24 hours in Lisbon

Ah, Lisbon. Absolutely charming. What's not to like about coast, sun, cobblestones, and old school trams?

We had a quick weekend to explore this gorgeous city in Portugal, and it didn't disappoint.

We got up early to ride the classic 28E tram that winds through narrow alleyways. It was the perfect way to see the hilly neighborhoods that make up this lovely city. Why did we get up early? So we didn't have to cram the tram like these suckers did at 4:30pm. We had one all to ourselves.

Then it was off to Belem. Our first stop was Belem Tower, with its 500 years of keeping watch over the seas.

Then it was time for pasteis de nata. And naturally, we had to go to the biggest name in town for these Portuguese custard tarts.

In the box lies the tasty treats.

Falling in love (with Tom of course, but also the tarts).

I mean seriously people. Pastel de nata straight out of the oven. Yes we ate more than we should. No we don't regret it. Any of it.

After so much tasty goodness, we walked it off some with a quick stroll to the water. You can see the cousin of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, and a replica of the Cristo Redentor statue in Rio on the other side of the bridge.

Next we were off to the Jeronimos Monastery. Seriously beautiful.

Here's the outside of the church. You would assume that a building that's so beautiful on the outside is equally beautiful on the inside. You would be right!

Next comes lunch! We went to the TimeOut Market for steak sandwiches and sweet potato fries. Yum.

Obviously by then it was time for more pastel de nata. Still regretting nothing.

Then we wandered through the narrow lanes of the Alfama neighborhood. I fell in love with this building.

Plus the many building facades that were covered in tiles.

We stumbled upon Lisbon Cathedral. So pretty.

The sun was setting fast, so we obviously needed to watch the sunset from the beach.

Plus a quick stroll around a city square.

We thought the arch was beautiful. So we went to the top for a view of the city.

Dinner! Since we were in the land of Nandos' inspiration, we found a place that does a mean peri peri chicken (or frango in Portuguese).

This place is the undisputed King of the Chickens. Their tile and porcelain statue said so.

And king it was.

Any ideas where I can get this tile for my own home? #elephant #folksy

24 hours in lovely Lisbon isn't nearly enough, but we will be back someday!

Finding the Loch Ness Monster

Tom and I went hunting for a monster. But not just any old monster; we were after the Loch Ness Monster.

Can you see it in the picture above? Look close. Closer.

It's just one of many magical things we saw in the Scottish Highlands!

Clan history

It was fun to get back to my roots as a descendant of the Campbell clan (though my "Scottish" accent sounds part Jamaican/ part Russian. Not pretty.)

Anyway, the Campbells of Argyll have a pretty mixed legacy. Though powerful, they violently attacked members of the MacDonald clan one night in the 1600's. Tom and I visited a monument dedicated those who perished in the Glencoe Massacre.

Every year, members of the MacDonald family visit and pay tribute to fallen ancestors.

It was bittersweet, but some nice old Scottish man reassured me that not all Campbells were bad. In fact, it was likely that one bad egg in the Campbell clan incited the violence. I guess there's one in every family, right?

At least we have a cool tartan:

Harry Potter-land

We had to visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the Hogwarts Express. Absolutely gorgeous backdrop!

This was the view from the opposite side from the viaduct. So pretty!

Back in Inverness, I found my future career in the middle job posting.

Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan castle

I'm going to let the pictures do the talking for most of this next bit. Breathtaking.

Five Sisters of Kintail

Eilean Donan Castle

Obviously a bagpipe player would be there. Because it just wasn't magical enough already.

Fairy pools of Skye

Incredibly blue water

Meditating on a rock

Seriously though. I spent the whole three hour hike saying, "Look at that! But just look at that! Ahhhhhhhhh it's just too beautiful!"

Then we visited the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the way back to Inverness. No biggie.

Nairn

And if all that wasn't enough, we went to the beach.

Yes, this is in Scotland. White, warm sand and turquoise waters. Obviously.

To sum it all up, Scotland is beautiful.