New Years in Portugal!

For New Years, Alex and I flew to Lisbon and hung out with Katinka and Fabian in Cascias. They had a lovely dinner at their house with good friends and we drove up the hill to watch the fireworks over Lisbon. Over the next few days we used one of their vans and drove down the coast, hiking, exploring, camping, surfing.

New Years Day hike to the little beach just north of Cabo da Roca.

We took a hike high up in the mountains in Parque Natural da Arrabia (near Sesimbra). I think all of Portugal was enveloped in a low layer of fog that day, but we managed to drive high enough up the mountain to meet beautiful blue skies.

Overlooking Portinho da Arrabida as the fog momentarily thins.

This was our camping spot the second night where a group of Portuguese singers serenaded us in the middle of the night with rounds of religious chanting. How very peculiar (and so were my dreams that night)

A great hike along the coast just north of Vila Nova de Milfontes

We found a cow-sized birds nest on top of this great cliff! Who raised their children with such a view?

Beef Stroganoff a la Van (yes, Dad, I eat the mushrooms now!)