It was a late start to the day. At 10:30 we just couldn’t wait any longer and had to wake up Leila. We finally got out of the house just after 11 and headed down the street to what was already a VERY crowded beach. Packed with people but full of super soft sand and the PERFECT temperature water, it felt great to get in for a swim. After a couple hours of swimming and exploring the nearby rocks, we decided to rent a couple of kayaks. Leila and I took one and Noni and Josh took another. Josh was the instigator for this outing and Leila had begrudgingly agreed to come along.
I didn’t have my camera with me (that was a mistake) but it was a great paddle…even Leila loved it and declared that she wants to kayak every day we are here. We paddled around to the cove and small, secluded beach that we can see down from our house. It took about 30 minutes to get there and once we arrived we hopped into the water to enjoy the peaceful little pebble beach and amazing water. I borrowed one of the kids’ life jackets and just floated in the sea. If we had been more prepared or had gotten an earlier start we would have stayed much longer…but without any food packed we knew we needed to head back.
We made it back to the beach around 3:00 and after a failed attempt to find Leila and Josh friendly food at one of the beach restaurants we ended up grabbing hotdogs and Orange Fanta from a small beach shack. My first hotdog in 3 months…I have to admit it really hit the spot! I promise my next Spanish meal will be more authentic.
We finally headed home for a little pool time, reading, a late dinner on the deck and straight to bed.
Josh and I started our day in Lisbon with a 3:45 AM alarm clock. Noni and Leila started their day (yesterday) with a delayed flight out of Atlanta. Despite a rough start for us all, we all managed to meet up at the Barcelona Airport on Monday morning. Josh was so excited to see Leila; running across baggage claim to envelop her in an enormous hug.
From there we picked up the rental car and took the 2 hour drive north to Begur, Spain. Both kids were exhausted and slept the whole way. Begur is a coastal town in the area known as Costa Brava. It is a beach town…a beautiful one…with pink cliffs, turquoise water and fortunately a really nice breeze (because we don’t have air conditioning). I hear that Europe is dealing with a nasty heat wave, but luckilythat has been north of where we are and we have low 80’s…still hot when you don’t have AC.
Upon arriving we opened our front door to this.
That is a lot of stairs (30; according to Josh’s counting)! Luckily the climb down is rewarded with this amazing view from our balcony. The views are the absolute best part of this house.
Once we figured out where everyone was sleeping, hauled down our luggage and turned on all the fans the kids immediately changed into swimsuits to hit the little pool and I headed to the grocery store for supplies.
It was a long day but I am so happy to have Leila and Noni back with us and it is exciting to settle into our new digs for the week.
The last few days have basically been pool, beach, other pool, playground, other pool and more pool. It was nice to relax and great to have some chill time…BUT I have to say being at a family resort just Josh and I really felt a little lonely. I think the combination of not being busy and knowing how much fun the kids would have had if they were together made me a bit sad. I can’t wait to have Leila and Noni join us again tomorrow when we meet up in Spain. I’m not psyched about the fact that I have a 3:45AM alarm set but I will not miss our 6:45AM flight to Barcelona and my sweet girl!
Just the two of us again…let the shenanigans begin.
A vacation and a trip are two very different things. While normally I wouldn’t classify any travel with kids as a “vacation” it’s all relative. For the next few days we will be at a hotel – with a beach – with a pool – and withOUT a plan.
We are enjoying four nights in the Algarves; Portugal’s southernmost region (a 3 hour train ride from Lisbon). The hotel is over the top and the cliff lined beaches are gorgeous. It reminds me of Bryce Canyon…but with white sand beaches, pools and ice cream!
Today was our last day in Lisbon and the last day of adventure for Sean (he flies home Wednesday morning). We had a great last day. After some morning walks we then took the local bus down to the marina where we had a sailboat trip on the Tagus. In addition to the three of us there were four other passengers, the captain and a tour guide. The guide was great; educating us on the various landmarks as well as ships that were seized during drug busts, the complicated history of an abandoned fishing village and the various morons that have jumped off monuments, rocks, boats etc. into this wild river (himself included).
After our sail we had a light tapas lunch on the river and then the boys headed off to the Lisbon Zoo for a couple hours while I enjoyed a little down time.
Josh couldn’t believe how long his tongue was!
Riding the gondola through the zoo.
LOVING the dolphin show.
We all met up at the apartment around 5:00 to finish up our packing and then headed back to the Lisbon Market for dinner. This place is so great because Sean and I can try all different kinds of fun food in one place while Josh eats endless pizza and everyone leaves happy!
Tomorrow morning Josh and I will be taking a train off on our next adventure while Sean flies back home. We are all getting more used to the shuffling around of people on this trip. It is not what I would have chosen (I wish all 4 of us could have been here together the whole time) but we have managed to make it work. I do think Josh and I have been very fortunate to fully engage ourselves in the travel and living abroad without a looming flight back home, impending obligation or general concern for the happenings of life back in GA.
As someone who typically starts missing home a day or two before any week-long vacation ends, I can honestly say I haven’t felt that way at all during our three months of travel so far. I’m certainly not dreading returning home, getting back to work or seeing friends. I’m excited about all of those things…I’m just not in any rush to get there. Somehow, in a rather uncharacteristic way, I feel like I have managed to just really immerse myself in where we are and what we are doing here. Hope I manage to maintain that feeling for our final three weeks!
Dublin and Lisbon seem to be confused. Our time in Dublin was nothing but sunny and so far Lisbon is overcast and drizzling…what’s up with that? Despite the less than perfect weather, we are trying to make the most of our time. Almost all of the locations we have traveled to so far have been new towns/cities for me but been countries I have visited before. Not Portugal. I have never been here before and am excited to see as much as we can.
I think Ireland may have made us a bit lazy. It wasn’t until our plane touched down in Portugal that I googled “common phrases translated to Portuguese”…shame on me. I find myself using a combination of Italian, Spanish and French out of total panic and confusion about what I should be saying. Fortunately for us, they seem more than prepared for tourists here and we are managing just fine.
Our first stop in Portugal is Lisbon. We have an apartment on the main street (Rua Augusta) and are close to all the action. Our apartment is four flights (and 75 grueling steps) up above an ice cream store, just blocks from the Tagus River and easily located by the Rua Augusta Arch and Commerce Square. This is known as the “door to Lisbon”.
After a very early start to the day and an extra long flight (due to weather conditions) we arrived very hungry. We headed straight to this fabulous market that had probably 50 different food stalls. Everything looked and smelled amazing. It was overwhelming but once Josh had a pizza in hand and I had a glass of wine the day really began.
After lunch, we strolled the streets and checked out the riverfront before buying tickets for Lisbon’s hop on hop off bus tour. Lisbon is a huge city and we were on the bus for a long time before we decided to hop off in the west part of Lisbon called the Belem district. During our tour we learned all about the terrible earthquake/tidal wave/fire of 1755 (that is quite the triple punch) and the few buildings that survived.
Our primary stop in Belem was at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Church of Santa Maria. This was an impressive and beautiful site.
Finally it was time to head home, unpack and find a grocery store for an easy dinner. Sunday was a long day and having done very little research or preparation for the city I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. I knew the perfect cure for that would be a long run through the city nice and early…before the crowds.
Monday morning before 7:00am was the perfect time to head out on a solo discovery mission.
Our street – before it is packed with people.
I made it to the top!
Parque Eduard VII
After a quick shower (Josh was very anxious to get moving) we headed to ‘Tram 28’. Lisbon is known as the city of seven hills and trams have played an important role in helping people get up these steep hills for hundreds of years. Typically very crowded, our early start helped ensure us seats and a quick trip.
We stayed on the tram and toured the city for about 15 minutes before hopping off at our first district, the Alfama district. Alfama is one of the oldest districts in Lisbon and included beautiful views, a maze of cobblestone streets and (in our case) a yummy mid-morning cake and coffee.
After fueling up we took another trek up and down these hills to reach Castele de Sao Jorge. Similar to the old Roman hilltop towns this area is high above the city and surrounded by an enormous stone wall. We learned about the Islamic history of Lisbon and enjoyed climbing the towers to see the beautiful views (in between light but nearly constant rain showers).
We had worked up quite an appetite so we made a random stop for lunch…it wasn’t good. We then made our way back to the tram, checking out the scenery along the way and doing our best not to slip down the steep cobblestone alleys.
We took the tram back through the city and enjoyed the sites. This one was my favorite…apparently this is what you do at the laundromat at 2:00pm on a Monday.
We got off the tram at Estrela Park and Josh mustered up enough energy to kill an hour climbing and running around this gorgeous park. Swinging like a monkey on the ropes resulted in a major blister for Josh but luckily there was a school group in the park and the teacher was so sweet to help us out with antiseptic and bandaids.
After all that, we headed home to take care of some upcoming travel logistics and enjoy another quiet dinner at home after a long full day.
From Kilbaha to Dublin was about a 3 hour drive. Due to Josh’s recent car sickness issues we were “driving on egg shells”. We were armed with crackers, ginger ale, plastic bags, paper towels and frequent “how are you feeling” check-ins. Total success! We returned our rental car and took a taxi to our apartment for the next two nights.
Our primary reason for coming to Dublin was because this was the best option for flying to our next location, but it was fun to have about 36 hours to explore the city. Dublin was gearing up for its week-long Pride festival. The city was covered in rainbow flags; adorning government, bank and commercial buildings throughout the city. Ireland is very serious about and proud of its diversity and inclusion policies; it was inspiring to see.
By the time we reached our apartment it was late afternoon so we just stretched our legs walking to a nearby park/playground and then checked out the Temple Bar district. This is a popular area marked by cobblestone pedestrian streets, buskers, and lots of pubs and restaurants. It was particularly nice weather the day we arrived so it seemed all of Dublin was out enjoying the busy streets. We had dinner in this part of town and then Josh was on a mission to find a homeless person to gift a pizza dinner (Josh actually wants to stop and feed every homeless person we see…super kind, but not super practical). This sensitive boy just can’t handle not helping.
Our next day started with a hop on hop off bus tour. A good way to take in so much of the city, especially when Dublin is having unusually gorgeous weather.
We took the bus all the way to Phoenix Park, the largest park in Europe. We walked a couple miles through the park and then spent a little time at the playground. Outside of the playground was probably Josh’s favorite…climbing on all these amazing trees.
After that it was back to town for a yummy lunch and then a trip to Trinity College. This famous college campus is in the heart of Dublin and has a tremendous history. The old library, inspiration for Hogwarts Library (I can’t believe Leila missed this Harry Potter stop), holds the Book of Kells as well as 200,000 of some of the oldest books I’ve ever seen.
After the library we hopped back on the “hop on hop off” bus and made our way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral; built in the 1200’s it is the largest cathedral in the country. Josh was so impressed by the story of St. Patrick…he had been captured by Irish raiders in Britain and enslaved for six years. Once freed, he became a missionary and devoted his life to the church. Even the cathedral did an impressive job with being “family friendly”. There was a whole section where Josh used about 100 different wooden pieces to try and build a 3D puzzle of the church. There were bronze rubbings. There were various audio recordings. Really impressive.
After the church we made a brief trip to our apartment and then headed out for a little souvenir shopping, more purchasing and delivering of dinner to homeless and a yummy tapas dinner for ourselves. Home early, we had a 4:00am wake up alarm to set which nearly killed us (this is a norm back home but felt ruthless on this trip). Josh insisted that he would not get up at that hour but luckily the enthusiasm to check out a new country outweighed the misery of the hour.
We were lucky to see a little bit of Dublin, and super lucky to enjoy it in such unusually beautiful weather.
Tonight is our last night in our Kilbaha home, and really
our last night in any “home” for this trip. We still have a little over 3 weeks
to go on our adventure, but that time will be split between 5 different locations,
so the “home” phase of our trip is coming to an end.
Kilbaha has been an incredible home for us and there is so
much that I want to remember.
This place is stunning. The cliffs, the beaches, the ocean, the endless fields the countless rainbows…it is impossible to describe the beauty of this land. I have been humbled by the beauty here and truly feel fortunate to have climbed on these cliffs, run alongside this coast and biked through its countryside.
There are no addresses in the country. Nowhere in the countryside seems to have a number or street name. Our address is just Kilbaha Pier. I went back and forth with the riding stable desperate for an address when all she would tell me is Carmen’s Riding School in Querrin. Is this how it is in the countryside of the US too? Thank goodness for google maps or we never would have found our way around.
There is no kinder place. We haven’t met a lot of people in Kilbaha (because there aren’t many to meet) but everyone we have met has been so incredibly kind. We have been truly welcomed and loved during our time here.
There is a difference between ‘walking somewhere’ and ‘going for a walk’. For the previous two months we rarely had a car and the vast majority of our time was spent walking…to the grocery store, to the park, to the museum, to the bus stop, etc. That has not been the case here. We are in the middle of nowhere and for the first time on the trip have had a car for an extended period of time. Not a day has passed where we haven’t been in the car and I have to say I don’t really like it. I have found myself missing the walking life and the simplicity, exercise and freedom that accompanied it. While not a day has gone by where I haven’t managed to get out for a run or a walk it isn’t quite the same as it just being a part of everything that you do.
People wear shorts when it’s freakin cold. I think Sean has a crazy shorts and sandals threshold but these Irish folk are at a whole different level. If it is sunny outside than no matter what the temperature, regardless of 40mph winds and the constant probability of rain they will be wearing shorts. And…quite a few will be swimming in the ocean. Mad respect!
Rainbows a plenty. I thought we were lucky when we saw our first rainbow in Ireland. About 50 rainbows later I realized these are kind of constant fixtures here. I have to say, I still find every one of them amazing and even woke Sean and Josh up last night to see a perfectly arched rainbow right outside our front door.
Discovering new passions. I was excited to try out a little family horse trek during our first week in Ireland but I had no idea it would spark this incredible passion for Josh. I can not overstate the comfort, confidence and love that Josh has discovered for horses here. Since our trek, he has made two more visits to the riding school where he has displayed such incredible passion, ability and desire to learn. I fear our ability to replicate this experience back in the US but it is a top priority to try.
Commitments. I asked Josh this evening what he will remember most about Ireland. He said horses and Leila making dance company (which was announced our first night in Ireland). We are all so excited for Leila and as much as we are missing her right now, I am so proud of her for committing to something that she loves and returning to the US without her family to meet the required obligations. That said, with this progression I have become acutely aware of how busy her life is about to become and how our cherished family time is getting harder and harder to protect. It has made me that much more conscious of how precious this four months together has been and incredibly grateful that we made this happen.
18 Hours of sunlight is a lot. Okay, reigning back in the sentimentality and emotion here. Summer days in Ireland are LONG. The fact that it is light out by 4:30AM and still light at 10:30PM is a whole lot of light..and I might have liked this home just a tiny bit more if there were black out shades in our bedroom.
Don’t leave shoes on the beach. The tides here are so extreme and so fast…so if you leave chacos on the beach (10 feet from the water) they will be gone within the hour.
Kilbaha has been amazing but we are excited to continue our
adventure and move on tomorrow. It feels very strange to leave here without
Leila and I am so anxious to have her back with us. This has been a wonderful
home and it was so special to share it with Sean’s mom and family. I’m excited
to have my mom rejoin us (with Leila) in a week and soon after that my brother
and his family too. What an adventure!
Today we took the one and a half hour drive to the third largest city in Ireland: Limerick. Car travel seems to be getting increasingly rougher on Josh, Sean seems to think it’s the car (ummm…okay…insert side eye here). Poor guy couldn’t even give us a warning this time and long story short our first stop in Limerick was at a car wash.
Super quick to recover, Josh was ready to tackle the city. The first stop was the impressive King John’s Castle and Museum. Another amazing museum that managed to not only inform the adults but entertain the kids too.
This picture of Josh cracks me up.
We learned about the crazy history of this castle and the multiple sieges. Josh learned how to build a stone arch, fire a canon and enjoyed many “day in the life” character experiences as we climbed through the castle towers and rooms.
After a couple hours at the castle we walked through the city center to a wonderful restaurant/shop/cooking school I had read about: Hook and Ladder. We all loved the food and ambience.
Josh is trying really hard not to smile so I will stop taking photos.
The waitress gave Josh some postcards to write while we waited on our food; and he didn’t hesitate to immediately write one for his dearly missed sister.
After lunch Josh enjoyed some street food – dinky donuts (mini donuts made to order with all kinds of ridiculous toppings). Eating donuts while listening to a street performer play ‘Amazing Grace’ on an electric guitar didn’t exactly feel like an authentic Irish experience but it certainly was a good one.
After that, we did a little more exploring around the city and enjoyed some time at the park and playground before hopping in the car for the ride home (luckily a sleep filled one for Josh).
We have had a pretty low-key few days. We celebrated Father’s Day with a yummy breakfast, a morning bike ride, lunch at Keatings, an afternoon in the nearby town of Carrigaholt and a relaxing dinner at home. Our bike ride included going back to Bridges of Ross, but we hiked in a different area which was really interesting. The rock formations were beautiful and so fun to explore.
On Monday morning we did some school work with Josh and then after lunch headed to Kilkee where we were on a mission to replace Josh’s water shoes. We had success with the shoes and bought a kite. Sean and I REALLY struggled to get that kite up because the wind was so fierce but Josh finally managed to get it launched and had a real knack for it. He spent a lot of time with the kite before taking a break to swim in the frigid waters.
It was then home for dinner and a nice post-dinner stroll on the rocky beach. On our way back Josh ran into his buddy Steven at the playground. I think its pretty obvious why these two get along so well…goofballs!
This morning was amazing for Josh. We signed him up for a riding lesson and he loved it so much. This kid was either an equestrian in a past life or perhaps a horse. He just loves being at the barn and I can’t believe all that he learned today. He trotted, cantered, rode backwards and without hands. He has such confidence and calm on the horse, its really special to watch (looking forward to one more lesson on Thursday).
This afternoon I had a chance to talk to Leila for the first time in a couple of days. It was so great to hear her voice and how much she is loving dance camp. With that peace of mind, I really enjoyed the beautiful afternoon; sitting outside with my computer to take care of some arrangements and then enjoying the beach while Josh swam (the water is still far too freezing for me).
With just a couple days left in Kilbaha, we are trying to soak in the last couple days of the countryside but also getting excited for our next adventure!
adventure for four 