I have been remiss about posting while on our trip. We've had a very busy pace, and at night I have been really tired, so it has been easy to let it slide. But now, with one full day left after today, I think it's time to get some details down while they are still somewhat fresh in my mind. I will get some help from Nate, who has a great memory.

DAY 1.

Our first day was a rocky one. We got to Dulles and our flight was ultimately canceled due to mechanical issues. We waited at Dulles to get our situation resolved and didn't leave until almost 3AM. It was a painful night.

DAY 2. 

We slept late and repeated Day 1, returning to Dulles at 8 for our 10:20 flight. Despite a delay, it took off. We landed in Lisbon and tried to get our flight to Morocco, but due to complicated factors, our tickets to Morocco had been canceled. We spent several MORE hours at an INCREDIBLY crowded Lisbon airport, trying to figure out some way to get to Morocco and how to get our checked bag back (which was checked through to Marrakech). The best we could do was a Day 3 flight to Casablanca, so that left an unexpected night in Lisbon. We made a quick reservation at a lovely hotel on the outskirts of Lisbon and headed there. M, N and I walked around the grounds and the nearby neighborhood (N had a Portuguese egg tart – the first of many) in a cute little cafe in a park. Then we went back to the hotel and took an uber to meet Bill Steiger and his girlfriend for dinner at at restaurant M found.

DAY 3.

Back to the Lisbon airport! The International Youth and Pope enthusiasts gone, the airport was much calmer. We managed to get on our flight to Casablanca – delayed 2 hours – and made it to Africa, the first time there for all of us except Dan. Our poor driver gave up on us, so we ended up with a different driver who took us to Marrakesh. It was a long ride and dark when we got there, and VERY hot. The hotel was incredible – a quiet oasis in the midst of chaos – and after a quick checkin, we went to a restaurant – the only one open. It was very loud, on a rooftop with blaring house music, but we ate and then walked back to the hotel via the night market. What a sight – going strong at 1230AM. Tons of people, including kids, people selling things, music, etc. We were exhausted and went back to our quiet hotel.

DAY 4.

We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and met our tour guide who took us around the Marrakech market. It was a great tour. We saw lots of little stores, including a spice store where we bought Stevia and some other spices like ras al hanout for Uncle J. We really enjoyed seeing the inside of the medina, though there were mopeds and cars and it was frenetic! And also VERY hot. We also saw snake charmers. When the tour was done, we went to the train station and caught a train to Fes. We came very close to missing it because we were late. Surprise, surprise. The train was very, very hot as well, despite being advertised as having A/C. 6.5 hours later, we arrived at Fes. The hotel sent us a driver who took us to the hotel. Dad got the guy to check us in very quickly because he wanted to go to a restaurant that was closing. He talked our way in and it was delicious, and also VERY hot. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and N stayed with us because we had an extra bedroom off of our room.

DAY 5.

We had breakfast at the hotel in Fes and then met our Fes tour guide for a tour of the medina. We saw lots of mosques and little stores along narrow alleyways. We asked him to take us to the famous tannery, so he did. We got a cool tour of it and Dad bought a leather duffel bag which is lovely but smells awful. We also saw a rug store but didn't buy anything there! After the tour, we went back to the hotel and met our driver to Chefchaoen. We drove there – about 6 hours because we stopped at Volubilis, which are amazing Roman ruins. It was so unbelievably hot – probably about 106 – that we couldn't stay there long. Almost unbearable. On the drive to Chefchaoen, N threw up for the first time on the trip. The driver was very kind and let N sit up front after that. We got to beautiful Chefchaoen around sunset and it was just stunning – but really hot. After we settled in, we walked down a lot of stairs to a Moroccan restaurant, had dinner, and then had a long walk back up the many stairs to the hotel.

DAY 6.

We woke up in Chefchaoen and had breakfast, and then tried to walk around but it was too damn hot. Dad and I lasted a little longer than the kids but even we had to go back to the hotel because it was just unbearable. We met our driver at the base of the hill from our hotel – the poor hotel porters had to bring all our bags up and down the many stairs – and headed to Tangier. N threw up again on the way to Tangier, despite sitting in the front. Poor N. We made it to Tangier and A wasn't feeling great either so she skipped dinner and we went to a rooftop restaurant in the middle of the old market. Tangier was busy and mostly modern and a bit too frenetic and not that charming. But we weren't there long thankfully.

DAY 7.

N and I got up early and swam in the pool at the hotel, after convincing the pool guy to let us in the pool even though they had just treated it with chemicals and he said it was too early. We showed him! He finally relented and we swam. (I also swam in Lisbon and Fes and it was a great way to start out the mornings.) We took a cab to the ferry and discovered that we had tickets to a ferry to the wrong destination in Spain. So we went to the wrong destination in Spain and then had to take taxis to the town where our rental car was. We got to the rental car place at 2:06 – they closed at 2, but we got one of our two cab drivers to convince them to stay open for us. The car we rented was too small. Our bags didn't fit. So we ended up jamming the bags in where we could – under our feet in the footwells, on our laps, etc. Very challenging. Then we drove to Portugal – about 5 hours – and went to a tiny little town where we spent an hour at a Dark Sky Reserve looking at stars, constellations, meteor showers and Saturn. It was a cool experience and the best timing ever because there were so many meteors shooting across the sky.

DAY 8.

We woke up and jammed the stuff back in the car and went to a cute town called Evora, had breakfast, and then drove to Sintra. The drive wasn't too long – 2.5 hours – but it ended quite poorly when the clutch was stripped in the car while we were going up a very steep hill with two way traffic on a narrow street. The car started smoking and we had to park it someplace random – thankfully there was an open place for it – before it totally lit on fire. We then had to drag our bags up a very steep hill to our house. The house was a great reward but the car situation was very stressful. Oh, I also forgot to mention that Grandma and Grandpa both got COVID and weren't able to join us at the house in Sintra because of being positive. Stressful. After we unpacked, we got some groceries, enjoyed the lovely pool sun and got an uber to a nice seafood restaurant in Cascais. It was quite windy and pretty.

DAY 9.

Greenbergs arrived early in the day on Day 9 and we had a nice relaxing day here – our first of the trip. We lazed around, N swam, and we enjoyed Day 1 of the breakfast chef. A nice day to just hang around. N made the first of his Golden Hour drinks – secret recipe that consists of 60% orange Fanta. We went to dinner in downtown Sintra and had a delicious meal in a wine bar. 

DAY 10.

Milsteins arrived overnight. We hung around here for a lot of the day and then N, M and I went into Lisbon and walked around a lot. Dad and A met us at the Clubo Journalistas where we had a prix fixe dinner. Grandma and Grandpa came and met us there but they sat far apart from us, all outside. Grandma was positive at this point, but then tested negative the next day. The dinner was great and we loved the woman who owns the restaurant. She loved Nate and S&E and brought them special fries which were not on the menu.

DAY 11.

We went early in the morning to the Pena Palace – we walked there from here, which was lots of uphill. Everyone else ubered so we felt good about it! Pena Palace was beautiful and inspired much photo-taking. We walked back after the tour and had chef-prepared lunch here. We didn't go into Lisbon that day because A was working hard on a surprise for everyone. We had a chef-prepared dinner here and ate inside in the dining room, with Grandma and Grandpa sitting separately from us. After dinner, A showed everyone the amazing video she made of the highlights of the over FOUR THOUSAND SLIDES she scanned from the 60s, 70s and 80s for Grandma and Grandpa. The video was perfect and a wonderful surprise for everyone. At first no one (except us) realized what they were watching but then there were lots of tears in the house.

DAY 12.

We had family pictures in the morning and then headed to Lisbon. Sadly, Grandma tested positive again so photos were a challenge. Everyone other than R&D went to the US Ambassador's residence, where we had cookies and drinks and sat outside in her beautiful backyard. She came and met with us and talked with us for 40 minutes or so, answering questions and telling us about her time here. Then we walked around Lisbon some more, back to Time Out and A Vida Portuguesa where we went in 2019. We met all the siblings and cousins for dinner at a restaurant not far from the fun shopping area. 

DAY 13.

THAT IS TODAY! I am trying to type really quickly so that I get everything down. Today we took A to the Lisbon airport to get her started on her long journey back to LA to start USC! It was very sad saying goodbye to her in the airport. After we left her, we went to a new 'hood in Lisbon called Bairro Alto (sp?) and had a yummy lunch in a restaurant wanted to try after we walked around for a while. Then we drove to Belem, a suburb with a beautiful monastery, and then to the Jesus statue that was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. It is across the sound (river?) from Lisbon and has beautiful views of the city. We also crossed the bridge that looks just like the Golden Gate Bridge. N and M and Dad and I have been here at the empty (!) house for a few hours relaxing by the pool, where I am typing this post, and soon we are joining the family for dinner in Cascais.

Phew. An hour long post! A lot went wrong and a lot has gone right. Beautiful sights. I will try to post some pics tomorrow.