We can still be tourists in our own hometown.

He Said:

I've learned to flip the switch.

One minute, I'm working on a marketing campaign for a fryer manufacturer, just like I would from my desk in Colorado, but the next, I'm roaming across the city, learning about the significance of carnations. At 8:30, I drop off Sebastian at school like any parent might, but by 9:00, I've ridden the historic funicular up to the high town, where I drink coffee with views of the historic city center. On Friday morning, I'm a normal resident. By Friday night, I'm a tourist. The switch is off, and then, in the next moment, it's on.

Becoming a tourist in my own city has become one of my awkward pleasures. There are always ways to learn more -- a walking tour, a cooking class, or a wine dinner, for example -- and most of the time, those events are only attended by tourists. Why would a fully capable resident want a guided tour? Why would I take up a ticket that should go to a tourist? What is the point? I'm always curious to learn more about this amazing city and country. I can't get enough of the knowledge, and these events are just another opportunity to ask questions of those who take pride in presenting the answers -- plus, they're a great way to find out about new restaurants!

I'd be lying if I didn't say the dumbfounded looks on the tourists' faces also bring some pleasure. It's derived from pride, of course, of sharing my city. "You really live here?" It's a look of amazement and confusion, a mix of "we wish we didn't have to fly home tomorrow and could stay here like you" blended with "why would you be on this tour if you live here?" I have no real answers for them other than I'm thirsty for more knowledge, and I like flipping the switches.

ON:

Lisbon was built on top of Roman ruins, which were built on top of other civilizations. In fact, they say that this is the second longest continuously inhabited city in Europe. For a few days every year, they open up the manholes in the heart of the old town and let a few people in to tour the Roman ruins. Sebastian and I managed to get tickets and toured the Roman galleries under the street.

OFF:

It's not often that one gets to tour Roman ruins under the city—certainly an ON moment—but what about something we would do anywhere? That's what off moments are all about. For Alli and me, that might be a trip to the Opera. We put on some nice clothes on a random weeknight and went to see Madame Butterly in an old, historic venue in Baixa.

ON

We won a raffle at Sebastian's school and attended a wine dinner. Yes, there were tourists there, and two of them happened to go to my high school. Small world, and it's an increasingly younger one, too. They graduated about 15 years after me. But this isn't the point of the story. After all the tourists left, we wound up sticking around with the Portuguese hosts and their friends for a few more glasses of wine. The topic turned to politics and the recent elections held here in Portugal. Even in Portugal, a country known for its progressive ideals and acceptance, a far-right party founded in xenophobia gained a much larger share of the vote. Fifty years after the fall of the dictatorship, 20 percent of the population voted for a party that expresses some of the same ideals. There are many similarities to the U.S., too. The party's leader got his start on TV and rose to power by allowing people to blame immigrants for their problems and inciting them with vitriolic language. But there are also differences. Many of his supporters are educated and under the age of 30, driven largely by high housing costs and low wages. The turn to the right in Portugal seems to be fueled by those who were not alive for its fascist past and are being squeezed by rising costs and very low wages. It's a vastly different demographic from those who support Trump.

OFF

When Alli went back to New York for a few days to celebrate her dad's birthday, Sebastian and I enjoyed a weekend as normal residents of Portugal. His school celebrated Sports Day, and we enjoyed a glorious Friday afternoon on the rugby pitch in Restrelo with games and food. It was about as normal as a school event can be, no matter where the school is located. Field days are field days.

ON

I like to think that modern Portugal and I are the same age. Fifty years ago, they finally rid their country of a dictatorship, an event known as the Carnation Revolution. I took the day off of work, and we all switched into tourist mode as we set out across the city to learn more. The streets were packed with people carrying red carnations, and when a right-wing protest march broke out, people ran over to them and yelled that fascism was dead, that we do not want any more dictators ruling Portugal, and the celebrations continued.

So what is the Carnation Revolution? In 1974, military leaders in Portugal were getting tired of the colonial wars being fought on multiple fronts. It no longer made sense to control countries in Africa from afar. This, along with other reasons, led a select group of military leaders to initiate a coup. They couldn't use military communication channels, though, so they decided that Portugal's entry into the Eurovision competition that year would be the trigger. It began when a Lisbon radio station played the song “E depois do adeus” late in the night on April 24th. The airing was the signal revolutionist leaders had put in place to begin their overthrow of the António de Oliveira Salazar regime, the longest-standing dictatorship in Europe at the time. The revolution succeeded on April 25th, forever ending fascism in Portugal. As people took to the streets, a restaurant worker named Celeste Caeiro began offering carnations to the soldiers, placing the flowers in the muzzles of their guns. The relatively non-violent coup was successful, with only a few shots fired. Today, it is known as the Carnation Revolution.

On April 25th, we toured the city looking for ways to piece this story together—walking down Avenida Liberdade, visiting the square where the revolution began, and then enjoying a great meal with bright red flowers on our table.

OFF

I went to the Dave Mathews concert, just like one might do anywhere. There was this young kid in front of us in the beer line. He was wearing a Grateful Dead shirt. I said to him, the last time I saw Dave Matthews it was a random appearance at the Dead and Company show in Boulder last summer. He lost it. "Bro! I’m from Boulder, and that was my FIRST time seeing Dave." Small world, Sko Buffs. Seeing DMB always brings me right back to those moments in time from so long ago. It was like a trip back to college, riding in the car with friends. Or times in New York. Or Alli and I dancing at our wedding. And then, after the show ended, I was deposited right back in Lisbon. Musical memories interrupted by the reality of living in a foreign country were a fun shock to the system.

ON

Jacarandas. They were brought to Portugal from their explorations in Brazil. They line the streets, encircle the squares, and are fixtures in many of the parks. I've been waiting for 10 months to see them blossom and flower as the weather turns warm, changing the entire city into pockets of purple, the flowers falling down to the ground, filling in the roads and blanketing parked cars like a dusting of snow -- only it's purple, and they're flowers. Lisboa in spring is spectacular, and after dropping off Sebastian at school one morning, I went on a two-hour walking spree through the city, snapping as many pictures of the jacarandas as I could, and then enjoyed a nice breakfast from the miradouro. From 8:30 to 10:30 I was a tourist.

OFF

By 11 that very same day, I was back at my desk sending emails, cleaning my office, and doing some work for clients just like I might do on any given day from my office in Colorado. The ability to flip the switch off is so easy, and that makes living in a place where you can switch it on so much better.

ON

There's no easier way to flip the switch into tourist mode than with guests. Kristin came to visit us for a quick weekend after business in London, and we had a great time touring in Cascais, walking through the historic city center, and enjoying a few great meals together. It was extra special because she was even here for...

OFF

Sebastian's birthday party! The kid broke boards as part of his karate birthday party with some of his classmates, and then we went for our traditional Birthday Eve Indian dinner. So now it's time to be a tourist again, I suppose.

She Said:

I’m happy to report that since my last blog, I have not needed an umbrella once! THIS is the weather that must keep the Portuguese people going through so many weeks of rain. This is the weather we read about in the 300 days of sunshine per year in the promos for Portugal. This is the weather that puts a smile on my face every time I go outside. This is the weather that makes Cody soooo happy at the dog park. And, this is the weather that makes everyday a quiosque day. In Colorado, fall is my favorite season of the year, with leaves turning gorgeous shades of yellow and orange, and hot summer weather is starting to cool off a bit. But here, so far, I love the Spring. I know Chad will romantically describe the purple Jacaranda trees, so I’ll spare you the same, except I will confirm that the pinks and purples that seem to be sprouting from every tree and bush are just as spectacular as he says they are, if not more.

This past month has been a continuation of fun events, visitors, day-to-day follies, and one very special kid’s 12th birthday.

Live music is amongst the top five things in life that make me smile without fail. Concerts come here often, and they are all dangerously well-advertised on billboards, bus stop shelters, metros, etc. Every time I turn around, there is another show I want to see. So, when Chad mentioned that he was eager to see Austrian-born, electro-swing DJ pioneer Parov Stelar, who happened to be playing at a small venue near our house that also just so happens to be an old bullring constructed in the 1800s, I said yes! This type of music, while fun and upbeat, isn’t exactly my go-to, but I am almost always up for any live music experience, especially one at a cool venue! And this one didn’t disappoint. Inaugurated in 1892 and renovated in 2006, this venue, which was inspired by Madrid’s bullfight arena, now hosts markets, events, shows, concerts, and, yes, a few months of the year, it functions as a bullfight arena (that will not be something I say yes to). Parov himself was like the conductor, and his band of horns and guitars and singers galore were the orchestra. They were fun, full of energy, talented musicians, and had the crowd on their feet the entire time. A truly enjoyable experience and a band I would definitely go see again. It pays to say yes sometimes, even under the guise of uncertainty!

I’ve said this before and it’s worth repeating that one of the things I love most about living here is the proximity to the water. So, when one of Sebastian’s schoolmates has a birthday party on the water, which includes paddle surfing for the kids and a wine lunch for the adults, once again, we say yes! A birthday party lasting over 6 hours, which proved to be as fun, if not more, for the adults as it was for the kids, is definitely my kind of Sunday.

Next, two stops on the path to 50 train for Chad -- a full-day Backstreet Culinary Walking Tour and the opera Madame Butterfly. The walking tour was great, in a neighborhood we really like (and almost lived) and at least 5-7 stops that all included local culinary cuisine. We learned a lot and ate a lot also! The opera was performed at the Coliseu dos Recreios. Not the oldest opera house in Lisbon but way older than anywhere else we’ve ever seen an opera (aside from the Roman arena in Verona). If I’m being honest, it didn’t blow me away like the bullring venue, but it still proved to be an enjoyable evening for us as we truly love the opera. The last time I remember seeing Madame Butterfly was on a blanket in NYC Central Park over 20 years ago. I knew the basic storyline and that it was in Italian. However, I did not consider that the subtitles, which I would normally reference during the show to follow along, would be in Portuguese. Duh. But, it didn’t matter because it forced me for some of the show to use my brain to try and understand the Portuguese (which proved to be good practice) or just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the music and voices in front of me. Though the show ends tragically, I left with a smile on my face and am already looking for the next opera coming this way.

Passover was another holiday during which we really missed living near family. Unfortunately, a new gastro-illness plagued me on the night we were meant to have a seder with friends, so we had to pass. But Sebastian and I created our own version for just the three of us when I was feeling better, and although it wasn’t the same, I was proud of him and us for what we were able to accomplish together.

Speaking of illnesses, after an amazing discovery (thanks to a friend here who tipped us off) that Cody could be a culprit in transmission, we’ve been able to curtail the monthly illness streak. Yep, even Cody tested positive for that crazy pneumonia virus that would not leave us alone (and sadly went home with grandma). Thankfully, he’s now been treated with 21 days of antibiotics (which he loved because it meant peanut butter twice a day) and eye drops/cream (which he did not love).

Although we’ve only been here about 10 months, it feels a lot longer in many ways. So, when I left Portugal to fly to NY for a brief three days to celebrate my dad’s 75th birthday, I not only realized how weird it was flying back to the States but also that this would be my first international flight taken solo. Ever. It was a bit wild to be surrounded by English-speaking people the moment I landed, see familiar places I hadn’t seen since we left (Walgreens), and use US dollars again! Sounds crazy, as it hasn’t even been a year, but it was how it felt. Of course, the best part of it all was getting to see and celebrate my dad and spend QT with my favorite womb roomie in the whole world. There are never enough hugs…

Following Seb’s exam week (during which I learned that the British phrase “revising” actually means studying), he went on a school trip called Residential. Can’t tell you where that word comes from but can tell you he had an amazing time away with his classmates at an adventure camp where his time was filled with high ropes courses, zip lines, canoeing, paintball, laser tag, nighttime candy overload in a cabin of eight boys secretly hiding from their teachers, and a disco night that looked more like a rave! I will let Seb embellish on the details of the trip but will say that I am beyond proud of him for going without much hesitation to a town a few hours outside of Lisbon, in a foreign country, with classmates he’s only known for 9 months, and without any contact with us for three days. I should also say I’m proud of myself for being more excited for him than nervous because it was NOT easy for this over-nurturing mama either!

He came home just in time for Aunt Kristin’s visit and his 12th birthday. We welcomed home an excited, exhausted, and stinky boy with balloons and an “almost a teenager” sign to begin birthday weekend. Aunt Kristin, my sister from another mister, has known me since I was 2 years old and Sebastian his whole life. She had a meeting in London, and we are so grateful that she took an extra three days away from her son Mason to come and see us on Seb’s bday weekend. We found a new place to continue our annual Indian cuisine birthday dinner (the food that put me into labor), and Kristin treated us to a night in a hotel off the beach. Seb’s bday party was at a martial arts venue, and it was really fun (and a bit eye-opening) to see our now middle schooler interact with his peers. As many of you have likely experienced before us, we often get asked to keep a small distance or meet him somewhere else when he is with friends from school. We think we’re pretty cool parents, but I’m quickly realizing (and kind of remembering) that cool and parents are pretty much an oxymoron when you’re a tween/teen. It’s actually pretty comical trying to discern “Gen Alpha” slang and speaking his new language while he wishes we wouldn’t (we love to tell him we have Rizz but he seems to disagree and politely (sometimes) just shakes his head. Worth a try!

Following that super fun weekend, my only request for Mother’s Day was to chill and go to the beach. I was treated to a gorgeous day, a fun game of Kadima, and lunch on the beach. I still barely even got my toes wet, though, because the Atlantic Ocean has not gotten any warmer since last summer!

Last but definitely not least, the Monaco Grand Prix. The admin is telling me that this will be its own blog.

Stay tuned! 

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