goal.  It’s very possible - Kickstarters almost always get a boost in the last 48 hours.

Daniele and I will be playing the Safari expansion either way.  I hope everybody else gets that chance too, because when it’s done, it’s going to ROCK.

—Doug

10 months of work – the last few months of it, six days a week. Cutting back on living expenses. Needing to learn a new skill to complete every task. Worrying at night that everything you are working towards is a foolish dream, that the numbers don’t add up, that you’re wasting your time.

Over the next three weeks we will find out if it was all worth it.

The Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for our family card game, Weather Wars, launched on March 15^th. We’ve got 30 days to hit our funding goal. We had a great start – 30% funding on the first day – but like most Kickstarter campaigns, things slowed down after that. We hit the halfway mark yesterday, which is great news, but we’ve got a long way to go.

After months of work with little real feedback (I love you, friends and family, but your opinions are biased), the tables have now turned. The product is finished, the campaign is live, and the marketing plan is final. We have laid the fruit of our labor at the feet of the world’s game players, and now we wait. It’s hard to imagine feeling more naked. Every pledge is a judgment, as is every minute that passes without a pledge. I should probably stop hitting “refresh”.

Isn’t it enough that this guy is incredibly cute?

Or that the response of players has been so consistently positive? Or just that we worked incredibly hard on this? How can you watch our Kickstarter video and not be deeply amused?

I have to keep reminding myself that things are actually going well. We’re on pace to fund, and we’ve still got a few tricks up our sleeve. We’ve got visibility, from the video preview at The Dice Tower, to a podcast mention at All Us Geeks, to our upcoming contest (and free game giveaway) at Board Game Geek. Everyone we know is blasting this out to their social networks, so it should be reaching thousands of people. But what if this really caught on? What if we had enough pledges that we could produce the Safari expansion we’ve designed for Weather Wars (that I think makes the game even better), or even so many that we could release another game, and another?

We really, really want this. Please, tumblrverse, tell your friends. Especially your benevolent billionaire friends. :)

WEATHER WARS KICKSTARTER LINK: http://kck.st/13ZGHuu

Weather Wars hit a milestone Friday on its march to reality.  We’ve made a free print-and-play version of the game and posted it to the Weather Wars web site, under Downloads.  Now we’ve moved to the “irrational fear” stage - let’s see how this goes.

“Print and Play” games are board or card games that are released in .pdf format.  The idea is that a person can download the file, print it out, assemble the pieces, and play the game without buying anything or leaving their house.  The process can be tedious for board games because of all the pieces, but for card games you can just cut out the cards, put them in plastic sleeves with other cards behind them for stability, and go to town.  The only cost is printer ink, and about 30 minutes putting it all together.

The goal for us is to get people we don’t know to try the game, both to get useful feedback and (if I may be allowed to dream) to develop a passionate fan base to evangelize our game when we launch on Kickstarter.  We’ve already gotten some great feedback on the King of Gaming Websites, BoardGameGeek, offering praise (for the art, which Daniele did an AWESOME job on) and suggestions.  Nothing yet from someone describing themselves playing the game.

Of course, I know it’s early, and all the people we know personally have already played the prototype so won’t be doing the PnP.  So, that leaves strangers, who are really the people we want to try it.  And here comes the paradox.  We need strangers to tell their friends about it.  So we make it available for free.  But then we need them to know it’s available for free, so we need someone they know to tell them, so we need that person to have played it.  And around and around we go.

This is where the fear and second guessing sets in.  I know that if people find the game, they will like it - I’ve seen this again and again.  And if lots of people like it, some will buy it, at least enough that I won’t feel we’ve wasted all these months.  But what if they never find it?  What if it’s my fault, because I didn’t buy a full-page ad in the New York Times?  Should I have spent every day in Balboa Park, playing Weather Wars under a huge banner?  Should I have posted the PnP on a Tuesday instead of a Friday?  Should I be that guy that nags all his Facebook friends twice a day to get the word out?  Should I become an email spammer?  Put an enormous Ambassador Penguin on a billboard?  Pay Judd Apatow to put Weather Wars in his next movie?

And so I panic.  And then I research.  And when I start to think I’m crazy, I listen to a bunch of They Might Be Giants, because it proves that at least I’m not the MOST crazy.

And then I write a blog post.  And then I get back to work.

—Doug

We’ve now been back in the United States for over three months - longer than we’re used to living anywhere.  :)  We’ve been catching up with friends, and resuming old hobbies like gardening, woodworking, and having guests over for NFL football.  During the day, though, we’ve also been hard at work on the projects that we hope will be the economic engines of our new lives.

The most progressed, and most exciting, of these projects is Weather Wars.  Weather Wars is a card game where you lead a team of clever animals in a race to control the weather.  We designed the entire game in a single incredible flurry of creative energy over dinner at a Sizzler restaurant in Beijing - in fact, the original version of the rules is scrawled on the back of a Sizzler place mat.

We did most of our initial play-testing in Istanbul and Kisumu, but since getting back we’ve made a serious push to turn this from clever idea to published reality.  I’ve done exhaustive research on the game industry, how to market games, professional printing, getting on retail shelves, and how to get start-up money.  In the meantime, Daniele has taught herself to make graphics in Adobe Flash, and took on the task of creating artwork for the game.  In an incredible six weeks, she went from “I wonder how to make computer graphics?” to having completed all 16 art pieces for the game.  It was amazing to watch, and I think the results are deeply amusing:

We’ve printed a prototype - on cheap cardboard paper with a home laser printer - and had a few of our friends try it.  It’s been a real hit - we’re thrilled.  Both kids and adults seem to like it.  Many people asked us if they could buy a copy as a gift for Christmas (won’t be ready - these things take a while).   Even in this primitive printing, I just love the way the table looks mid-game.

For the first time in our lives we’re seeing the possibility of earning a living working for ourselves instead of for a company.  I’m not sure if this project will make it - lots of good games never make a dime, and even the ones that do often don’t make enough to support someone.  But even if we even sold 1,000 copies, and knew thousands of people were having fun because of us, how great would that be?  And if we prove to ourselves that we can make just a little money doing this, I’ll be even more convinced that by sticking with it we’ll find just the right product (or products) to make our new lifestyle work.  We’re sticking to our commitment to keep expenses low - one car, no cable TV, flip-phones instead of smartphones, store-brand groceries.  We really don’t miss the luxuries, especially if it buys us time to make this new lifestyle sustainable.  Because, I gotta tell ya, it’s pretty great.

The next step for Weather Wars is getting the word out.  We’re getting ready to launch a funding campaign through Kickstarter.com in the next month or two, which is a way to crowd-fund creative projects by pre-selling copies of the game and giving special prizes for big donors.  It’s been successful for many other games, and we’re hopeful.  We’re also creating a web presence, with a web site prototype, a Facebook page (basically a placeholder for now), and even a blog to promote the game at weatherwars.tumblr.com.  It will feel so nice when that blog gets a few followers.

We haven’t stopped working on our other projects - including the book that will detail how to follow in our footsteps and travel the globe, in style, on a budget - but it’s hard not to be excited about Weather Wars.  We created it, and people want it, and that just feels amazing.  With luck, this will graduate from “project” to “business” very soon.

-Doug

I love autumn.  Sure, summer is great, with the long sunny days and warm nights.  Spring has its new growth and flower blooms.  Winter, well, winter is winter.  But fall feels fantastic.  Growing up in Northern New Hampshire the turning leaves and shorter days were the harbingers of a long, cold, and snowy winter.  But there is something about the deep blue of the sky, something about the crispness in the air, that just energizes me.

When we first moved to San Diego over a decade ago, many of our East Coast friends warned us of the monotony of the climate here.  ”I would really miss the seasons…” we were told over and over.  I was secretly a little worried it would bother me.  But after the move, it didn’t take long to realize that concern was ill-informed.  OK, so it doesn’t snow in San Diego.  And when you live in an area where the ground freezes over and grass doesn’t show its face for months on end, no snow means no winter.  But there are very distinct seasons here in Southern California, with or without snow.

Summer in San Diego is hot.  The heart of the city is right on the Pacific Ocean, and the beach communities see mild weather, tempered by that massive body of water and the cool breeze that comes across it.  Just 10 miles (16km) inland, and higher in elevation, our home in La Mesa experiences greater extremes than the coast, with cooler and wetter winters, less fog in the spring, and hotter summers.  Throughout the summer we are typically over 80F (27C), often over 90F (32C), and occasionally into the 100s (38C).  The biggest shift compared to the other seasons is the lack of rain.  From May through September, we average less than an inch (2.5cm) of rain…TOTAL.  Take away the irrigation we get from reservoirs and the tail end of the Colorado River, and you are reminded that San Diego is a desert.  

Even in the “wet” season, we average about 2.5 in (6cm) of rain a month.  But that’s still a lot more than none, and along with a 20 degree drop in temperature, that change in precipitation makes a big difference across the seasons.  The effect of this change is most apparent in the spring, around March in this part of the world.  The hillsides turn a new-growth lime green, and wildflowers paint yards, roadsides, and even the desert a bright pallet of yellows, pinks, purples, and oranges.  (Stay tuned for some beautiful photos of the wildflower bloom in Anza Borrego Desert State Park when we go on our annual camping trip in the spring!) 

The summer heat lasted late this year in Southern California.  September was downright HOT.  Lawns and hillsides are more yellow than green, thirsty for the rain that’s been lacking for several months.  But over the last couple of weeks, we have slowly started turning the corner, and you can start to feel autumn in the air.  The days are noticeably shorter.  Even on the very hot days, the nights are cool.  As soon as the sun goes down, the temps drop too, unlike summer where balmy nights bring little relief from the heat.

Then last week, our first storm of the season rolled in.  Temps dropped into the 60s (16C), winds picked up, and clouds started to thicken in the sky.  What I love about early San Diego storms is how spotty they are.  In winter, we can have full overcast days that drizzle on and off with no appearance from the sun.  But autumn storms tend to come from big puffy dark clouds that zoom across the sky, with brilliant patches of deep blue between them.

These clouds rip open, bringing much needed moisture to the parched environment.  Unfortunately, they are only occasionally accompanied by thunder and lightning - a sweet treat for those of us who love them.  The frequency, severity, and length of storms will increase as we move through winter, but the first few in the fall are my favorite.

The rain is not the only indicator that summer is on its way out.  Most trees in San Diego, including the iconic palm and eucalyptus trees, stay green year round.  But there are many deciduous trees as well, and as the days get shorter, the leaves on these trees slowly turn and drop.  We’re short on sugar maples here, so we do not get the brilliant color explosion seen along the east and north of the country.  But if you take the time to look, some subtle color changes bring added beauty to the landscape.

As an avid gardener, fall usually means the end of the garden season for me.  While San Diego is mild enough to grow vegetables year round, the short daylight hours made keeping a garden while working long hours at my job hard to balance.  So, in previous years I let the soil rest in the rainy season.  This year, working from home allows me time in the backyard while the sun is still up, and I’ve decided to take advantage of this life change by planting my first winter garden!

Out here in La Mesa, frosts are not unheard of, but are rare enough that planting a garden is an option all year round.  The shorter, cooler days are not ideal for my favorite summer crops of hot peppers and fresh tomatoes though.  So instead, the garden will be filled with more traditional cool weather crops, like onions, carrots, lettuces, herbs, broccoli, and snow peas.  I’ve tried growing several of these crops in the summer.  But between the hot soil and the increase in hungry insects, I’ve had little success.  Hopefully this year, planting them in the more appropriate season will result in healthier plants and larger yields.

So, as soon as last week’s storm rolled on by, I tilled the soil and with Doug’s help, got to work setting up rows of seeds.

Now, we just have to keep it well watered between the rains and keep our fingers crossed.  We’ll stay vigilant for those first few sprouts of green to poke through!

As we selected our destinations throughout our trip around the world, we did a lot of research into weather, trying to chase summer around the globe.  We started in late summer/fall for the northern hemisphere, and caught my favorite season in France and Croatia.  As fall transitioned to winter, we transitioned to the southern hemisphere, arriving in Argentina for the start of their summer.  We followed this pattern for the rest of the trip, avoiding the challenges of winter as well as monsoon seasons.  The result of this planning was a pretty effective dodging of seasons for the year.  The only real cold we experiences was in Patagonia (southern Argentina) and New Zealand - areas so southerly that even in summer weather can be pretty darn chilly.  We experienced rain in many of our stops, but mostly it was warm summer rains.  

Now back home, I’m actually looking forward to the end of our endless summer.  I’m looking forward to having crackling flames in the fireplace as we curl up to watch Sunday football.  I always enjoy jumping in the piping hot water of the jacuzzi while the outside air is cold enough to see your breath.   The tourists have mostly gone home, and the brisk air is perfect for climbing the small mountains surrounding San Diego.  The rain will bring life to the landscape, wash a summer’s worth of dirt from houses and cars, and occasionally keep us locked up inside with a cup of hot tea and no guilty feeling for ignoring a lawn that needs mowing. 

Our autumns may not be blanketed in bright red maple trees and our winters may be devoid of the peace of fresh snowfall, but do not be fooled.  San Diego most definitely experiences the change of seasons, and I for one am really enjoying the transition.

-Daniele

We’ve been home for about a month now.  Most of the furniture is back in its place.  The landscape in the yard is starting to return to how we like it.  We’ve had reunions with most of our friends.  Regular poker games, softball games, and disc golf rounds are back in swing.  Life is starting to return to normal.  

Well…not really.  I guess we are starting to define a “new normal”, one that will hopefully allow us to live a life of less stress…albeit with a lot less income.

Over the last year, despite the exotic travel, our lives went through a period of simplification.  Sure, our day to day lives included exploring remote ancient ruins and shiny new modern cities.  But that’s just what we did, not how we did it.  

We lived in tiny one room apartments, in some cases with showers so small I couldn’t wash my feet without backing into the faucet and turning the water ice cold.  We rarely had a car.  With the cost of international cell and data plans, we decided to forego mobile connectivity - our fancy smart phones converted to bulky watches away from WiFi.  Having to carry our possessions with us, we limited ourselves to one suitcase each, plus a laptop backpack with our computers, cameras, and the like. (And Doug’s 3/4 travel guitar, of course!)  Being removed from the creature comforts of our home and regular lifestyle for a whole year, we learned a lot about what we really need to live happily.

Turns out it’s much less than we thought.  Sure, all of these conveniences are fantastic if you can have them.  But they come at a cost, and we have recognized that some things in our life were actually luxuries, not necessities.   Stepping away from them made us realize they were not worth their cost.

The best example has been our cell phone situation.  Before the trip, we each had a smart phone, capable of receiving email, searching the internet, uploading photos, playing games, and streaming media anytime, anywhere.  Oh, and they were phones too!  That was a tough convenience to let go.  But, by about the middle of our trip, I stopped missing them, and actually started liking their absence.  The peace and quiet, and time to converse and reflect, that come with going off the grid were nice.  We still value connectivity at home, where we use Skype to replace the phone parts of our smart phones.  But if we’re out doing something, that something ends up taking center stage instead of the web.

Coming back home, we took a fresh look at our situation.  It would cost $150/month for a plan to keep us both connected with a smart phone.  That’s nearly $2,000 a year, and we decided against it.  Instead, taking a page out of my parents playbook, we got a Walmart Tracfone.  

This little flip-phone beauty was $14.95, and pay-as-you-go airtime goes for $0.10/minute (when bought in bulk.)  We still use Skype for long conversations with family and friends out of town, and those are usually free.  If our current usage continues, we’ll spend a total of about $12-15/month.  As Doug said, “Sure, our phone technology isn’t cutting edge, but it comes with a dozen free pizzas a month!”

The additional cost of convenience for two connected smart phones was worth it when we had steady income.  But we now have a motivation for saving everywhere we can.  We have now experienced the benefits of life without a high-stress job, not the least of which is the dramatic improvement in Doug’s health, and we want more.  We have ideas.  Creative ideas.  We want to try to nurture one of these ideas until it grows into a financially sustaining venture - when we can comfortably work for ourselves, away from the grind.  But to succeed, we need to extend our savings and meager trickle of side-project income, for as long as we can.  These projects will not get enough attention if we have to split our time with a 50-hour work week for someone else.  

So for now, we look for savings where we can, within our own definitions of reason.  Some conveniences are worth it (hello high speed internet connection!), but some just aren’t going to make the cut.  For now, while we’re both essentially working from home, we’re sticking to one car - the Prius that our good friend Mason was babysitting for us while we were on the road.  

That also means one registration, one insurance policy, and one maintenance bill.

I was shocked to realize some of the grocery expenses I had a year ago.  I went to buy my old faithful hair conditioner when we returned, and learned that I apparently used to pay $20/bottle!  It was a big bottle, but I still ran to the other end of the aisle and grabbed the 2 for $7 Pantene thank you very much.  And small bottles of gourmet salad dressing for $8?  Not anymore.  My grocery cart still has free-range meat in it, but it also has a lot more carefully selected sale items than before.

These were some of the decisions that were easy to adjust to after our travels.  But they haven’t all been this easy.  One of the hardest transitions has been the cable decision.  We used to pay a lot for satellite cable service, and only used it for a narrow slice of specific, but greatly enjoyed, programming.  It just didn’t make sense.   Since American cable TV wasn’t an option overseas, we learned to find most of our content online.  Thanks to Hulu, Netflix, and in some cases the network’s website, this is easier for some programs than others.  In a few unavoidable circumstances it did require some loose interpretations of the laws.  (Come on HBO, you have to offer online only subscriptions at some point.  We’ll pay you for it if you offer us the product!)  But it worked for the most part for a few small subscription fees.  

Coming home we decided to drop cable for good.  We are part of a growing number of “cord-cutters” who are turning to streaming on line for selected content instead of the everything-on-the-plate offerings of traditional cable.  But streaming a football game on your laptop in a tiny apartment in Croatia is different than trying to stream a football game to your new giant TV in front of your big comfy couch.  

Here our expectations are higher.  We learned early on that one good tool was a Hi Def antenna to get the locally broadcast stations for free…you know, like when we were kids.  But unlike when I was a kid, in Northern NH with few local stations available, we now get dozens of channels in crystal clear Hi Def signal thanks to our new Leaf Antenna - bonus! 

We also bought a TV with WiFi access.  But it turns out that just buys you access to paid apps - Netflix and Hulu Plus and the like.  There’s no browser.  So, if you want to watch, say, a streaming football game - you’re hooking the laptop up to the TV and often getting a subpar picture.

This transition has definitely been harder.  Despite the “cord-cutter” label, we appear to have more cords now than before.  And the ap technology built into the TV is still pretty buggy and crashes often.  It will take time for the industry to catch up to a shifting consumer market.  But, it’s saving us a ton of money - money we’d otherwise be spending every month for the foreseeable future.  Over the last year we learned to navigate the complex tapestry of different tools to access different shows, and the hassle is worth the savings.

This is one less-often discussed benefit of a long stint of foreign travel.  Not only do you gain new perspective on other cultures and what the rest of the world is like, you get a new perspective on your own needs and capabilities.  I’ve bought shampoo at a Chinese grocery store, unable to read a single word on the bottle other than the English “shampoo”, and my hair survived just fine.  I have spent an evening at a bar without the answer to every trivia question ever at the tip of my fingers, and I had a great time.  I know how little clothing, toiletries, and space I can happily live with.  And if these measures can extend our innovation phase by even a little, increasing our chances of success, isn’t it worth it?

-Daniele

After a year on the road, as we settle back into our lives in San Diego, many people ask if we miss it…if we find our less adventurous lives boring.  I’m sure the travel bug will bite again - there is so much to see in the world I can’t imagine ever exhausting our curiosity.  And we know there will be many trips to the east coast US to visit family and friends.  But in the immediate future, the prospect of getting on a plane right now, with all that comes with it, is extremely unappealing.  When we started to think about it, and really look at the numbers, I guess it’s not surprising.

Since leaving San Diego the morning on the 23rd of August last year, we have spent over 147 hours in the air.  That’s over six days…on a plane!  That doesn’t even count layovers, which would add another 40 hours.  Throw in travel time to and from the airport, waiting in the airport, and going through security, immigration, and customs, and the grand total comes to nearly 300 hours.  

In that time, we have flown 60,289 miles (97,026 km).  (Unfortunately, that was spread over 17 different airlines, so the only reward miles we earned were through our well used credit card!)  We took 42 flights over the course of 28 days of travel.  Our longest single flight was 14 hours, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Auckland, New Zealand, a 6,400 mile (10,300 km) journey.  Our longest single stretch of travel was from Kisumu, Kenya, to Lisbon, Portugal, via Nairobi, Kenya and Dubai in the UAE.  That three-flight trip covered only 6,200 miles (9978 km), but with about 8 hours of layovers and pre- and post- flight nonsense, door to door the trip took over 25 hours.

Planes were not our only method of locomotion during our trip.  

We’ve taken trains, both old fashioned and hi speed.  We’ve taken ferries (sometimes around in circles by mistake).  We’ve taken small boats and large.  We’ve taken motorbikes, and taxis, and rental cars, and subways, and hot air balloons, and shuttle-buses, and tuk-tuks, and bicycles, and kayaks, and city buses, and funiculars, and trolleys, and off-road jeeps, and even soared down zip-lines and ridden on elephant back.   And of course, we walked.  In dense urban environments, up steep wooded mountains, across frozen glacial landscape, down quiet town roads.  We walked to the grocery store.  We walked for exploration.  We walked for exercise.  We walked for transportation.  We walked to reach places the road does not go.

In all our travels, we only missed one connecting flight, from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina, due to a delayed first flight out of New York City, and we got on the next flight just a few hours later.  Our luggage was lost once, for five days in Africa, and did eventually arrive undamaged.  There were no security problems and no immigration delays.  (Though they did insist on dousing our hiking boots in industrial strength anti-viral liquid before allowing us into New Zealand!)  We only missed one train, resulting in a surprise overnight stay in Hangzhou, China.  All in all, not too bad!

But you can see one of the reasons why we chose to settle in about a dozen countries throughout the year as opposed to the more transient back-packer model of travel.  Not even taking into consideration the cultural immersion benefits of long stays in one place, having time to decompress between these epic journeys provided much needed rest, recovery, and time for reflection outside of the chaos.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  The last year was absolutely amazing.  All those miles and hours took us to 6 continents and 15 foreign countries (21 if you count the ones where we did not leave the airport, but I firmly believe you shouldn’t).  We visited 29 UNESCO World Heritage sights.  We tried endless varieties of new food.  We saw dozens of animals we had never before seen in the wild.  We met fascinating people from all sorts of cultures and walks of life.  We have been reminded of the stunning beauty of the world and have seen fantastical displays illustrating the capabilities of the human race.  

But one of the costs of these opportunities is the exhausting nature of world travel.  The US, and our home in San Diego, have a lot to offer as well.  It may not be a world wonder or a cultural adventure, but it sure isn’t a bad place to come home to:

And for now, we’re happy to be here.

-Daniele

The adventure of our return home continues.  After staying with our great friends Mason and Jessica upon our return to California, we have now been back in our home for a little over two weeks.  Two chaotic weeks!  After a year of constant motion, frequent packing and unpacking, and never feeling settled, we were excited to get home and unwind.  Ha!  Easier said than done.  

One of the first hurdles moving back in came from our floors.  A botched cleaning effort by Stanley Steamer left a large spot with damaged finish in our dining room.  Thanks to the persistence of our fantastic property manager, Martha McGreevy (seriously, this woman is amazing - if you ever need a property manager in San Diego…), they agreed to hire a contractor to come in and sand/refinish the entire living and dining room floor, at no cost to us.  Unfortunately, the work would have to get done after we moved back in, leaving us blocked from a large part of the house for a week while the finish cured.  

That did not deter us from moving back in though - we were ready to live in our own home!  When we left San Diego a year ago, we put many of our belongings into storage.  So now, we rented a U-Haul and transferred the contents of our storage unit back into the house.  But storage space is not cheap, and we decided to sell a bit of furniture before leaving.  So when Mike and his great team at San Diego Movers finished helping us unpack everything from the truck, we were left with a odd situation.  With the impending floor work, our living and dining rooms were left empty.  With no bedroom furniture, our bedroom was empty.  Until the bedroom was ready, we would be sleeping on the hide-a-bed couch in the office.  Unable to unpack most of the house, all of the furniture and boxes were piled up in our back room.  We were in a house divided - half empty, and half filled with boxes and an unpacked life!

The only workable room was the kitchen…and we made a use of it.  After a year of tiny kitchens, often with no oven, only rare access to a grill, and never a fully stocked spice cabinet, it was SO good to be back in my own cooking space!  The grill in particular has seen heavy use - pork loin, salmon fillets, chicken parts, steak, corn on the cob….yay!!

But, back to the task of making this house livable again. 

While the floor work was being finished by the excellent father-son team at Gallaghers Hardwood Flooring, we set out on our project of purchasing furniture, a process neither of us enjoys.  We took two days hitting up most of the major local stores.  Here’s what it got us: a bedroom set from Mor, mattress from Ortho Mattress, and couch and coffee table from Signature, all to be delivered over the span of the next week, once the floor was ready.  Thanks to some great Labor Day sales, everything was marked down, and all with free delivery!  We also picked up a new TV at Costco and brought that home ourselves.

Unfortunately, we had some successes turn to failures.  It took two tries to get the Mor delivery - we were home for the first try, but apparently didn’t hear the doorbell.  And when it finally arrived a few days later, it was not what we ordered.  A quick call to our sales rep at Mor made one thing clear - this was not going to be resolved in any way that would please us.  There was no offer of an upgrade or discount to get us what we had been told we were buying.  Despite their salesman’s mistake, we were on our own.  We frustratingly refused delivery and returned the whole thing.  Looks like we were heading out for more shopping, NOT at Mor…and spending yet more time on the hide-a-bed!

All the other purchases and work done on the house went very well though.  The painting and ceiling repair work we had done look fabulous and the guys at Gallaghers did a great job with the new floor…wow!

Our living room furniture was delivered completely as expected, and we love it!

Especially the lift-up top to the coffee table, perfect for eating while watching TV.

And after Mor let us down with the bedroom set, one more evening of shopping led us to Metro Design in Linda Vista, where we found a slightly more expensive, but much higher quality set, and they were able to deliver the next day.  And most importantly, it arrived as we expected!

With all the furniture in place we could finally unpack the huge pile of boxes from the back room. Slowly, the chaos took shape and the house started to look like home again. Now we’re in the process of putting the final touches in place; putting up nick-nacks, organizing closets, and hanging pictures and art, including the great travel map my sister gave us upon our return.

So it certainly hasn’t been a perfect transition, but over the last year, we’ve learned to take things in stride. Slow but sure, our lives back in California are falling into place. Once you add in all the lunches, happy hours, BBQs, and visits with our friends, it feels damn good to be home.

-Daniele

Our return to the States, after a wonderful and exciting year of international travel, began with a whirlwind two weeks of visiting friends and family in the northeast US.  After a year away, we were very excited!  First up…Pennsylvania and the Murphys!

We arrived in New York City’s JFK airport in the evening, made our way through immigration (in the “citizens” line!) and customs without incident.  We jumped on the AirTrain shuttle to Jamaica station, then the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station in the heart of the city.  From there, we bought tickets with New Jersey Transit for a train down to Hamilton NJ…a short drive from the home of Doug’s parents over the border in Pennsylvania.  A three-train journey like this would have been a huge undertaking in a foreign country.  But in the US, well labeled, in English, with familiar names and systems, it was a breeze.  Sometime before 11:00pm we emerged from the Hamilton train station and found Doug’s dad waiting for us with open arms.  Family!!!  

The next five days were spent relaxing, watching movies, playing games, taking long walks in the park, endless conversation, and of course, a lunch at Originals, our favorite spot for authentic Philly cheese steaks!  Should have taken a picture of those gorgeous sandwiches, but was too excited to eat them!

During our visit we took a trip to the unique Grounds for Sculpture park.  This 42 acre park, right near the train station we arrived at in Hamilton, NJ, exhibits a huge variety of contemporary sculpture.  The exhibits are large and small, made of countless materials from old plastic water bottles and shoes to traditional wood and metal, some indoors, some outdoors, and all interesting.  Like this giant robot man made of random deconstructed household items such as vacuum cleaners and clothes irons.

We spent a few hours exploring the grounds, which were gorgeous even without the added attraction of the sculptures.  I’m sure the number of species represented in the arboretum far outnumber the sculptures.

But my favorite part was the random sculpture people scattered throughout the park, often indistinguishable from the live patrons.  A few times I took a double, thinking we had found a pair of secluded lovers hiding in the bushes, or a couple resting on a shaded bench, only to realize they were inanimate.

The activities were nice, but the best part of our visit was getting to spend time with the family.  Doug’s sister, Jenn, came down from NYC for a few days, and we even got to go out to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa - the whole family together.  What a treat!

But it couldn’t last forever.  We had a lot of people to see on this homecoming!  Our next stop was up to Boston to see some old friends.  We picked up a rental car (a Mustang convertible as they were out of the economy car we booked - bonus!) and headed north.  We dropped Jenn off in NYC and continued on to Boston.  A few hours later, we arrived at the home of our friends Heather and Ron in Wilmington, just north of the city.  Frequent readers of this blog will remember Heather and Ron from their wedding back in November, which inspired our pit stop in Boston two months into our journey.  What a difference 10 months make…they are now happily settled into their new home and expecting a daughter later this month!  We spent most of our stay with them just sitting and chatting, catching up on the massive changes all of our lives have undergone. 

While we were in Boston, we met up with several old friends.  We had lunch with Greg, a friend from college, by the harbor at the Black Rose.  It was great to see him, and to spend time by the water…such a beautiful part of the city.

Later in the day we had plans to see several more friends - Brian and Heather from college, and our beloved baseball team, the Red Sox!  Having been to Fenway Park dozens of times but never taking the inside tour, we decided to head toward the park right after lunch and take a tour.  Unfortunately, when we got to the park, the remaining tours for the day were all sold out.  :(  Turns out the game we would be seeing that night was going to include a tribute to long time player Johnny Pesky.  Pesky played infield for the Sox in the 40s and 50s and later managed the team.  He passed away a few weeks prior at the age of 92.

In absence of a tour, we decided to take the time to wander around the area, and specifically the Fens, the urban wildland/park area for which the Fenway area was named.  We strolled along the water and explored the community vegetable and flower gardens.  Doug exhibited his safari-honed spotter skills when he spied this great hawk sitting on a low branch mere feet from our heads.

After our walk it was time to head to Church…the bar/restaurant where we met up with Brian and Heather for dinner before the game.  Once again, a great reunion I forgot to capture on camera!  Once we were in Fenway Park, with a stunningly colorful sunset on display, it was impossible to keep the camera packed away.

The Sox were not able to pull out a win that night, a recurring problem this dismal season, but it was great to be in this hallowed space again…it has been missed.  Our great company and conversation trumped any activity, regardless!

The next day we were on the road again, heading farther north into New Hampshire.  On the way up to north, we stopped in Salem for lunch with our friend Julianne.  Look…I remembered to take a picture!

Julie and I taught school together in Revere, a suburb of Boston, over a decade ago.  It has been three years since we’ve seen each other, and it was great getting caught up on our lives and families.

Speaking of families…next up was my parent’s home in northern NH…another great homecoming.  We often visit for the holidays in December, and see this part of the world grey, leafless and cold.  While a blanket of fresh white snow has its own beauty, the cold keeps us indoors and limited in activity.  So, this summertime visit opened up a host of options not usually available, and we took advantage!  We went fishing on the beautiful banks of the Androscoggin river.  Only a few small bass caught…no trout lunch this time…but the view is worth any lunch!

We took a short hike up Mt. Jasper, behind my old high school, for a great view of the small city and the surrounding mountains. Turns out the US has plenty to offer in the way of beauty and adventure as well.

We went mini-golfing at the illustrious Moose Meadows in Gorham, the next town over.  (Dad and I tied for the win…but Mom got the only hole-in-one!)

And we played several games of pichenotte…the old family classic.  (OK, so this one is indoors, but we had the windows open!)

And, once again, the activities took the back seat to the people.  Much as we experienced in Pennsylvania, my sister, Michele, and her husband, Gary,  took some time away from their busy lives and spent a couple of days with the whole family…all together!  Michele and Gary are a bit camera shy, but their 10 month old puppy, Blu (a Tervuren), was more than happy to pose!

After two weeks of visiting along the east coast, it was time to print out boarding passes one more time and get on a plane.  This time the trip was domestic and we arrived in California…our home.  It was a magnificent trip, both our international adventure and our short reunion with friends and family.  But we were excited for this last step…to get home and settle in, something that has not truly been possible for the last year.  Stay tuned for stories of our transition home.

-Daniele

The following was written on plane, as we departed Portugal over a week ago.  Now that I have completed our posts from our time in Portugal, it’s time to share these thoughts with you. 

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I have several posts to finish from our Portuguese adventure before recounting the tale of our return to the States.  But I want to make sure I capture this experience in the moment.  So, as I sit on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean, I’m writing on my iPad and will turn this into a blog post when it is chronologically appropriate.  

I feel weird.  I feel weird that I don’t feel weird about the end of this journey. When we started this trip a year ago, every transition was painful. I didn’t want to leave Nans Sous Sainte Anne, it was so beautiful, so relaxing, and we really liked our host and neighbors. I didn’t feel ready to leave Croatia.  We were just starting to get to know our great hosts and there was still so much of the country we hadn’t seen.

But as the trip wore on, I got better at these transitions. I learned that no amount of time is ever enough.  I learned to appreciate what experiences we were able to have, and to look forward to what was coming next. With Facebook, emails, postcards, and this blog, we have been able to stay in touch with the wonderful people we’ve met, and I hope that remains true over time.  Maybe someday, some of them will visit Southern California and we will reverse roles and play host.  

So, as we roll into this transition, I’m ready, and content.  Looking back on the last year, I am overwhelmed at what we have had the opportunity to see and do. As it draws to a close, how could I possibly be sad?  I will carry the memories with me…but more importantly a brand new perspective on the world. It will take some time to digest, and there will be several blog posts devoted to reflecting on the trip as a whole.   For now, I’m focused on our homecoming.  

In a couple of hours we’ll arrive at JFK airport in NYC, and for the first time in a long while, get in the “citizens” queue at passport control. We have been in unfamiliar territory for a very long time.  Each new country comes with learning everything anew, from languages and exchange rates, to cultural norms, to directions, maps, and transportation. After a while, it’s exhausting.  Worth it, but exhausting none the less.   And just when you start to figure things out, its time to leave.  This morning when we woke up, Doug said it best:

“So, we’re going to America today.  How do you say hello in English?”

“Um, I think it’s hello!  What’s the exchange rate on the dollar?”

“One to one!!  Damn, this is going to be easy!”

And well beyond the ease of daily details, we get to see our friends and family again!  Skype is great, and we’ve met some wonderful new friends along the way, but we miss the relationships we have carefully cultivated over years and decades.  It will be great to return to our regular poker games, rounds of disc golf, game nights, and group dinners.

But before that, we have one last domestic leg to enjoy. Over the next two weeks we will spend time in Pennsylvania with Doug’s family, time in Boston with good friends, and time in New Hampshire with my family.  It will be wonderful to have the comfort foods of our youth, the familiarity of old surroundings, and the embrace and company of our loved ones. We’ll still be living out of our suitcases, but will feel more settled despite.

And after that, it’s on to San Diego and our home!  Our garden, our shag rug, our favorite restaurants and wonderful city.  And we know, even in these familiar surroundings, our adventure will continue.  What lies ahead in this next phase of life is largely unknown. But we know whatever it is, we’ll handle it together, like we always do, and that makes the future exciting. 

-Daniele

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We will continue to post to this blog.  We have stories and photos to share from our homecoming in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and reflections on our journey as a whole.  But even beyond these tales, we plan to chronicle our return from our lives on the road.   Moving back into our home, reuniting with our friends, figuring out if we want to buy a second car, fancy cell phones, or cable, trying to make a living outside of the rat race, trying not to fall back into old routines.   As always…stay tuned.

In our final few days in Portugal, and really the final few days of our year of international travel, we spent our time relaxing and away from the crowded historical attractions of the area.  On our last weekend, we made our way into the hip Barrio Alto neighborhood of Lisbon for a traditional Portuguese dinner and some live music.  

Knowing the ancient narrow cobblestone streets of Barrio Alto are not conducive to driving, and even less for parking, we planned to park on the outskirts of town and take the Metro into the city.  Our plans were a bit derailed when we missed an exit on the highway and passed the Metro stop we were targeting.  Armed with an old fashioned paper map of the city, we decided to plunge in and wing it - how hard could it be to find another Metro stop?  Yeah - you’d think after a year on the road we’d know better.  We slowly got sucked into the labyrinth of poorly labeled winding roads.

But, with Doug as master navigator and me behind the wheel, we slowly matched up the roads and landmarks we were passing with the map, and with our stomachs beginning to rumble, we found the unmistakable flag at the top of the green rising from Marquis de Pombal square.

The rolling green lawn, peppered with benches and shade tress and a view all the way to the river, attracts locals and visitors alike, especially on this gorgeous Saturday evening.

From here we grabbed the Metro and just a few stops later found ourselves on the edge of Barrio Alto.  As the name implies (“alto” is Portuguese for “high”), we then climbed a long series of stairs, past countless restaurants with “al fresco” dining, to reach the heart of the neighborhood.  

After a dinner of local pork and fish at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant we made our way down Rua da Atalaia.  Early by local standards, we stumbled into “Kitch’In” bar, proudly advertising cheap beer and live music.  The beer was indeed cheap, and the music was not only live, but quite good.  

Over the next few hours, as the crowds slowly filled up the bar, we enjoyed the singing and guitar work of a couple of musicians.  Though their English was far from perfect, they sounded out many classic American tunes, much to the delight of the gathering tourists.   

We got to hear a few Portuguese songs as well, and enjoyed the variety, even if we couldn’t sing along.  

Shortly after midnight, we were pooped and decided to call it a night.  Late by our standards, this was prime time for the Portuguese bar scene, and we had plenty of company on our walk back to the metro station.

After the weekend, on our last day before heading back to the US, we made our way back to Cascais for a afternoon at the beach.  Cascais is very cute coastal community with picturesque tree lined cobblestone streets and a laid back atmosphere.

We grabbed a tasty lunch of pizza and iced tea at one of the many cafes overlooking the water, then headed down to the beach.  The water was very cold, but the sun was warm and the sky a brilliant blue.  We basked for a while, people watching between paragraphs of our books, digging our toes in the sand.

What a great way to end our time in Portugal - great music, good food, and a relaxing day at the beach.  We really enjoyed our time in this country, with warm friendly people, gorgeous scenery, and fascinating history.  But it was time yet again to move on.

Stay tuned for tales from our homecoming - next on our agenda is a trip to the east coast of the US for two weeks of visiting with family and friends, and seeing the country we’ve known our entire lives in a whole new light.

-Daniele

As our time in Portugal was starting to run short, we knew we wanted to get one more trip into historic Sintra to finish up the great palaces and parks of the UNESCO World Heritage “Cultural Landscape.”  Our entries were already paid for with the four-park pass that we purchased when we went to the Moorish Castle.  Left on the list were the Park and Palace of Monserrate and the Capuchos Convent, both located on the large granite hill in the center of town.  So we once again braved the winding, narrow roads up the hill, peppered with blind curves, hemmed by old stone walls, are barely large enough for two cars to pass.

I can’t even tell you how much I white knuckle the steering wheel whenever a tour bus goes by!  But the area is beautiful, and worth the stress to get there.

Arriving at Monserrate, we found a lucky parking spot right out front and headed in.  The palace is fairly deep set on the property, and the experience starts with a walk through the fabulous park.  Both the landscape and the palace were built in the early 1800’s, first by the British writer and builder William Beckford, then by the British millionaire Francis Cook in the second half of the century.  

The park is a mix of open grass lawn, ponds, exotic trees, and shady paths.

There are also extraordinary flower beds of every shape and color,

The best of which are right around the palace.

There are also several structures throughout the park in addition to the palace.  There is an ancient, and now crumbling, chapel which predates the palace, some greenhouses, an ornamental Indian archway, guardhouses, and workshops.  Some of the structures are less formal, like this carefully placed pile of rocks that was sort of chair-shaped.  Giant chair or tiny Doug?  You decide!

But the main attraction is definitely the palace, perched at the top of the grass lawn.

The palace construction and interior is just stunning.  The stonework in particular is overwhelming…I can’t imagine how many stone carvers it took to create this place.

The dome of the music room alone is a work of art.

And while most of the palace furniture and artwork has been removed, what does remain compliments the ornate construction of the palace.

After thoroughly exploring the palace and grounds we worked our way back up to the parking lot to drive over to the Capuchos Convent, on the other end of the granite hill.  In the mid 16th century, the Counsellor of the State to King Sebastian commissioned the creation of the convent.  As the construction was extremely simple, integrated with the natural world around it, and removed from the rest of society, it was the ideal environment for the Franciscan friars who lived there until 1834 when the religious order was suppressed in Portugal.  The remote retreat exemplifies Franciscan spiritual values.

The construction of the convent is predominantly stone, sometimes directly carved out of the mountaintop.

The convent is also known as the “Cork Convent” as cork from the many trees on the grounds was used as insulation.  You can see it in the photo below, on the tiny door of one of the novice cells.

The most interesting design could be found, not surprisingly, in the various chapels throughout the property.

Perched atop the Sintra hills, the convent grounds, like the other palaces in the area, have a great view of the surrounding coastal land.

And the particular location within the hills often leaves the convent shrouded in low hanging clouds and fog, adding to the tranquility of the retreat.

If we lived in the Sintra area, I could definitely see buying a pass to visit the entirety of the “cultural landscape” sites over and over.  The parks provide endless paths for walking, either for a gentle stroll or vigorous cardio work out.  The palaces are fascinating and stunning architectural masterpieces.  And there are countless hidden nooks and crannies for quiet and tranquil reflection time.  Well done Sintra…well done.

-Daniele

About 140km (87miles) east of Lisbon is the town of Evora.  With much of its medieval city walls still intact, and the town center packed with historic buildings, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was also on our short list of places to visit during our stay in central Portugal.  So, we picked a day, jumped in the car with our directions from Google maps, and off we went.  A little less than two hours later, we pulled into town and ditched the car.  

What we didn’t realize was that the journey eastward, and away from the ocean, would bring a massive change in temperature.  In retrospect, it should have been obvious, but after leaving our breezy ~80F (26C) apartment, getting out of the car in 104F (40C) Evora was a shock!  We threw some extra water in the camera bag and took off to explore the city…making sure to walk on the side of the road that had shade!  Despite the heat, we couldn’t help but love the old town, with it’s narrow cobblestone streets and classic buildings.

First on our hit list, after a quick lunch…in an air conditioned cafe, was the Cathedral of Evora.  This old church is famous for, well, being old, but also for being very large and a great example of early Gothic architecture.  Built in the 12th century, and expanded in the 13th, we explored the central cathedral and choir loft, the roof and bell towers, and the attached cloister.  First up was the roof.

We enjoyed the complexity of the stonework, accented by the colored lichen (I think it’s lichen), and the views of the city afforded by the height.  But the sun was pretty brutal up there, so we scurried back inside to the cool of the stone building.

On our way down from the roof we stopped to visit the choir loft at the rear of the cathedral - which was really impressive.

Not only did it have a great view looking down on the whole interior, but the wood detail on the choir pews and carvings around the loft were really great.  Not to mention this fabulous pipe organ!

Before entering the cathedral proper, we took a stroll through the attached cloister.  There is a peaceful central courtyard in the cloister with a great view of the bell towers above.

Once again we quickly retreated into the cool shade of the stone and started to explore the cathedral interior.  The cathedral is dedicated to Virgin Mary, and one of the most curious attractions in the cathedral is a rare statue of the holy mother pregnant.

It wasn’t until I saw it that I realized that I had never seen this image before.  

The main chapel was stunning, with gorgeous colored marble inlays, columns, and a dominant dome.  This part of the cathedral was rebuilt in the 18th century, and definitely does not fit in with the older parts of the building.  The gilded alter in the center makes it even more eye catching…and honestly a little over the top!  (So much for blessed are the poor.)

Just outside the cathedral is an even more ancient sight, a Roman temple dating from the first century.  (You can see the cathedral tower in the background.)

This temple is often mistakenly referred to as the Temple of Diana, though historians think it more likely to have been dedicated to the emperor.  Much of the original temple has been destroyed, and what remains has undergone restoration over the centuries, but it was still impressive to see.  

After the temple we worked our way to the other side of the historic center of town (once again making an effort to stay in the shade of buildings!) to find the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones).  Part of the Church of St. Francis, the interior walls of the chapel are covered in human bones and skulls.   Built in the 16th century by a Franciscan monk, the bones are meant to be reminders of the transience of life on earth, as demonstrated in the quote at the entrance, ”We, the bones that are here, await yours.”  

The total volume of human remains is impressive, but a bit creepy to.

Something about the empty eye sockets peering down at you from all directions…

Once again, however, this was like nothing I had ever seen before, and worth exploring.

After this friendly reminder of our mortality, we braved the heat and made our way back to the car, with its air conditioning and a steering wheel made of molten lava by the time we got there.  About 20 minutes outside of town we headed to another big tourist draw… Cromeleque dos Almendres. This megalithic complex dates from 4000 to 3000BC and was discovered in the mid 1960s.  We visited two mains sites.  The first had only a couple of stones, but they were the largest and were specifically placed to hold celestial significance, lining up with the sun at the solstice. 

We followed the path from the parking area out to the first megalith.  We could appreciate the significance of this historical monument - thousands of years ago, some of the first people to figure out the art of domesticating sheep were also starting to figure out the movement of the sun and stars.  But the reality of the experience…well…it sure was a big rock…yup.

So, we moved on to the second site.  The circular grouping consists of nearly 100 stones, also with directional orientation.  

But the stones are so old that the carvings that once graced their surfaces are barely visible.  And…well…there sure were a lot of stones sort of laid out in a circle…

Even though we found the megaliths to be a bit underwhelming, and it was still about 100F outside, I still enjoyed going out and seeing the historic site.  And the cork tree farm that surrounds the protected site was beautiful in its own right.

The routine harvesting of the cork bark leaves the trees “naked” below the upper branches and a curious reddish hue.  I find them beautiful.

After exploring the rocks, really old rocks, we were completely overheated and ready to head home.  It was a great day exploring a really old cathedral, a really old temple, some really old bones, an some really old rocks.  But Evora still felt fresh, and interesting, and still vibrant and relevant.  If only they could move it closer to the sea breeze….

-Daniele   

So, it turns out fully exploring all Sintra has to offer can take days!  We had already spent one day exploring the historic center of town (see the post here) and now turned our attention to the parks at the top of the granite hill that serves as the backdrop to the center of town.  Several castles, palaces, and parks form an area recognized by UNESCO as a Cultural Landscape - World Heritage Site.  

First up on our list was the Moorish Castle, built during the 9th and 10th centuries during the period of Arab rule.  As an alternative to driving up the narrow, winding roads and battling other tourists in cramped parking lots, we decided to park in town and take the hour long hike up the footpath.  We hadn’t been hiking in a while and the exercise was great, as were the views and scenery along the way.  Once we reached the castle, about 400m (1300ft) up the hill…we weren’t done climbing!

This 1000 year old castle, predominantly unoccupied since King Alfonso took it from the Moors in 1147, has been undergoing restoration since the mid 1800s, with a very large reconstruction effort in recent years.  With the cistern and knight’s quarters currently off limits for restoration, we spent our time walking the walls.  While the size of the construction was very different, the experience reminded us of a smaller version of the Great Wall of China.

In the picture above, you can see a few of the flags of Portugal, with the modern incarnation at the top.  The green flag in the foreground proclaims “Sintra” in Arabic script - a testament to the castle’s origins.  Below is the flag of King Joao I, who ruled in 1385, with our next destination, the Palace of Pena visible on the distant hill.

As we reached the highest point, the Royal Tower, the views were stunning.  We could see all the places we had visited so far:  Lisbon and the Tagus River (see post here) in one direction, and the beautiful towns on the Atlantic coast, all the way up to Ericeira (see post here).

But time was marching on, and we had other royal getaways to explore!  Up next, the Palace and Park of Pena, which we could see on the next hill from our vantage point at the castle.

Unlike the stark grey utilitarian Moorish Castle, this palace was built as a showpiece by King Fernando II and Queen Maria II in the early 1800s.  Stepping onto the grounds of this palace is like stepping into a fairy tale - bright colors, ornate carvings, elaborate watchtowers, and exquisite detail.

The main gate, arching over a classic drawbridge, is carved with snakes, demons, spikes, and spheres.

The variety and detail are on display from the rear courtyard, including a long wall of arches giving spectacular views of the surrounding hillside and coast beyond.

The tile work and stonework were the most impressive, like this “Triton”, described as the “allegorical gateway of the Creation - a half man, half fish figure”.

I couldn’t help thinking this was the castle Walt Disney used as his model for the homes of his cartoon princesses.  

The living quarters within were just as elaborate and opulent - but unfortunately, no photography allowed.  :-(

By mid-afternoon we were getting pretty tired, and we still had to hike back down to the car.  So we left the palace proper and started to work our way through the Park of Pena.  It is amazing to know that this 210 acre lush garden is one of pure manmade landscape - the hill was mostly barren when the palace was built.

Now it is home to an enormous variety of plants and trees, several fern gardens, secluded temples, a rabbit warren, an aviary, stables, and a networks of ponds and streams dotted with duck houses.

And that’s not to mention the chalet, built for Countess Edla, the King’s second wife.  That was uphill, and we were most definitely working our way back downhill!  The hike was wonderful, but it was a much hotter day than we anticipated, and our fuel tanks were running low.  

Another full day exploring Sintra, and we still hadn’t seen the Park and Palace of Monserrate or the Convent Capuchos.  Looks like we were going to be heading back for a third round!

-Daniele

A short interlude to our travel stories…we have big news to announce today.  After months of work, we are happy to announce the roll out of a sister site to this blog, Leap Year Images.  This website currently features some “best of” photographs from our year-long world journey.  Over time, it will grow to exhibit images from other travel experiences as well as our daily lives in San Diego, which are also filled with moments of beauty and art.  

The photos on the website are available for purchase as prints, digital files, puzzles, and more.   There are interactive features where you can give a “thumbs up” to vote for your favorites, which we strongly encourage you to do.  If you have a picture from this blog that you are interested in purchasing but is not featured on website, you can send me a note through the “contact” link at the bottom of the page and request it.  

For Facebook users, Leap Year Images now has its own page here, and if you “like” it, you’ll get updates on new photos and special deals in your timeline.  There are also Facebook links on the website to like or share your favorite photos.  

And now, we return to our adventure in Portugal, and posts with stories of these adventures will follow as usual.  Photos from Portugal will be added to Leap Year Images website soon.  Both sites will be abuzz with activity, stay tuned!

-Daniele

To put it simply, Portugal’s coast is beautiful!  We took advantage of the freedom of having a rental car and spent a day driving around a small stretch of the central coast.    We started by driving out to Cascais, and when we hit the water, we turned north.  It didn’t take long for us to reach a point where we wanted to get out and explore the rocky crags.

While most of the tide pools were fairly uninteresting (lots of mussels and barnacles), we found this scene to be oddly disturbing. 

Yeah - it’s just a large abandoned doll, tucked into the shady shallows between the rocks. But the awkward limb directions, the creepy colorful getup, and the oddly serene look on its half-drowned face were just unsettling!

We climbed around on the rocks, carefully avoiding creepy-doll, watching some fishermen and exploring hidden coves for a bit.  There was a brisk wind, and we were reminded that the water in this part of the Atlantic might be a stunning shade of blue, but is much colder than the Pacific back home! 

We kept this in mind as we worked our way up the coast and stopped at Guincho Beach.  We decided to keep this to a beach-walking day instead of an in-the-ocean day.  And what a gorgeous beach-walking day it was!

We were surprised at how uncrowded Guincho was, on a warm mid-day in August.  But we weren’t complaining.  We walked from one rocky border of the beach to the other, watched a group at surf school try to master the small white water waves, and tried to act casually whenever we ran across one of the women taking advantage of Portugal’s laid back stance on going topless.

Knowing Guincho was just one beach of many, we didn’t want to limit ourselves and hopped back into the car, continuing to head north.  Our next stop was Cabo da Roca…

This is not a political statement about the future of the Euro, it’s actually the westernmost point of the continent, the “end” of Europe.  The cape is marked by a monument, lighthouse, restaurant, info booth, and souvenir shop, where you can buy a certificate authenticating your visit?!  We settled for this picture.

There is also a small set of trails to explore the windswept bluffs and high cliffs towering over the surf below.

After walking the bluffs for a bit, our stomachs took control and we wandered into the small town for a tasty seafood lunch.  My stew was advertised as having calamari and shrimp, both of which I like.  When it arrived, it also contained clams and mussels.  This trip has really opened me up to new food experiences - Vietnam in particular taught me to try things before dismissing them…I was often surprised to find out what I actually like.  So, I dove in.  Turns out my memories of over a decade ago led me astray - clams, when prepared well, are pretty good!  Mussels, on the other hand, will remain in the “thanks, but no thanks” category.  

After lunch the coastal road took an inland turn and we made our way through the impossibly narrow, steep, and winding streets of the town of Penedo to the picturesque beachfront of Azenhas do Mar.

We parked at the scenic overview, from which the above photo was taken, then walked down to the restaurant at the side of this sea-water pool for a relaxing popsicle snack while watching surfers in the ocean and children playing in the pool.

As the afternoon grew late, we headed still farther north, the road once again veering inland for a stretch.  As we passed through the town of Odrinhas, we started to see the strangest sights along the side of the road.

We spotted several of these collections of stones, pottery, and old sculpture we quickly dubbed “monument cemeteries”.   At one we spotted a sign proudly announcing “Pedra Antiga” with a phone number.  A quick consult to Google translate confirmed what we suspected, these plots were providing “old stone” - it was not a cemetery but a shopping display for landscaping needs!  As they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure….

When we reached the Atlantic yet again, we decided to stop at Foz do Lizandro for another beach walk.  Here the Lizandro River empties into the ocean, providing both a quiet and warm riverfront for young swimmers and some wilder ocean waves for watersports.  As the tide was in, leaving little firm sand for good beach walking, we walked the edge of the river, then when we reached the ocean, stopped and watched the kitesurfers catch some air along this beautiful strip of coast.

Finally, we made our way to the touristy beach town of Ericeira.  Here we stopped for a beer and a crossword puzzle along the water, then found a local pizza joint for dinner.  As the sun sank into a hazy horizon, we decided it was time to head home.  Surprisingly, we actually hadn’t traveled that far from home.  Once you take out the snaking side roads, beach walks, scenic vistas, we were back to our apartment in about 30 minutes.   

Having been away from the scenic coast of California for almost a year now, our day along the Portuguese central coast was a great reminder of home, and a great relaxing day of exploration.

-Daniele

Our apartment in Portugal is just outside of the capital and cultural center - Lisbon.  Much like our exploration of Sintra, we knew it was going to take more than one trip into the city to fully appreciated it.  So, for our first visit, we started by heading to the downtown district, Baixa Pombolina, with a few key tourist attractions on our radar.

Lisbon is an old city - even by European standards.  The area was inhabited as far back as several millennia BC, and it became an important city in the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar before the turn of the millennium.  Like the rest of the region, Lisbon was controlled by the Moors from the 8th to the 12th century until the Crusaders took the land for Portugal during the “reconquista”.  Lisbon grew, and then thrived, as the Middle Ages turned to the Age of Discovery, with the Portuguese sea power dominating exploration, colonization, and trade routes.  

However, thanks to the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 1755, very little construction of this period remains in Lisbon.  85% of the city’s structures were wiped out during the disaster, and the city as it stands today is largely a result of the rebuilding efforts planned by then Prime Minister, Sebastiao Jose de Carbalho e Melo.  Most of what wasn’t destroyed during the earthquake and tsunami was torn down to accommodate the new city plan, which included some of the first intentional earthquake resistant construction. 

Having heard horror stories of parking in Lisbon, we left the car on the outskirts of town and took the metro in to the Baixa.  Upon emerging from the underground, we headed straight for the riverfront and Parca do Comercio - the large public square on the water.  Heading into the heart of the Baixa from the square, we passed under the giant arch that stands as a monument to King Joseph I.

We really liked the vibe in Lisbon right from the start - lots of outdoor cafes, cobblestone streets, stone and pastel colored buildings, countless statue/fountain/monuments in public spaces, and of course, the iconic trams.

Our first destination was the Castelo de St. Jorge (St. George’s Castle).  It was an easy first target, perched high on a hill near the water and easily visible.  Of course, this is Europe, so along the way we passed a great old church.  This one is the Se Cathedral, and we stopped to take a quick peek at the cavernous but modest interior.

After, we continued up the hill, following the frequent signs pointing us toward the Castelo.  Upon entering the castle grounds, we were immediately drawn to the edge of the property, along with most other visitors.

One of the highlights of a visit to the castle is the stunning view that the hill provides of the rest of the city.  We looked back over the city, toward the Tagus River just before it empties into the Atlantic, and saw the Parca do Comercio where we started (the open square way on the left in the picture below).

We also got a good look at the other parts of the city, with so many interesting buildings waiting to be explored.

The castle was originally built by the Moors in the 11th century to fortify the area including the royal palace and a neighborhood of the ruling elite.  The castle walls have been through several periods of reconstruction and renovation since then, and the residential areas now exist only as an archaeological site, with the oldest of the ruins (dating to the 7th century BC) rediscovered only in the last century.

We spent our time walking along the castle walls, enjoying the view from the towers.

We took a quick look around the museum, mostly dedicated to the artifacts discovered from recent archaeological efforts, and decided to move on.  We descended from the hill, winding our way through some old residential neighborhoods.

The homes in this area were rich with the Portuguese tile work we are starting to recognize.

We emerged from this old neighborhood into the main downtown strip, filled with restaurants, hotels, theaters, and public spaces.  There were some fantastic fountains of unique design,

and elaborate cobblestone designs, like these waves in the plaza outside this theater.

Once again, this is Europe, and the only things that outnumber the monuments and churches are the pigeons!

We were really impressed by the grandeur and variety of architecture in this part of town.  Seriously, when have you seen a nicer location for a Starbucks?!

We wandered through the squares and down the park-lined Avenida Da Liberdade.  Doug was craving a hot dog, and I just happened to read about a famous “Hot Dog Lovers” kiosk at the end of this park, so that’s where we headed.  If I hadn’t been so hungry, I would have thought to take a picture of these chili, cheese, and potato-straw laden masterpieces.  But my instincts took control, and it was not around long enough for me to take my camera out!  

After our hot dogs, the sun was setting rapidly, and with the city growing quiet on this Sunday night, we made our way back to the metro and took the train back to the car.  Our first foray into Lisbon was a great one, and we can’t wait to wade back in for round 2 - there’s so much more to see!

-Daniele

Just north of our apartment in Portugal is the town of Sintra.  This quaint town of a little over 30,000 people is home to numerous historic castles, palaces, and the summer retreats of the former ruling elite.  It was built mostly in two time periods: by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries and by Portuguese nobility from the 14th to the 19th centuries.  The central “old town”, dotted by interesting Romantic architecture, and historically significant estates in the area have earned Sintra a UNESCO World Heritage listing, and made it a go-to tourist destination.  It was going to take more than one visit to fully explore this neat little town, so we started with one solid afternoon.

We parked on the far end of town, and walking towards the center, confirmed what we started to realize in Casicais…Portugal is gorgeous.  Some aspects remind me of Southern California, with homes of white stucco, terracotta roofs, and vegetation of cypress, eucalyptus, and bougainvillea.  

But unlike SoCal, Portugal oozes Old Europe as well, with cobblestone streets, narrow alleyways, and old stone architecture.

One look at the ornate town hall and you know this is not home!

Sintra has a distinct artisan flare as well.  There are, of course, the multitude of souvenir shops filled with the wares of local artists, but these are clearly catered to tourists.  What stood out to me were the public art displays in many parks and walkways, like the sculptures below.

Knowing we could not see all Sintra has to offer in one day, we decided to focus on two main attractions during our first visit, one of which was the Sintra National Palace.

Nothing remains of the original palace built in the 10th century by the Moors, but you can definitely see the Islamic influence in the design of current palace, most of which was built in the 14th - 16th centuries. The tile work in particular reminded us of many of the palaces and mosques we saw in Turkey.

Other parts of the palace were different than any of the other royal estates we’ve visited on this trip.  While the ornate gilded ceiling of the Coat of Arms room would be right at home in a place like Versailles, the design of the blue tiled walls is distinctly Portuguese.  

One of the most interesting parts of the palace was the kitchen.  Surprisingly, through all of the palaces and historical estates we’ve toured, we never seem to see a kitchen set up as it was when it was functional.  Nestled deep in the palace, under the two giant conical chimneys which hold an iconic place in the city’s skyline, we found what has to be one of the world’s coolest BBQ spits!  You can almost smell the roasting meat….

After the palace, we walked to the other side of town to the Quinta de Regaleira, which we had spotted on the hillside from the palace balconies.

The Quinta was the summer retreat for the Baroness da Regaleira in the 1800s.  At the end of that century, the property was bought at auction by Antonio Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro.   The Carvalho Monteiro family owned the property for the next 50 years, expanding the boundaries and bringing in many artists and architects to develop the buildings and grounds.  More alterations were made when Waldemar Jara d’Orey took over the property mid-century.  Finally, the estate was acquired by the city of Sintra in the late 1990’s and it was restored and opened to the public.  (Tangential side note: many of the streets in Portugal are named for historical figures, often with such long names…makes for cumbersome directions!) 

The main house is an impressive piece of architecture, seen here from the “Promenade of the Gods”, but the gardens are what bring most of the visitors to the property. 

Towers, walls, pavilions, and other elaborate stone structures line the vast network of twisting trails and paths through the dense tangle of exotic foliage.

Many of these structures are intricately intertwined with waterways, creating waterfalls, ponds, and hidden grottos.  

There are several underground passageways, like the one that begins at the base of the Initiatic Well, a “subterranean tower” descending 27 meters below ground.  

We spent the afternoon exploring the nearly 10 acres of trails and dark passageways, wandering without any real plan, just letting the design of the gardens lead us.  Every twist and turn revealed something new, from a duck pond that extends underground to quiet benches in the shade of soaring sequoia and cycad trees.  

We really enjoyed exploring both the Quinta and Sintra as a whole.  We are definitely looking forward to coming back for round two, when we plan to explore the Castle of the Moors and the Pena National Palace, both on top of a huge hill overlooking the rest of the city.  Yay Sintra!

-Daniele