Day 1/2

When one of my patients asked me how I was going to start my vacation, if I was going to go out for dinner and drinks with friends, I probably should have said, yes, that is exactly what I am doing... However lets be honest, all I really wanted to do was go home and drink a bottle of wine and eat some chocolate, and said as much. It was glorious and most satisfying. Besides, I was already packed, had cleaned everything I need to clean, and as it is the first real vacation I have taken in four years I believe it was the perfect kick off! All I had to worry about was winning the impending bet with my dad...

Earlier that week I loaded up my pack to get a better idea how much it would weigh. Zipped everything up and slung it on my back, walked around a little bit thought to myself, holy crap, this thing is LIGHT!! Something I would never having anticipated, I immediately texted dad asking if he would like to make a little wager, who's ever pack is heavier looses and has to buy lunch in Amsterdam during our lay over. I must win.

Jade was kind enough to drag us all to the airport, and was subsequently around to witness a miracle. My parents made it out of the house and to the airport exactly on the timeline I had scheduled. Even though their bags were pretty much ready to go when we showed up I will take FULL credit for this! It's because Dart the Younger was at the helm, I run a tight ship and give no quarter, I mean, we'll see who's waiting for who when we have to start waking up at 7 in the morning (me, they will be waiting for me) because who in God's name wakes up that early on vacation, I don't even wake up that early for work! Anyway, made it to the check in desk and waited with bated breath for the results. My pack came in at 16.7 pounds and dads was 18.4 pounds. I WIN!!!
Now he will say things like his pack is bigger so weighs more anyway, and he had his hiking boots in there and I didn't... First, his bag isn't much bigger, and there is no way my boots weigh almost 3 pounds, so blah blah blah, I WIN!! I'm sure my victory lunch will be delicious!

On the to plane we go and take off without incident or real delay, the only problem being a little brat of a 2 year old who did not shut up for 8 full hours. The stupid kid didn't even take a nap! After six hours my patience was starting to become non-existent and was wishing for and airlock to open and suck the kid right off the plane. Everybody can save your gasps of horror and judgement, you KNOW you've all thought the same thing on a flight, I'm just saying it. Arrived in sunny Amsterdam for a six hour lay-over, first order of business, coffee. Found a nice little table in the sun where we hunkered down for awhile, Graham joining us on the table and enjoyed not being on a plane. I took the advice of my one 'Funcle Dave' and had a drink before 10 am, my dad raised his eyebrows a little at this to which my response was, it's like 1 in the morning our time, and Dave TOLD me I had to! Who am I  not to do what I'm told?

Portugal is wonderfully warm and humid and just lovely. We had the most entertaining cab driver from the airport, my dad being his typical charming self and making friends immediately won her over by asking "how do you say..." in Portuguese? She was more than happy to assist in his education and after like five tries of him saying whatever, "Yes!! perfecto!" She was a riot, but she won my heart over by not only playing ABBA in her car, but singing along to it as well! Ahhhh Europe!
She dropped us of at our little bed and breakfast with a laugh, I'll never forget "you have to say bom dia (good morning) with a big smile on your face, like you are greeting the day!" Bless her happy little heart.

Now, as I've said earlier, this is my first real vacation in 4 years, and it's been 4 years since being back in Europe, the things you forget so quickly, such as, the size of the rooms, mostly the bathrooms. I popped into my parent's room before heading out for dinner, my dad "So, is your bathroom as small as ours?" My response, "um, no. It's smaller". I was awarded a shocked expression. "Well what does your room look like?" They have a double room and is already pretty small, so when I said it was pretty much the same, just smaller, another shocked expression. Remember all, it's Europe, it can always get smaller. But the rooms are cozy and I can see some beautiful architecture from my window, ain't too shabby for this girl.

Our first dinner in Portugal set the standard pretty high, on the suggestion of the front desk person we went and searched out Abadia, at 6:30 in the evening I might add, so yes, we were pretty much the first and only people in the restaurant. Holy balls was the food ever good! I had the salmon for 1, and the waiter shows up with literally a platter of food and starts serving me (I felt so Downton Abby) then just sets the rest on the table. I assumed he made a mistake and brought the salmon for 2, so I asked, no, he said, for one. So much food, and all for me! Mom had the veal which was also huge and looked like a slab of steak and dad and a fish/egg/potato thing, all washed down with some delicious wine that was a chardonnay but not a chardonnay. As we didn't get a chance to have a proper lunch, sorry, my victory lunch, in Amsterdam this was a more than adequate substitute.

With our belly's full and jet lagged to the nine's we made our way back to the hotel, and that dear friends is the end to the first days of travel

Boa noite

Dart the Younger