October 29, 2024 •Everyone Said
Late entry: Unabridged summer-in-review and the beginning of fall!
She Said:
I blog to journal parts of my life in detail so that I can look back on them and remember them with clarity and most times, with joy. For this reason, I decided I wanted to do a summer-in-review as part of my latest blog since it’s been a few months anyway. This summer, the first I’ve ever had completely off from work since before I can remember, and the first I’ve ever been able to spend with Sebastian, is one I feel so grateful for and want to remember all the details of the fun we had and the many, many activities we did.
At the beginning of the summer, Sebastian and I compiled a list of things we wanted to do in or around Lisbon and called it “camp mom” (with Chad included as much as his work would allow). We tried to do at least one activity each day, but some days, we simply decided we’d rather be dormant and instead binge-watched Grey’s Anatomy and vegged with Cody on the couch.
So, for our review, in no particular order, here is how we spent the summer of 2024 in Lisbon, some with visiting guests and some with just us:
Oeiras Valley Pool: We thought that this might be slightly warmer than the frigid Atlantic Ocean and would be a fun pivot from the beach, though the pool is situated right off the beach. We were wrong on the pool temp (freezing) but correct on the fun pivot! We met some friends there and enjoyed a chilly swim and some lunch on a hot summer day. Seb even jumped from the second highest diving board!
MAAT Museum (Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology): It’s not really a secret that Chad is the enthusiastic museum-goer in this family, so for us to go without him either meant that it was soooo hot outside we wanted to get indoors with AC, or we had enough curiosity from the cool outdoor vibe of the museum that we wanted to check it out. In this case, both were true. The art side of the museum and some parts of the technology exhibits were kinda cool, but the architecture side of things was straight-up boring. That is, to us. I can totally see the intrigue for engineer types or those who love to see the inner workings of electricity, for example, but not us. But, we saw most of what it had to offer regardless of our speed race through and happily completed it with lunch and ice cream.
Óbidos: This was one of my favorite activities of the summer. We hopped on a bus about an hour outside of Lisbon with some friends to check out an amazing, medieval town called Óbidos. While it’s a very touristed town and some consider it inauthentic, it’s still rich with history and was preserved in its entirety as a national monument. So, we relied on our friend Rick Steves to provide the history and side street approaches to seeing the town away from some of the tourists and as always, he did not disappoint. We walked the perimeter of the 14th-century old city walls and feasted on chocolate (Seb) and ginjinha (cherry liquor)(me) at Rick’s recommended most characteristic spot, where we were told to ask for Bruno. Surrounded by a very old liquor bottle collection (his father’s), Bruno surprised Sebastian with a secret (naughty) drawing behind a wall he didn’t know opened. I laughed so hard I almost spit out my ginjinha!
Hippotrip: Yep, we took the touristy yellow bus turned boat turned back to bus. Chad joined us for this one, and we all had fun. The bus part of the tour added to our base of knowledge in and around Lisbon, and the log-flume part where we landed (faster than we expected and got a lot wetter than we expected) in the Tagus River offered views of the coastline and Lisbon that never seem to get old.
Beaches, beaches, and more beaches: One of the things I love most about living here is the proximity to the beach. We’re a few train stops away from some great ones that we hit this summer and a bit of a longer bus ride from one we’d been wanting to see and finally made it. Costa da Caparica is an expansive, beautiful, white sand beach with some powerful breaking waves. As we expected, the water was freezing, but the beach and cute, small town were both well worth it. We also went to a new beach that we could bring Cody, which turned into quite the adventure with a dog park friend that drove us and Cody having the time of his life exploring ocean waves and sand for the first time ever (see video)!
Lime Scooter Rides: Anyone that knows me (and my profession), knows that riding anything without a helmet is off limits in my family. But, I decided in this year of YOLO to live like a local and allow us a few fun rides, albeit risky and dangerous for an underage rider. Seb and I rode to new places we’ve never been, from one site to the next in some cases, and along the coast. It was quite a fun way to get around other than walking and thankfully turned out as only that, fun.
Flight Concept Simulator: Many people know that Sebastian has been obsessed with planes since he was a toddler. He has a vast collection of planes and, over the years, has only gotten more mature and advanced in his knowledge and interest. So much so that I wonder if Homeland Security might knock on our door one day asking why/how he’s tracking flights! So, when a dog park friend/pilot told us about this place with flight simulators with every detail included in a real cockpit, it was a no-brainer. The experience is led by an actual pilot and takes place in a simulated cockpit. Sebastian got to take off, fly, and land in multiple destinations. It was so cool watching him from the jump seat, and I could not help but imagine him in that pilot seat for real one day in the future.
Open Air Cinema: This was a really fun way to see The Truman Show movie outdoors with reclining chairs and popcorn. It got a little chilly as the night progressed (thankfully they had blankets) and a little distracting with the party boats coming in to dock (headphones they provided helped so we could hear the movie), but overall, it was a fun, unique way to see a movie.
50’s Diner Lunch: Living abroad, especially for a kid who hasn’t lived outside of America in his life, brings days of nostalgia for people we miss and longing for creature comforts from home. So, we were excited to hear about this “American-style” diner, which ended up satisfying some of those cravings! Seb got a BBQ sandwich and a milkshake, and I got a chef’s salad. We listened to 50’s American music from a jukebox (which Seb has never seen or worked before) and took photos with Marilyn and Elvis statues. It was an absolute blast of a lunch activity at a place totally decked out in all things 50’s Americana.
Observation decks galore!: April 25 bridge We intended on taking what was described as a cool elevator experience to the top of this bridge to learn about the inner workings of the bridge and enjoy sweeping views of Lisbon. However, upon our arrival, we were informed that the elevator was broken and did we want to walk up? Seb and I looked at each other and unanimously agreed that the trip would not be in vain, so up the stairs we went! 412 stairs later, we were rewarded with gorgeous views of Lisbon and a glass-bottom observation portal that peered straight down into the Tagus River. Walking down was much easier and the VR activity at the bottom was a super fun way to see what being a bridge worker actually looks like.
Aquaduct Because who wouldn’t want to walk across an aqueduct that opened in 1748, survived the 1755 earthquake, and only stopped providing Lisbon with water in 1960? We sure did and once again, we were rewarded with views in both directions!
Amoreiras 360 View: We’d been to the Amoreiras shopping mall probably a dozen times but this was the first time we’d gone to the rooftop observation deck. One of the tallest points in Lisbon, we got, once again, 360 views not just of Lisbon and surrounding areas, but were so high up and close to the airport, Sebastian could literally see the planes takeoff and landings. Big score.
Rua Augusta Arch: Anyone who’s been to Lisbon knows the Rua Augusta Arch. It’s an iconic structure that faces both Praca do Comercio and Rua Augusta with, you guessed it, 360 views of all of downtown and the Tagus. Pretty sure there isn’t a view we haven’t seen at this point!
Lisbon Under the Stars: What’s the best way to experience 600 years of history? Sitting on the floor, under the stars, at the ruins of Carmo Church, surrounded by virtual dancers, visual effects, and big-name Portuguese singers. That’s how.
Vivaldi by candlelight: I think they have these in many cities around the world, but I had never heard of it until moving here. I’ve been keeping my eye on Vivaldi dates and finally got tickets on a day we could make it. I absolutely love the violin, which means I adore Vivaldi and his Four Seasons. Listening to four women play, surrounded by candlelight in a dim room, made for a lovely date night for Challi, to say the least.
Lisbon Public Library (one of them): In our search for a cool-looking public library to check out some English books, someone mentioned this place for us to visit. We had no idea we were walking into a 17th-century palace! It was a gorgeous building, no doubt, so we took a little time to explore each floor. We found university students studying at more modern tables and walls upon walls of books, but sadly, we didn’t really find many English books. Either way, worthy stop!
Castelo Sao Jorge (Castle) Sunset Concert: As mentioned in many previous blogs, live music makes me happy. Add on a beautiful sunset and gorgeous views atop a ginormous national monument that just happens to be a castle; yeah, I’m in every time and twice on Tuesday.
Spinach Tours: This was a dad/Seb outing for 3-hours around Lisbon and Belem. They carted all around the city in a little green electric mini-car of sorts, while an AI navigator explained the sights they were passing. This, followed by pizza, and my boys were very happy. And, I got a little time off camp
Tomar: We rounded off Seb’s first week of 7th grade with a weekend trip to Tomar. Former headquarters to The Knights Templar, this enchanting and not very touristy town had it all: a castle, good food, impromptu festival celebrating who knows what, some kind of rally car races (not a fan), and charming little shops with all things Knights Templar. I could not stop thinking about The Da Vinci Code! We ended the weekend with a Portugal National game and were incredibly lucky to see Ronaldo score a goal. That guy doesn’t suck.
Last, but definitely not least, over my summer vacation, I experience my very first earthquake. On August 26th, 2024, at 5:11 am, the bed began to shake, and a low roar woke me up. Of course, I thought it was Chad and turned over to shove him to stop what I thought was snoring, only to find him awake and looking around. He said, “I think we just had an earthquake”! I immediately wanted to look outside, and technology, being what it is today, allowed Chad to confirm it was a quake within minutes of it happening. It only lasted about 5-7 seconds, but it’s something I’ve never felt before and having recently visited the Quake Museum to learn about the devastating quake of 1755, let’s just say I was up for the day. Both Sebastian and Cody (and Pam) slept right through it, but it was all many of the locals were talking about the next day, it being the biggest they’ve had in over a decade.
And now, we’re well into the Fall. Not only is Seb back in school, but I have also started Portuguese classes four days per week and am looking for a part-time job. We’ve enjoyed more visits from great friends and family and even some of my old co-workers and their husbands, which was so fun as their former boss, now friend. We celebrated the high holidays (second time around without family was even harder) with a local Kol Nidre service and meaningful Tashlik by the Tagus River. We returned to the old bull ring to see Phantom of the Opera, and finally, we attended the first-ever International Tribeca Film Festival! What a treat to get a little bit of New York here in Lisbon. That, plus Whoopi Goldberg, A Bronx Tale’s Chazz Palmentari, and Robert DeNiro (who I sadly missed but Chad saw).
Been a busy few months! Até à próxima, meus amigos!
Pam Said:
What a grand time I had visiting Lisbon with the best tour guides: Chad, Alli & Seb. After a year living in the city, they know it well and were gracious to share it all with me. I so enjoyed spending time with them, and lucky enough that Seb had a week left of summer vacation. They are certainly well-adjusted to life in Lisbon.
We started the days taking Cody to the park to run and play will all the dogs. People were so friendly, and of course, everyone loved Cody. From the dog park, back home to go out for the day visiting all the sights. Friday night, we went to listen to Fado music during dinner. The restaurant was fabulous with such fun sharing different dishes. For a twelve-year-old Seb enjoys all the specialty dishes some adults have never experienced. Whether it's steak tartare, octopus, Little Neck clams, he likes it all! But no cilantro, just like his mother! I tried everything and loved all the food; what fun!
My last night, we ate at a traditional Portuguese restaurant with beautiful interior tiles. Again, we shared small plates, including their barnacles. Seb had to show me how to eat them. I especially liked the octopus dish. From dinner we headed over to see “Lisbon Under the Stars” at Carmo Convent, the cathedral that survived the 1755 earthquake, fire and tsunami leaving only the roof beams and open to the sky. It was an hour long program going through the history of Lisbon. What a treat! Chad, Alli and Seb hadn't seen it so this was a first for us all.
Thank you guys for your gracious hospitality! I love you all!
Chad Said:
I hadn't thought about the moment in years. In fact, I had forgotten all about it. But the memory washed over me like the waters splashing against the boat's hull.
The funny thing is I didn't actually remember the conversation itself. I didn't remember the details of what my grandfather said, where he told me, or even the reasons why. All I remembered was him telling me that he was going to sell the sailboat and that our trips on the Sunshine were over.
Like before, it's easy for me to slip back into those childhood memories by the sea after being away from it for far too long. I guess it's to be expected, actually. But what surprises me are the memories that have faded, like the colorful canvas of a spinnaker bleached by all those years of use, that can still emerge from the bag and hoist right up to the top of the brain.
As one of my birthday gifts, Alli got me into an intro sailing group, and for a few days, a small crew and I spent warm mornings out in the estuary of the Rio Tejo. The truth is, being out there on the Baleia Azul—Blue Whale—was the first time I had been on a real sailboat like that since the Sunshine. The little lake boats are fun, but there’s nothing like being out in the open ocean or navigating a beautiful coastline. The salt air it ain't thin. It can stick right to your skin and make you feel fine, almost weightless, as though you're exactly where you're supposed to be, like the only place in the world is your boat.
The rigging of the Baleia Azul was slightly different from my grandfather's boat, but it came back to me quickly. Trimming the jib, watching the telltales, the way you let the lines slip through your fingers—it all felt familiar. It was muscle memory, something that never really leaves you. Even though they might not have come up for air for years, the knowledge is still there, just below the surface, waiting to be rediscovered.
All these thoughts about my grandfather swirled through me that morning, but the real buildup was to the moment when we cut the engine on the Blue Whale. I had completely forgotten what it was like to lose the low putter of the little Mercury outboard, leaving us with nothing but the soft breeze rippling the canvas above and the water washing past the hull behind. It was that simple change, that sudden shift into silence, that made the entire experience transform from movement to magic.
Our captain, Paolo, caught my eye just as I looked back over the water. He must have recognized something on my face—a kind of remembrance, maybe.
"The moment of zen," he said, and he was right.
It was in that stillness that the memory flooded back to me.
“I’m selling the sailboat, Chadder.”
The words were simple, almost ordinary, but reliving them was unexpectedly devastating—maybe more so than the first time. And yet, as the Blue Whale glided across the Tejo, the sadness was washed away by the warmth of the present moment.
I was grateful—grateful that Alli had bought me this experience, grateful that it brought me as much joy as I’d always imagined it would. I was grateful to be back on the ocean I love so much and have missed deeply over the years. And, in a strange way, I was even grateful for that original heartbreak -- because without it, without the loss of Sunshine, I might not have appreciated the beauty of this new journey quite as much.
I was grateful, too, for all those weekends out in the Gulf with my grandfather—the sandwiches, the grape soda, the sails catching wind, and the endless horizon stretching beyond the bow, which in many ways represented the life ahead, a life that is now more visible from the stern.
Tracy and Vinny Said:
It has been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of joining the Challi blog! We’ve had Paris together, and Oktoberfest in Munich, and now we’ll always have Lisboa.
Ever since Challi started talking about moving to Europe, the first words out of my mouth were, ‘We’ll go see you’. No matter where, no matter how, it would happen. We might not see each other often, but as Chad says, we are the best friends that we never see. The best friendships are like that, where time has no effect. A few more grey hairs and the jet lag gets harder, but otherwise, it’s like we are still in our 20’s.
The last time we saw Challi in person was in Boulder and Sebastian was a baby, so to say we were long overdue is an understatement. I won’t issue a play-by-play of everything we saw and did because, in all honesty, it’s a bit of a blur. Chad and Alli have clearly become masters of showing their new city off to all the guests who have come through their door. They have perfected it, and we felt like we got a great taste of the city and Portuguese culture.
We arrived with a blank slate, with our only goal being to spend time together and get to know this place that they now call home. As usual, Chad and Alli, and now Seb, provided the perfect balance. Chad’s enthusiasm and excitement over their new city and country was infectious. Chad is embracing everything about Lisbon, and you can’t help but be infected by that and love it, too. The pasteis de nata taste test was a definite delicious highlight, which I wish I could recreate every day. Arriving to see Alli waving out the window and welcoming us into their home made us realise quickly, they really live here!
Their home is amazing and was a gentle reminder every day of what a big effort it took to get here. All the work to sort out the logistics and then the everyday hiccups, this was not easy. I always figured that they would do it at some point, because it was talked about for so many years, but being there really brought home how much hard work and tenacity it took, not only to get there but to make it work. Alli infuses some realism of what it actually takes to live every day in a city where you don’t speak the language and everything is new. Why did the bus not come when it was supposed to? Who knows and now Seb is late for school. What can you do? The fact that they have figured out how to do this is truly awesome to behold.
And then there’s Seb, the now very grown-up young man that we haven’t seen since he was a baby. I really wanted to spend time with Seb and get to know him, since he came from two of our favourite people. He has grown into a wonderful, thoughtful, and kind human. As the days went by he became more comfortable with us. He is clearly thriving in this new home, and it was amazing to see him just ‘being’ a typical Lisbon kid -- getting around the city with ease and speaking with everyone in Portuguese with the most perfect accent -- it’s like he has never lived anywhere else.
For whatever Chad and Alli decide to do about leaving or staying, this experience appears to have been everything they wanted it to be. We are truly in awe of what you have accomplished. Other than the pasteis de nata, the highlight of the trip was going to the Fado on Saturday night. It was a magical experience, topped off by Sebastian singing a traditional song in Portuguese for the restaurant. The confidence with which he sang and the voice of an angel, you guys are doing a great job, because he is one awesome kid. And you guys are pretty great, too. Love you and thank you for opening your home and sharing your new city with us. We might not see each other often but the laughs and good times make it worth the wait.
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