A Good Move

We have left Nazare three days early for greener pastures.  I am really learning a lot about how to travel best for our family and 10 days in one place with the kids was too long.  At least at the place we choose in Nazare.  So we decided to pack our bags and return to a town I had visited only for a few hours earlier in our trip, but enjoyed.

We arrived in Cascais on Saturday, parked the car and havenºt moved it since.  Instead of being on the outskirts of town, we are now smack dab in the middle.  We are less than a five minute walk to the ocean, one minute to the bakery and internet.  Itºs a cute little apartment in the old part of town. Only downside, the night time noise.  The price you pay.

The girls are quite happy with our move.  We happen to arrive in the middle of a weekend festival where they got to do everthing they would do at festivals in Austin.  They did a very high zip line, rock climbing, face painting, watched dance performances and karate sparring and spent some time playing on the beach. We were in the midst of it from 10 to 6.  And hereºs where the difference comes in.....it didnºt cost me a penny!!!  Everything was free!  What a great day for mom and kids.  I would have spent a good $75 to $100 if we had done all of these things at an Austin festival. Thank you Cascais!

And a side note, one of the things I love about Portugal is hardly anyone speaks english.  And I donºt think weºve run into a single American while weºve been here.  Piper says she wonºt be used to people speaking english when we get home, sheºs used to only portuguese.

A second side note, mom is going to be 70 in November and Iºm very lucky to have a mom who will get her first international drivers licence at 69, who will fly to Europe on her own, and who will be the only adult who does the zip line!  She received cheers as she scaled the two story rope ladder and zipped on down the beach.  Go mom!!

We have one day left before returning home on Tuesday morning.  Iºm going to be sad to leave, and happy to go home.  I think thatºs the best you can hope for.