Do you ever have an undefined time where life just feels weird? Those are my days right now. They aren’t good or bad, just weird.
Summer is done and so are the trips to Iowa for now. I gave up my language classes at the library in order to volunteer for the community, but haven’t found a volunteering opportunity yet. The weather in Goes is gorgeous right now, but I’m worried about our basement in Iowa because of all the rain and flooding. Kind of feel stuck in between lands, times and seasons. But these things always get figured out eventually.
Maybe what feels strange is that we have less than a year left in the Netherlands. I don’t really know how to feel about it. I am excited to live in my Iowa home again, but I don’t want this Dutch adventure to be over. And that in between kind of effects every day routine. When I am shopping for items that last a while, I tend to think “No point in buying that now. I don’t want to have to haul it overseas or donate it later.” Oh well, I just try to enjoy the life I’ve been given.
Changing topics. As I have said before, I ride my bike everywhere, within a five mile radius anyway. Riding bike this time of year is the best. It is nice and cool in the mornings, so I don’t arrive to my destination a sweaty mess. And if I return home in the afternoon, I can shed my sweatshirt and enjoy the warmth. Riding bike after time at the gym is lovely. The cool breeze created by the bike movement is so refreshing after a warm work out. I will miss all my bike time when in the United States.
Portugal: Another land of Blue and White
In August, Jeremy had a business meeting on a Friday in Porto, Portugal. I tagged along and we made a long weekend out of it. While Jeremy took care of business, I trotted solo around Porto and had a blast. I just googled “things to see in Porto” and went to town, literally.
We stayed in Porto for two days and then moved to the coast, to a town called Aveiro.
Portugal is known for its tiles on the inside and outside of buildings, especially the blue and white tiles. Evidently the Netheralnds isn’t the only one who claims this kind of decor. Portugal is laid back, heavily influenced by Spain, and speaks a lot of English in addition to Portuguese.
Porto
Porto is a large city with many tourists. It is busy with people, but the vibe was fairly relaxed. This city is known for its Port Wine production. Like many European cities, the businesses and homes were smashed together along narrow streets.
Our hotel is the green building on the left. It is easy to miss, but it was lovely inside.
Skyline from the roof of our hotel.
Outside of the Porto train station. The inside is a well known tourist stop.
Inside of train station. The blue and white tiles tell the history of Porto.
Train station.
Train station.
Train station.
City Hall
Church of Souls.
Porto, taken from across the bridge in wine country. Notice the river with the sailboat in the middle.
The sidewalks were pieces of art in themselves.
Inside the Igreja dos Carmelitas, a catholic church.
This building is actually two churches, with a tiny 3 foot house in between. A famous sight in Porto.
The famous bridge in the background is the Dom Louis. It has two levels, the upper for the pedestrians and metro, the lower for the cars.
Wins “most unique Burger King.”
Aveiro
It only took us about 45 minutes to get from Porto to Aveiro. Aveiro is on the ocean and caters to beach go-ers. It is smaller and even more laid back than Porto, focusing on relaxation and soaking in the sun.
Aveiro is known locally as the “Venice of the North” because it has canals running through the town. But being a person who has visited Venice, it is not at all similar. Historically Aveiro was known for its salt production, but that export is only a fraction of what it used to be. Now the town relies on digital innovation and tourism to keep its economy going.
Lover’s Bridge. When the men went out to sea years ago, their women said goodbye to them here.
More creative sidewalks!
A local church.
Behind the fountain is the old fish house, where fisherman sold their catch.
The beach area is known for these striped houses. They are all along the coast.
And that is our experience with Portugal! I have to say, it ranks up there as one of my favorites. I like the colorful homes, sidewalks and businesses. And I like the laid back atmosphere.
In a few weeks I will post about our weekend in northern Netherlands. We had never been north of Amsterdam, so we checked out Friesland for a weekend. Stay tuned for that! And thanks for reading about Portugal!
