So Portugal is nice

Note: I would really hate to get back home and have some of you say "Hey idiot, why did you spend all your time talking about the gym, or Spanish culture, or stuff that bugged you? I wanted to hear about...." So if I'm missing something or even if you just want to know something specific about my experience let me know. For the older crowd funnel your requests through my parents or my email shorst@ashland.edu. For the younger crowd Facebook etc.

As per usual lets go with photos first, comments on some of them, then I'll reflect on the weekend and let ya'll know where I'm at with everything. Tomorrow is the Spanish equivalent of Columbus day (leave it to the Spaniards to put a holiday right in the middle of a week) and in celebration I promise you a post that has been too long coming: food. I know I have mentioned some bits and pieces about the culinary differences so far but there is a plethora of deliciousness to be had here and I love me some good food. Really, who doesn't? So I'll do the "dishes of Spain", what Eddie and I scarf down regularly, spices and flavorings and Andalusian (read southern Spain) delicacies. A teaser: roast suckling pig marinated in olive oil and a slightly bitter garlic sauce. Oy. I'll have to do it after lunch or I won't have the fortitude. So. Portugal. Mira (look!):

 Some sort of organized race in a river we saw on our way into Portugal on Friday afternoon.

The landscape is reminiscent of parts of California, but also very distinct. I've never been anywhere quite like it. Southern Portugal is much the same as southern Spain of course.

 Ah now these are kind of cool. we drove about an hour from our hotel on Saturday to see the westernmost point in Portugal, a place that once upon a time was considered the end of the world. For the first time I managed to find some authentic handmade crafts, sold from some roadside stands by ancient and crinkly Portuguese couples. I spent entirely too much buying some things but it felt worthwhile; for example, in Cordoba they had some very decorative, very Arabic ceramic plates that I thought would have made good presents for several people only every single one of them was stamped with Cordoba in shiny gold letters. You put that in your house and no one with half a brain would even have to ask where you got it. Felt entirely unauthentic to me.

 You wouldn't know it just by looking but many of the beaches are tucked back behind in coves like this, which on the one hand creates a cool kind of semi-privacy to them but on the other leaves you wave-less.

 That's Sam from Bozeman Montana. He's a funny funny guy. Barely discernible in this picture is the two foot long seaweed looking tattoo on his left side. He woke up the morning after his 21st birthday and to this day has no idea what it is.

 I know it looks like I'm just standing on the beach flexing like a tool but there was a purpose behind this shot. You can't see them very well but I've got cuts on my arms and stomach from getting dashed up against a rock on Saturday. Sam and Kyle and I swam half a mile or so out into the ocean to get to a rock we could jump off of and I timed my approach poorly. A big wave came in right as I was trying to pull myself out of the water. It was so much fun. And jumping into the ocean as opposed to jumping into lakes or rivers is very different. One side of the rock we jumped off you had to hit the water and swim right away to keep from getting pushed into the rock. Awesome.

 Mmmmm bocadillo. I'll explain the wonder that is a bocadillo de Reme tomorrow.

American rock-themed bar the first night. I added these because I'd like you all to note the girl in red on the right. If you look closely you will note she is wearing a black Cardinals hat. It is my hat. I do not know her name, nor did I ever get her name. Eddie wore the hat out at night.

Yeah. That's my hat.

Left to right, Paula, Eddie, Kylie and Anna.

Our hotel's pool which was somehow colder than the Atlantic ocean. Go figure.

Communal dinners were awesome. We all ate for about 5 E a night.

So from what we experienced, Portugal is the biggest tourist trap on the face of the earth. We could have spoken English all weekend without going out of our way. There are bars and restaurants that cater to English, French, German, and American tourists everywhere in these beach towns. I suppose it's to be expected given Portugal, or at least southern Portugal, has very little else to offer in terms of economy or industry. We were limited in our options for exploration because we signed on for a "Portugal party weekend", so it was up at 10 for breakfast (surprisingly good, better than any continental breakfast in the states. Ever had ham and beans for breakfast? I think it's an English custom) out to the beaches by noon, back around 8 or 9 for dinner and rest and then meet up at 1 AM to start the bar tours, and then end up at some club by 5 AM where  one DJ Benz, who was on the trip with us, would DJ for an hour or two. I was over the bar tours by 3 AM on the first night and I didn't even go out the second night. I know I paid for it so I should have at least given it a shot but 1. I don't drink hardly at all so getting even buzzed enough to ignore how annoying drunk people are is out of the question 2. Drinks at the bars start at 3 euros. Even if I were inclined to drink that's a terrible deal economically speaking when you're a college student trying to travel Europe 3. The hotel was very nice, with a comfy bed and working AC and a full service kitchen. I slept  incredibly well and came back from the weekend feeling rested, if slightly burnt. The beaches were beautiful, our group was hilarious drunk or not. No dramatics, no fighting, no selfishness or emotions etc. Just a good clean visit.

One interesting part about the trip was the lack of any real border control between Spain and Portugal. We never showed ID or Passports to enter, only to check in at the hotel. It is mostly the same in other EU countries, and stricter in others. I'm disappointed I didn't get a stamp or anything official because I'd like to fill my passport with stamps like in the olden days. I guess I'll need to travel outside Europe to get more entry stamps etc. One step at a time. All in all it was a great weekend for the bargain basement price of 99E. Add dinners and food and Eddie and I got through the weekend for about 120E, very very cheap.