passing through?

well i'm back in Paris. i left off last in Barcelona, where i had an unforeseen extra day after missing my flight to Lisbon. i'm proud to say i caught the flight to Lisbon later that evening. upon arrival i was greeted with homemade french fries, i think for the first time in my life. Tania, the portuguese assistant at school at whose house i stayed and who served as tour guide, always ensured that i was well-fed. so my time in Lisbon consisted of lots of local pastries, as well as a delicious home-cooked meal wednesday night that made Jewish and Italian mother look like poor hostesses--i literally couldn't stop tania and her mother from putting more food on my plate. fortunately, it was good food so i didn't mind too much.

tuesday we visited Sintra, a UNESCO world heritage site and charming little town. we trekked up a hill/mountain to visit the king and queen's summer palace, which afforded a beautiful hike as well as nice vistas. upon returning to Lisbon, we rushed over to the opposite side of the city to visit the site of Lisbon's 1998 world expo. the architecture was stunningly modern. at this point, i was exhausted from the day, but Tania and Soraya just kept going. i thought we'd never stop walking or eat dinner for that matter.

wednesday Tania showed me the town, as we visited Belem, home to a romanesque monastery and nearly as ancient pastries. next we saw downtown and took a trolley ride up to the St. George Castle. the area surrounding the castle has incredible Moorish influence, and it was fascinating to stare down on the rooftops. after buying a few pieces of local ceramic for gifts, we hurried home for aforementioned homecooked meal.

thursday afternoon i flew home to paris, but not before a last stop at Lisbon's Modern Art Museum. i cut it close once again in getting to the airport, but i made it home last night, thankful to be home.

take a look at this album, and others from my trip:

Biarritz

i was intending to add a post-script about passing through, but i'll do it later. now i'm off to visit the city.