This trip to Portugal was just what I needed. It was so fun to be in a new place, just the four of us.
& lucky me... After four years of blogging, I decided to figure out how to put pictures side by side. Now this post won't be a mile and a half long. Ha!
The kids were troopers. Both were congested and Logan had a cough. We woke up at 3 AM and got ourselves to the airport and on our 3.5 hour flight. Logan and Emery did great. Justin did great too (He got home at 1 AM from a weekend tournament and I don't know how he went 48 hours without sleeping. Super Dad!!
As soon as we stepped off the plane, the sun was in our eyes and we were surrounded by blue skies. I was soooo happy! I don't remember the last time I had seen blue skies.
Emery, who has probably only seen the sun enough times to count on one hand was loving the warm rays. We were definitely not in Berlin anymore. We stopped at a yummy cafe and took our time eating while our bnb was being prepared for us.
I was on cloud nine hearing, reading, and speaking Portuguese.
After grabbing some groceries (which included maracuja & pastel de nata), we made it to our apartment, got settled, and I ran down to the beach before sunset.
We stayed in Portimão right on Praia de Rocha. It was so incredibly beautiful. I could not believe the rock formations, greenery, and how the light hit the waves. I was in heaven!!! I could have sat there all evening, enjoying the smell and sights of the ocean.
The tide was rising in the evening and the waves were pretty big. I loved watching them crash against the cliffs over and over.
It was a long day of travel & keeping up with two sick babies, but we wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. I LOVED the views from where we stayed. Logan made sure to point out the moon and birds every chance he got.
A big game changer for the trip was bringing toys from home for Logan. The familiarity of his toys helped him with being in a new place. He woke up so excited to play with his trucks, sticker book, and basketball hoop.
Logan loves basketball. He will play for hours if he has someone to shoot with. We bought an $8 hoop with some plastic balls off of Amazon and it was a hit haha. That's all he did while we were home.
The sun was out, we were well-rested, and I couldn't wait to see this town that I had been researching for months. The drive was beautiful. We got to see the countryside and I was soaking in the family time we were getting together.
& this is where we found that 200+ staircase. Justin and I took turns going down the stairs to the water. The cliffs and arches were unreal.
We walked around Old Town and Rua 25 de Abril. The cobblestone and blue tile were some of my favorite parts of the architecture.
Our first stop was Praia Dona Ana. I had read that there was a famous staircase with over 200 stairs. I wasn't sure how Logan would fare with those... We got to the staircase and were pleasantly surprised to see less than 60 stairs haha.
Then we drove to a pretty boardwalk at Ponta da Piedade. It was all just so beautiful!!!!! I couldn't believe we were there together.
This little girl was the happiest, sweetest traveller. There is never a shortage of smiles and giggles from Emery.
This night, we all decided to go out again and watch the sunset on our Praia de Rocha.
We were walking the pathway back to our apartment and out of nowhere this dog popped up behind his fence. It scared me so bad haha. He just hung out here until we were out of sight.
I can't believe they're my babies!! Oh, I love them.
Our last day had a forecast of rain and clouds. When we woke up, I swore I could see sunlight peeking through the curtains. Justin checked for me and we got to end our trip with yet another sunny, warm day. Biggest tender mercy. I was so happy.
We drove to Praia da Marinha and this was one of my favorite things we did. The prettiest lookout points with trails all over the top of the coastal cliffs.
After exploring Carvoeiro and the Algar Seco boardwalk, we headed back to Portimão for some Brazilian snacks and to drive by the church.
The rain eventually rolled in after naptime so we ordered food for dinner, set up the hide-a-bed, and had a family movie night before the kids went to bed. It was perfect. I loved watching the misty ocean while we were cuddled up on the couch.
Another highlight of the trip were our "açaí dates" we had every night after the kids went to bed. I love this boy more than I'll ever be able to say. He's my everything and I'm so grateful I get to share the memories of this trip with him.
We were up and heading to the airport at 3 AM again with our two sweet travelers. Thank goodness for Toy Story & Lightning McQueen.
It was the best, best, best trip ever and I'm so happy we were able to see the Algarve region in Portugal with our family of four.