Portugal

With our internships ending the first Friday of May, and our papers due May 17, everyone on our program chose to spend their final weeks differently based upon appetite for travel and status on paper-writing. Delightedly, I am happy to say that I finished my paper in mid-April, so I was/am free and hungry for some final adventures before returning back to the States in late May.

After a semester filled with travel to numerous incredible European cities, I was ready for a change of pace from hurriedly touristing through all the sites in each city. Instead, I really have been missing the more Kernodle-styled vacations filled with outdoor ventures. So, for my final travels in Europe, I chose to spend the first couple of days at a beach (Portugal), and the latter portion in mountains and lakes (Switzerland).

After a semester bracing through the cold winter of London, I was eager to once again know the feeling of sun against my cheeks. So on the Monday after my internship ending, Alex, Doug, and I flew off to Lisbon for a few days. Due to said desire for sun and relaxation, we chose to stay outside of Lisbon city centre and instead went 20 minutes west right next to the Tamariz beach.

For the next three days, I proceeded to plant my bottom in the beach-chair by our hotel pool or the sand of the Tamariz beach. Now let me preface said beach-laying with a few fun factoids. The last time I went to a beach was 5 years ago. The last time I have really been able to get enough sun to be tan was also coincidentally 5 years ago. The last 5 months I have been in London, where the sun practically doesn’t exist. Needless to say, I was ghostly upon arriving to Lisbon, and had 0 base to get any sun. As such, I roasted. First day in I sizzled, and continued to sizzle throughout the next few days despite excessive sun-tan lotion use. I’m hoping that Tomatoes are in style this season. (Fortunately, since then my burn has largely turned into tan, and I only peeled a very small bit on my arms). But it was worth it. It’s hard to complain when you’re laying out on a lovely beach, with the feeling of sand between your toes, sun against your cheeks, and a light breeze to keep you cool. Then factor in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the book in my hand, and the assortment of our personal beach-bar of drinks in the sand next to us.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of our time in Estoril was the spectacle we observed on Tuesday night and Wednesday day. On Tuesday during dinner on a deck bar restaurant (which coincidentally was also the name of the place), at one point we noticed a cloaked man approach a nearby diner who he clearly knew and started talking. We found it bizarre to wear a black cloak by the beach, but we didn’t question it too much. Until, that is, upon walking back through the park on the way back to our hotel, we began to spot more and more of said cloaked figures. We realized they were all wearing nice, three piece suits with the additional black cloak over. We also noticed that there appeared to be two clans of them gathering on either side of the park. Strange. The next morning on our way to the beach, we noticed that there were still some of the cloaked figures in the park. Very strange. Still we minded our own business and went along our way to the beach. Then, a few hours later, we saw a stream of 30 or 40 high-school aged looking kids coming down onto the beach. At first they were normal, but soon the started huddling in a circle and chanting… For all I know they could be chanting very normal things, however, with my absence of speaking Portuguese, for all I know they were speaking in some weird voodoo cult language. And then, the younger of the group started digging in the sand. And then, they proceeded to be buried in the graves they themselves had dug by the older kids of the group. At one point, we were able to talk to the lifeguard, who explained that not only were these the same kids as the cloaked figures, but this was some sort of high school induction hazing thing. Very, very strange.

We did go into the city centre one night for dinner for Doug’s birthday, so upon arriving I did get to see the stunning Cristo Rei statue from across the water. Otherwise though, we were all down to soak in some relaxation after a long semester.

Picture of Cristo Rei borrowed from internet because I didn't bring my camera out that night

Perhaps the most relaxing part of the trip though was a nice walk I took along the coast at sunset on my last night. The air was so crisp and the breeze so refreshing, and every few feet allowed a uniquely beautiful perspective on the shore beside me. Also, along the walkway they were featuring all sorts of cool marine-themed art sculptures. I ended up sitting among the rocks of the shore for quite some time as the night draped over the sea.

Before I knew it though, it was time to catch my flight from Lisbon to Geneva early that Friday morn….