Trusting the Process: Algarve, Portugal

After leaving Lisbon, I headed to the Algarve for a week's vacation.  First, I spent several nights at Alamos Retreat near Albufeira, doing yoga, hanging by the pool, and chatting with various guests.

There were a few particularly impactful experiences while I was there.  First, was a yin yoga class with Igor, the owner's nephew who unironically walked around with a feather in his hair.  It was almost sensual how much care and physical/spiritual attention he gave us.  At the end, we were welcomed to choose a Shaman card from his Oracle deck.  Mine was entitled "Dust Devil" and gave me an appropriate new mantra:

Embrace the chaos

Trust the process

Moving out of stagnation

One section that really stood out to me: "Stop asking for things to be perfect.  Awkward, messy, conflicted, exuberant, and wild is how you shift.  Trust this process."

I spent another morning surfing.  This class was a huge group, different than the 2-1 dynamic Azzurra and I had in Baleal, and the waves weren't nearly as good.  Still, at least this time I got photographic proof of standing up on the board!

The person I spent the most time with was Severine, a Dutch hairdresser.  We were both there solo, so it worked out well to share meals together.  I remarked how funny it was that I'd spent six weeks in Holland without making a single Dutch friend, but in Portugal I made one right away!

I also particularly enjoyed the blindfolded dinner the retreat hosted.  It was fun not knowing what was coming next - not, in fact, to have to know everything or anything at all.  We could appreciate our other senses and also look inward; we needn't worry about appearance or perceptions.  Through each course, we would approach the food in front of us as a team, curious to guess what we were eating and break down the ingredients.  It was shocking the number of times I would eat something simple, like a particular vegetable and just not be able to put my finger on what it was!  It is remarkable how much we over-index on our sense of sight.

Menu:

• Cucumber-melon-mint gazpacho
• Chick pea carrot fritter with herb mayo
• Skewer with 18 different items, including various vegetables, proteins, and fruits
• Cocoa pudding with avocado, frozen banana and blueberries, espresso

I'd love to recreate this experience at a dinner party one day!

Finally, and perhaps most impactful of all, was the mindfulness program with Raquel.  She led us, blindfolded and barefoot, around the property, one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us, walking along in a little line.  We walked over sand, rocks, bark, grass, cushions, and wood.  Our shoulders brushed gently by the branches of a bush, and we sensed ourselves moving out of the shade and into the sunshine.  I felt an immense sense of joy, wonder, and anticipation.  In fact, I found myself smiling through most of the walk.  I surrendered to not knowing, and felt excited for what might come next.  When she sat us down and poured water on one foot, I started to cry, so rapt was I with this revelation that I liked not knowing what was coming next.  That I felt joy and anticipation like a child.  That I could drop the plan and trust the process.

This was an impactful experience to have on the heels of my quarter in Europe.  Another transition was coming my way, and I felt open to new possibility, having realized that anywhere I am under this same sky, whatever comes next - I will be ok.

And I felt so much abundance, and an outpouring of gratitude for my experience in Europe that spring and summer. I had several days of calm at the retreat to acknowledge my own hand in that - my hard work, my privilege, my courageousness.

For the second part of my Algarve trip, I headed to Lagos.  I stayed at the Avenida Hotel, right on the marina, and enjoyed three days of water.  Either I was enjoying the marina and sea view from my top-floor balcony, swimming in the rooftop pool, exploring the sea along the gorgeous cliff-surrounded beaches, or exploring caves by boat.  Here are a few highlights.

Rooftop swims

Bought myself a matching bracelet and necklace

in Portuguese gold

I took a catamaran cruise that took us through the Benagil and other caves, along with a private beach BBQ.

Benagil

Beach & BBQ

My other days were an amalgamation of the following:

Enjoy the included breakfasts at Avenida

Stop to see something unique in old town, 

like the fish market

Hike to another gorgeous beach

(I think Praia de Dona Ana was my favorite)

Find a shady spot to read and people watch

Explore the water and caves, or blow a conch shell

Perhaps take an impromptu boat tour...

...like this one from Ponta da Piedade

(bring cash, get there early!)

Maybe drop in for sunset yoga on the beach

Get ready for a nice dinner and sunset

(view from my balcony)

Enjoy the warm summer nights exploring old town!

A few Lagos recommendations:

• Praia de Dona Ana and Praia do Camilo - be prepared for a hundred stairs, and it's a hike from town to the good beaches!  I recommend coming well-stocked with beverages and snacks.
• Pinhão Restaurant and Bar - there aren't a lot of food options by the beaches.  This is a good, casual choice when you need sustenance nearby
• Casinha do Petisco - you'll have to try cataplana (seafood stew) while you're in Lagos, and this place supposedly has the best (make reservations!)
• Joalharia Santo Antonio - where I purchased my Portuguese gold
• It's important to acknowledge Lagos' dark history in the slave trade.  I didn't think the museum was particularly impressive, but even a stop at the building and some independent research is enlightening.
• I can never miss a town's local market!

Eight Weeks in Lisbon - 2022

 

I spent eight weeks working remotely from Lisbon in June-July of 2022.  My maternal family is originally from the Azores, a nine-island Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean.  Staying in Lisbon, while still far from my family on the island, gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in a homeland culture while also enjoying the benefits of a big city.

Lisbon is a city full of color.  The warm sun reflecting off the rainbows of buildings and the ornate azuleju tiles makes this old city sparkle anew.  It's easy to lose one's self in the labyrinthian streets and hills, and as such, to stumble upon surprise parks, monuments, shops, and other hidden gems, as I did countless times.

The people are friendly and kind, the pastries delightful, the panoramas breathtaking. Water is always close - whether it be the river Tagus at the foot of the city, or just several miles west to the Atlantic.  There's an impression of the city folding in upon itself and becoming smaller, so strong is the sense of community.  In Lisbon, the people know how to live.

Eight weeks is a lot to condense into a single blog post.  I've broken my experience down a bit below to highlight some of the memories that most stand out to me.

Festa do Santo Antonio

As soon as I arrived, Lisbon's annual month-long festival was just beginning.  There were free, open-air parties open to all in multiple spots around the city.  And this year was really in full swing, because Lisboetas had gone two years without due to the pandemic.   There are corny pop bands playing fun music (accordions are often involved), the smell of sardines on the grill (strict fishing laws surround sardines, so this is the only time to get them!), and a general conviviality amongst everyone there.  I went to at least five different neighborhood festas during June.

Enjoying the festa with cousins 

Nadien and Mario visiting from Gilroy

Pork sandwich

Sardines in the street

It's no wonder how I got COVID

The complete mosh pit of people in the Alfama neighborhood has got to be how I got COVID.  Even though I was on my own, my Airbnb hosts brought me groceries and I was blessed with cooler weather that week.  It gave me a moment to slow down coming off my six weeks in Amsterdam, and towards the end of my quarantine I was still able to explore some beautiful outdoor spots.

Like the botanical garden near my apartment!

Vibrant art

Lisbon is a city full of art - from the melancholy fado music pouring out of restaurants, to the calçada, the intricately designed (and I must say, slippery!) mosaic pavements.   

One day on the way to my co-working space, I stumbled upon the Amália Rodrigues museum, which preserves and showcases her original home. A couple favorite details from my tour: one, she never knew her birthday, but her grandmother remembered it was during cherry season, enabling them to pinpoint her birthday to July and inspiring her to decorate parts of her house with cherry themes, and two, Amália always had a parrot, and that parrot (even the replacements) was always named Chico, and there is still a Chico in residence today, who has outlived Amália.

I returned to her house for a concert celebrating the 102nd anniversary of Amália Rodrigues, in the back garden. It was one of the top moments of my Lisbon stay: all dressed up on a warm summer's evening, in such a historic setting, letting the music of saudade pour over me. Chico even made an appearance and often "sang" along with the fadistas. Interested in listening to some fado music?  Here's a great place to start.

At the concert

And of course, art is all around in the ornate building designs, the azulejos, and the mosaic pavement tiles.

My mother's family name

My favorite façade azulejos I found in Lisbon, 

located just around the corner from my apartment

I made my own sardinhas mosaics with a local artist 

through an Airbnb experience

And of course, a city full of art means a city full of artists!

Me in Largo do Carmo square, 

enjoying a coke and reading my book, 

captured by a local watercolorist who 

makes people look way cooler than they are

Hidden Treasures of the City

Here are a few of my favorite field trips around the city.

Carmo Convent

Fronteira Palace

A true Portuguese motif at Fronteira Palace

Fronteira water feature

Aqueduct/Resevoir Mãe d'Água das Amoreiras

On the Up and Up

I took so many furniculars while I was in Lisbon, including the Elevador do Lavra, Elevador da Glória, and Elevador da Bica.  They're fun and save you a couple steep hills on a hot day!

The Elevador da Glória take you up to... 

...the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara in the 

Príncipe Real neighborhood where I was staying

The Bica elevator has a super tiny car!

Bica route during the festas

At the top of the Lavra funicular was what felt like 

a real hidden gem: Miradouro do Jardim do Torel

Did I mention Lisbon is a city of hills?

This street straight up has an escalator,

and no it's not leading to a mall.

Rooftops and Lookouts

It's almost hard not to stumble upon a miradouro, or vista point, around Lisbon.  The absolute crème de la crème is Senhora do Monte, which is the highest lookout in the city, and justifiably the best.

With my colleague Sam, who just happened to be 

visiting with her family, at Miradouro da Graça

during a tuk tuk tour of the city together

View from the rooptop pool at the Memmo Alfama hotel

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, again

Mama Shelter rooftop with some friends made through 

an impromptu bar crawl, the main one being Eliza 

to the right of me, and almost all of them Brazilian!

During a tour of 

Parque Natural da Arrábida

Balancing Work and Play

How was I able to live in Lisbon for two months?  I was working remotely!  While in Amsterdam I primarily worked from my riverfront apartment, in Lisbon I decided to join a coworking office so I could meet more people (and get daytime AC).  I selected Resvés Cowork Space, which was just a 15 minute walk from my apartment.  I often would take calls from the patio, where coworkers could see a beautiful old church, trees swaying in the breeze, and children playing in the background.

It was a fun mix of locals, transplants, and digital nomads!

I also got to meet up with some coworkers, old and new!  Serendipitously there was another Zendeskian working at Resvés, for one.  Two, I had lunch a couple times with Raquel, who is based in Ireland but was home in Lisbon for the summer.  And three, I got to see an old Box friend, Petra,  a few times and meet her sweet toddler, Nate.

With Raquel at Campo Pequeno

At the park with Petra and Nate

I did a handful of Airbnb Experiences, which I highly recommend checking out anywhere you go.  They are small group activities and excursions organized and led by locals.  

Beach at Parque Natural da Arrábida that I never 

would've found without the local guide

Captaining a sailboat on the Tagus at sunset

The mysterious Initiation Well at 

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra

Lookout point at Quinta da Regaleira

And for a sweet end to my stay, I made pastel de nata from scratch on my last day in Lisbon.  It was the best one I've ever eaten, and the most time-consuming baking I've ever done.  For the first half of the process, I was really trying to memorize the technique so I could recreate this delicacy for my family at home.  But by the second half I had resolved this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I'll leave this to the professionals!