Ericeira 4 November 2023

Starting a Relaxing Weekend

   It has been a great week so far and the weather has been cooperative for the most part.  Today the weather is considerably more showery, so we are not making any plans at all.  Not that we have had plans since arriving in Ericeira.  I mean, we would literally step outside and randomly decide whether to walk left or right.
. The coastline is beautiful and the waves are impressive.  It is no wonder this town has a bunch of schools for aspiring surfers.  There are so many places I could take my camera and be occupied for hours.  
   A typical day has been going for a walk north or south, watching the waves, stopping for a small beer, walking until we find a fun restaurante or cafe, more walking, chilling, finding another restaurante for dinner, and stopping at our favorite geladaria.  Every day since arriving in Portugal I have averaged more than 10k steps or 5 miles of walking, according to Fitbit.  Cindy has also been walking around 5 miles, but 16k steps, which confirms my theory she takes tiny steps like a red-headed penguin.

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   I went to a store this week and found these cookies, or biscuits as the Brits call them.  They are called "Maria" here, but I remember them as "Marie".  These remind me of being a teenagers in Wales and eating these with tea or coffee in my grandparents' small TV room in Briton Ferry.  I loved to dip them in my drink and sometimes challenge myself to see how long I could dip one without it falling apart into my drink.
.  On a different topic, Cindy and I have seen lots of people walking dogs, which are very well behaved here.  Unfortunately none of the dogs seem to be available to stop for Cindy to pet and call "good boy".  I can always here Cindy say, "Aaawwww, puppy", but she never gets a chance to love on them. 
   And another observation we have made is how many parents carry their toddlers in carriers strapped to the front of the parent, much like a kangeroo pouch.  Sometimes, however, we have seen a toddler whose feet extend well below the parent's knees and we swear the child could be old enough to point in the general direction of the nearest pub.  If the child is large enough to find a job, maybe it is time to let the kid walk on its own?  Just a suggestion.
   Well, the sun just poked out from the clouds, so we are heading out the door.  There are a few towns in Portugal suffering from flooding and snow, so we feel blessed the weather is as good as it is here.