Day 2 in Aveiro: Beaches & Sushi!

After a lazy morning in Aveiro, we headed to the beach (without our speedos!)

Rumor had it that the Weimer kids are "hams" when you pull out the camera. As you can see by these wacky photos, this theory was proven true on the beach of Costa Nova.

The sunset was spectacular!

Wasssssabi! The day ended with some home-made sushi and many laughs (while mom & Bobby ate Chinese fried rice and turned up their nose to the beautifully hand-crafted rolls.)

I think dad got a little too much wasabi on this roll!

Day 1 in Porto

Ah Porto...the PORT wine capital of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a beautifully lit-up city for the holidays! The family walked down to the Douro river, snapped a few photos, stopped off at Vinologica for some Port wine tasters, and watched Leasa run around in circles while they fought off jet-lag.

The family "chillin" (it was cold) while striking a pose (a good way to preserve body heat) along the bank of the Douro River in Porto.



As Julie walks the streets of Porto, the lights glimmer in her eyes (CHEESY...dad constructed this sentence!)

Yummy, chestnuts roasting on an open fire in the streets of Porto. The family shares a bag of chestnuts and only Leasa enjoys them.

We momentarily stopped for a few glasses of Port wine. Mom enjoyed the Tawny (with jet-lag fogginess)!

After a few Port wine tasters, we found the magnificent tree in the center of town. Dad wanted to cut it down and take it with us to Aveiro, but we kept telling him, "We aren't in Colorado anymore."

On the way to the rental car we stumbled upon a Christmas concert.

The Weimer Mafia has Arrived!

After many trips on the train and metro (7.5 hours to be exact), 4 beautifully decorated signs, and many jet lag hugs; the entire Weimer family is finally together in Portugal. The godfather arrived on Monday. The sister and godmother arrived on Wednesday and the little kid brother arrived (after a hellish 16-hour travel adventure) on Thursday. Here are a few photos of the arrival...

'Tis the Season!

Yep, Christmas is in the air here in Aveiro. Here are a few shots of the ladies of Rua Condessa Mumadona (the street we live on ) decorating the house with Christmas spirit. We bought a cute, plastic, little tree (5 euro) and made the Christmas chain with red/white/green construction paper (which are typical Christmas colors in the U.S.) Then, we popped up some popcorn and made a beautiful garland for the tree.

The town of Aveiro is also dressed up for the holidays, with chestnuts roasting in old town (literally-see photo), a big Christmas tree in the modernized shopping mall, and the old town fishing boats are lit up while quietly sitting pretty in the canal.

Woohoo, now it's time for the Weimer clan to arrive...mom, dad, little kid brother, and big sis will be coming to Portugal for Christmas. I can't wait!

3 Nationalities in 1 Home: Meet MY Roommates!

As the taxi drove off, Preet and I waved goodbye to the crazy Brazilian, blew kisses, and looked at each other and said, "This is the end of an epic era." Living in an international household has been one of my favorite aspects of this 2-year journey. In Aveiro, I have lived with 2 of the loudest, yet funniest individuals in the program. They both brought out my silly side, as well as my cooking abilities and they got to experience the true Colorado girl in Portugal, as Ali so eloquently put it, "I've never seen someone dressed in pajamas and ski clothes." (Imagine sky blue flannel pajamas with pink snowflakes, and a big, puffy red North Face down vest, circa 1990, complete with a maroon beanie.) Remember, there is NO central heating here! When you live together, you get to see the TRUE colors, not to mention the quirky side, of your roommates. Here is an ode to my favorite roommates:

Meet Ali, the Brazilian! This Brazilian may sound like she is from the UK, but don't be fooled, her Brazilian social side kicks in very quickly as soon as she enters the room. Many think she runs around the flat wearing a bikini and dancing samba, but in reality she ballet dances between her loud singing ballads of Alicia Keys (someone please get a muzzle!) Her laugh is contagious, especially when she opens up a bottle of Port wine and tonic water. But don't give her too much to drink, especially tequila, as she has been known to fall asleep while sitting on the toilet. Oops! Even though she is the baby of the house, her maturity shows up as she is highly organized and coordinates and pays all of the bills for the house. Her study habits are quite interesting, after receiving an assignment we do not see Ali (anywhere from 3 days to a month)as she sequesters herself in her room until she is completely stir-crazy. She has grown to LOVE spicy foods and Justin Timberlake. This Brazilian is intense, driven, and opinionated, yet she is the most reliable friend one could ever ask for and did I mention she is F-U-N!

Meet Preet, the Indian! This Indian packs quite a punch. Ask her to open a bottle of champagne and she will shake it for a minute before popping off the cork and running to the nearest sink. But, that is Preet, she lives her life in the moment, a true rebel and free-spirit without regrets, yet she lives it with complete compassion. She speaks 5 languages and has quickly learned Portuguese (yes, I am jealous!) Her study habits are also a bit interesting, as she waits until the last possible moment to write her assignment and sometimes doesn't even sleep until finished. She has been my photo buddy (and model), as she loves to be behind the lens (and in front of my lens). This young lady has grown up and settled into her womanhood during this year and a half, now she even cleans the bathroom in high-heels. The dedication to her family back in India is honorable, as she speaks with them everyday for at least 30 minutes. When asked to describe herself she simply says, "I'm like a butterfly." And truly, there is no better way to describe her than a beautiful, free-spirited butterfly.

I am HOMESICK Today!

Wish I was here...

The Colorado Rocky Mountains are getting dumped on!

Vail had 38 inches (96.5 cm) of pow (snow!) in the last week...

Here I am, in Portugal, locked inside the library writing my last paper.

The LAST Supper!

You would have thought we were at a wedding and a funeral with the amount of laughter, love, and sadness in a cozy room of a typical Portuguese restaurant in the old town of Aveiro. The brightly painted red walls with mirrors proved to be quite symbolic for the evening as we all reflected on the incredible journey from Oslo to Tampere and to Aveiro. This would be the last time we were all one cohesive HEEM family, breaking down international barriers, and building mutual understanding among individuals from worlds apart. The evening began with some incredible fish platters (frog fish, cod, and sole), and ended with copious empty bottles of wine, and many hugs. Somewhere in between everyone (and I mean everyone...all 19 of us) made a heart-felt toast to the experience, the group, and even the challenges. 5 hours later, we were kicked out of the restaurant and resumed our farewell celebration at the local reggae bar.

Emotions! Honestly, I'm feeling a bit drained by the excitement and sadness that I was overcome by last night. Most of my loyal blog readers, who know me well, won't be surprised to hear that my eyes weren't dry last night. I can't really explain in words how this experience has impacted or changed me, but the connections with my classmates were, by far, the highlight. Sure, I have traveled to some amazing places, but it's the people, the connections, the dialogue, the openness, the challenging conversations, and the silly moments that I will cherish the most. One of the professors said, "You are like a small version of the UN." Which is entirely true...you don't need to travel in this program, as the world is at your fingertips; in the classroom, in your flat, in the cafes, and even in your dreams. And I won't gloss over the rough times either, as it wasn't all roses, every family has dysfunctions.

But this family came together in Oslo and we nestled into our familiar and comfortable factions; the Ethiopians, the Asians, the white boys, the loud ones, the quiet ones, and the native English speakers. Then, a transformation began to slowly occur and became quite pronounced as we bonded in the cold winter months in Tampere, Finland. Perhaps there is something to be said about building group dynamics through winter sports; skiing, ice-skating, sledding, cold-water swimming, and sticking your tongue to a freezing cold pole. But, the almost-perfect honeymoon of our family would change as an intense semester awaited us in Aveiro. We had more coursework in Aveiro, in 2.5 months, than we had in Tampere, in a 6 month period. Major decisions were beckoning our hearts and minds; what will be my thesis topic, what will I do in June when the program is over, should I apply for a PhD program, and where will I write my thesis? For me, the mixture of my thesis decisions, my living arrangements, and my future were forever weighing on my mind, not to mention the thought of this 2-year dream coming to an end. All of this compounded with the task of saying goodbye to classmates that you have come to love, it's emotional!

Electric Blue Day Trip!

What do you get when you put together a wickedly funny Portuguese tour guide and a group of 50 international students? A day trip filled with mystical visits to foggy Portugal towns, lots of laughs, enough rain to make you soggy, and a broken down mini-train that was originally built for children, not adults! But, that didn't stop us from enjoying our final destination; the stormiest (and highest) peak in Portugal, Serra da Estrela. Yes, stormy...like no trekking kind of stormy, like blow you off the side of the mountain stormy, like I can't see my hand in front of me kind of stormy, like, man I bet this place is beautiful when you can actually see it. When it's stormy outside, it's the perfect excuse to warm up inside with a good bottle of wine, traditional Portuguese cheese, pumpkin jam, bread, and the infamous sopa de legumes (veggie soup). And that is just what we did when we arrived at the highest peak that was completely socked in by a storm...we ate, drank wine and told bidet stories. The monthly day-trip, organized by the University of Aveiro international office, is a must for international students. We visited the famous bread museum in Seia (see funny pics with rolling pins) and walked the mystical city of Vouzela (see pic with bridge), and jumped through the most lit up city in Portugal, Viseu. Seriously, this place had Christmas lights everywhere, and the light bulb color of choice: BLUE (see pic.)! In the old town center, they had a red carpet, of which the funny tour guide (Joao) and myself put to use with some zany jumping photos and a paparazzi scene that would scare off Britney Spears. All these lights, I got zapped by the Christmas spirit.