We flew to Lisbon Friday afternoon with Saya sick to her stomach and Sachi potty training at key moments in the security line and at our feet while the plane was landing. Our travel potty was 5 for 5, catching whatever our toddlers could throw at it. At each leg of the journey, Corey and I glanced over our daughters’ heads questioning our decision making: Should we turn back? Is this good parenting? But we kept going, and arrived to P and Jam’s right around bedtime. The girls hit the pillows hard, and P cooked up a vegan pasta and chicken parm that hit the spot. We knew we had made the right decision to visit our dear friends for this mini-vacay.
On Saturday morning, the girls took to their weekend accommodations instantly. They spied planes out of the big dining room window, ran laps in the hallways, and filled themselves with jam & toast. We walked to a local park in the Graça neighborhood, stopping to take in tiled buildings and graffiti art around every corner. Sachi and Saya had their first taste of pasteis de nata as their morning snack, and we picked up three types of chicken and chips before walking back for our lunch and naps. While the girls napped, Jam and I caught up on the sun drenched balcony, while P and Corey hung out in the living room. The day felt cozy and still in all the right ways.
After naptime, we ventured out to Carparica Beach, where Peyton surfs almost daily. Families, couples and friends were out on the beach path for their afternoon stroll. Our girls got their toes in the sand to collect shells. The sun set and Jamila secured a table at a seafood restaurant right on the water. The pulpo was the only thing I thought I would eat, but the clams and garlic were yummy plus the prego (steak sandwich) and the shrimp! We tried our hardest to clean our plates, and only now I realize I took not a single picture of our spread.
After the girls went down, we caught up playing games, and drinking good wine. The trip exceeded all expectations and we truly embraced the gift of time.
On Sunday, we packed our bags while Uncle P invented a new game with the girls: ‘Open doors’. The long corridor in their flat has various doors that open into different rooms. You could only run through an open door. If the door was closed, you had to find another way. P wove between the rooms, opening and closing doors along the way, while the girls shrieked and chased one another through the flat, trying to find him and the next open door. We finished our cups of tea, bacon and eggs, and returned to the airport where we’d been just 48 hours ago. We were full of smiles and happy memories from our cheeky weekend in Lisbon.
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