Sweet, Sweet Portugal

Back from a perfect holiday in Portugal.  We travelled around Lisbon for three days visiting St.  Jerónimos Monastery, Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries in the Belem district by the Tagus River. We walked around Rossio, the busy town square; the alleys in the Alfama district; and shopped till we dropped in Chiado. We took the yellow tram up the narrow, winding hills to visit St. Jorge's Castle. The castle itself was closed on our arrival but the panoramic views of the city below from Santa Luzia Belvedere made the trek worth it. On our way back down we came across the most charming little restaurant whose name I can't remember. The servers were amusing, we had the most delicious sangria, and the local Fado musicians were inspiring. 

After fun in Lisbon, we hopped the train and went down to Armação de Pêra for three more days.  This small village in the Algarve region of Portugal has some of the most beautiful beaches with huge, majestic rock formations and caves.  I convinced myself to go para-sailing which actually turned out to be more calming than nerve-wrecking. The view of the ocean from 100 ft up was breathtaking. We also went jet skiing which was also quite fun, but the most magical moments came when we saw a family of dolphins just off the coast.  It was incredibly special to see these beautiful mammals in the wild.

The Atlantic Ocean was a little too chilly to stay in for long but I couldn't help but go for a quick dip. The weather was perfect and the heat of the sun made up for the frigid waters. We had so much fun, I couldn't possibly ramble on about it all in just one post so stay tuned for more upcoming details.

Images via Like, Whatever