Author Archives: jg28602

Broooooo! Snooooooow!

01 Saturday Mar 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

Spending time with two 14 year old boys has made an impact on my communication skills. I now start every sentence with “Bro”. I send 1-word texts in rapid fashion and spam the recipient’s inbox with 25 messages to complete one sentence. Apparently cute girls are referred to as “baddies”.

All joking aside, we had a great week in Garmisch. The kids played countless rounds of ping pong, we got in a round of poker, Lily baked yummy cookies, I started and finished a 500-piece puzzle and spent time on taking care of some family business. The boys are sore but 100% in tact after several days of skiing. It wasn’t high adventure for me, but I enjoyed the down time.

I am obsessed with the Bavarian carved benches and was on a mission to find out where I can buy one. The little town of Oberammergau is known for woodworking so we drove there one day to try to find a store that sells them. Unfortunately most of the shops were closed, but even if they were open I didn’t see any benches for sale. A few conversations have my hopes dwindling. Apparently they are a very traditional Bavarian gift, often a wedding present or passed down the family. Or carved by themselves…. I don’t suppose I know any woodcarvers?

Despite not having any success on the bench hunt, the town was super cute.

A massive beautiful building sits in the town of Ettal and is a monastery that is known for its brewery. We decided we had to check it out. I mean, it’s not every day you have a chance to wander through a building built in 1330….
Whoa. The ceiling was shockingly gorgeous.
While there was not a brewery tour that we could join that day, we still had to go home with some fresh beer. And a new puzzle.
We wandered around the Old Town area of Garmisch. The craftsmanship. The paintings. So much pride goes into almost every building.
Old Town Garmisch
This is my favorite store. Beautiful traditional Bavarian clothing. There was an entire wall full of fabrics that you could choose from to design your own dirndl. Hold. Me. Back. Not only was the clothing inside amazing, the artwork on the building was incredible. Some people put up a sign that says “clothing store.” Bavarians paint intricate murals to advertise.
That is not a typo. This is actually the name of a restaurant. And it was mukke-f###ing delicious.
Another ski day!
With the boys hitting the slopes, we decided to go for a hike. Unfortunately the Partnachklamm gorge hike was closed (wah wah), so Jay found another destination.
Jay, Lily, Kaycee and I hiked up to Kaiserschmarm Alm, a little restaurant on top of the world. 600 feet of elevation. Jay is not allowed to select hiking routes any longer. Lily and I almost died. Kaycee ran up and down it about 15 times. Thankfully our lives were saved by the delicious food at the top. If you go, I suggest riding the gondola UP and hiking DOWN. Oh, and order the bread with the cream cheese spread. Yummy.
Amazing views
The original owner of the restaurant
I need a door like this in my life. This is on a SHED!! I love the details.
I was so tempted to knock on the door and make an offer on their bench….
Maybe the coolest birdhouse ever
So this is a thing I have observed. Notice the shape of all of the little barns. They start at the bottom with big logs. As they stack, the logs get smaller, but the walls kind of balloon out.
Here’s another angle.
Just your average every day lumber yard. This appears to be a new building.
The Winter Olympics were held in this town in 1936, under Hitler’s rule. Can you tell how high that ski jump is? Who in their right mind gets to the top of that, looks down, and says, “I think it would be a great idea to ski down that”????
Certainly Lily is NOT one of those people.
Jay went up the mountain with the boys on the last skiing day. There was fresh powder. Brooooooooo!!!! Snoooooooooow!!!!! They LOVED it. Despite being exhausted, they were having so much fun. Their skills definitely improved throughout the week. No falls on the last day! AND NO BROKEN BONES!!
I started and finished a book this week. The Frozen River was about a midwife from the 1700s. It was an interesting perspective of what it would have been like to be an educated woman during that time. An unexpected twist at the end, and justice was finally served.

My ancestors on my mom’s side of the family came from the French Alps. I think there is a piece of me hidden somewhere in my DNA that feels a connection with the mountains. Being in the mountains – any mountains – is my happy place. Refreshed. Recharged. Rejuvenated.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

26 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

After a “normal” week, we are back on vacation this week for Ski Break (that is really what it is called). Ty really wanted to go skiing, so we planned a vacation in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is at the base of the Bavarian Alps. It’s a beautiful area with some unique touches and amazing food.

When we got home from Brussels, Jay and Ty joined the Glace’s and Ted for a Frankfurt Eintracht football (soccer) game.
It is Fasching time in Germany. It is celebrated during Carnival and while it has roots as a religious event before Lent, an outsider’s perspective is that it seems to be more around getting dressed up and going to parties. It’s like a multi-day Halloween party.
Garmisch. Gorgeous.
We are staying at an Air BNB called Chalet Alpspitz. It is beautiful, and I love listening to the mountain stream in the backyard.
Dinner on night 1 was at Hotel & Gasthof Fraundorfer. Entertainment was provided by a live accordion player and 2 adorable boys dancing in a traditional style in their liederhosen. Classic Bavaria. The food was delicious.
On Sunday we headed up the mountain to the Zugspitze and the highest point in Germany. We took a cogwheel train up the mountain. It was Kaycee’s first train ride. The first hour was fine, and then we entered a tunnel for 20 minutes of darkness. I did not love that part of the trip. It took me about 15 minutes to recover when we arrived at the top. Felt a little nauseous and claustrophobic.
The train was really climbing. The kids had fun playing with gravity.
We rented a few sleds and sent the kids (and Paul) on a loooooong hike to the top of the sledding hill. You can easily see Jay in this picture. Can anyone see Paul and Lily? If anyone from the top of the mountain reads this blog, PLEASE for the love of God put in a lift. The kids only went down the hill twice because they were so exhausted. The only reason why they went twice instead of once is because it was super intense. I will post the sledtastrophe video on Facebook.
So this place was seriously cool (no pun intended). Iglu Dorf. This is a giant snow fort that has a bar and several hotel rooms ALL MADE OUT OF SNOW!! The next group of photos are from inside. Absolutely incredible carvings. In the spring it all melts away. Next winter they will spend 5-6 weeks building a new one.
Sip on a glass of wine, take in the view, and watch the skiers zoom past? Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
We took a short ride on a gondola (Kaycee’s first) to get to the highest point in Germany. The clouds were rolling in so we didn’t get the full experience but it was still neat to be above the clouds.
The highest point in Germany (and apparently the highest hat in Germany also).
Glace’s (minus 1)
We crossed a bridge into Austria before heading down the mountain. This time we took a gondola (somehow I didn’t get any photos).
From the gondola stop we switched back to a train. The skiers stopped at Hausberg to get fitted for their ski equipment and finalize ski plans for the week.
Dinner on Sunday night was at Seehaus Restaurant & Cafe. There is a lake next to the restaurant but it was dark out so we couldn’t see it. Wah wah. The food was delicious.
On Monday Jay and the kids had a lesson with Olivia. There is a US military base in the area, and a resort for military families. The Hausberg ski school and equipment rental is employed by Americans. It was so nice to not have to worry about anything getting lost in translation.
While half the group was on the mountain, Jessica, Paul and I explored the town. First stop was Edelweiss Resort which is only accessible to US military families and their guests.
Wandering through town
Ok. So these wooden benches with Bavarian people painted on the ends are SO COOL. I feel like I need one in my life. There are several sprinkled around the town.
We ate lunch at Mohrenplatz. Outside. In the sun. It was 50 degrees Fahrenheit!!
My Treasury eye couldn’t help but notice the world’s most beautiful Commerzbank building.
I love the architecture in the area. Many of the buildings/homes have intricate paintings on the outside.
Jessica and Paul headed back home, so Kaycee and I walked to the lodge to meet the skiers. They all had a great time (and were exhausted)!
Tuesday morning we dropped Ty and Cam off at the lift and went to Wafflehaus. Important note: this is NOT part of the Waffle House chain in the US. Jay has a weird love of the US WH, so he will not be happy with me saying this, but this Wafflehaus was so much better than USWH. I mean, not even comparable.
I believe I ate this hot cherry Belgian waffle with ice cream in record time
Why wouldn’t you put schnitzel on your breakfast sandwich?
Ty and Cam found some friends from school!
Warning. The next section is mildly inappropriate but I feel like I need to include a record of this observation. I am somewhat immature and enjoy bathroom humor. This sign made me chuckle. Translation is bath alley but I only see Bad Gas.
This is the best “toilets are this way” sign
Enter a stall and enjoy the artwork
Well hello there
I almost didn’t post this one, but come on. How could I not? I was cracking up in the bathroom. For the guys reading this, most women’s bathrooms do not have this kind of decor. Note that these are 3 different public stalls, at 3 different locations. It’s a thing here. 🙂

We are here all week – looking forward to more adventures!

Brussels. A You’re A Peein’ City

16 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

Ty had an indoor baseball tournament in Schriesheim, Germany last weekend. I wish there was indoor baseball in the US. It is super fast-paced and fun! The Redwings got 3rd place – only lost 1 game against the team that took 1st.
Lily got a new curling iron and has been fun practicing with the different attachments. I benefit from this interest of hers.
Ty’s basketball team had games in Brussels. Lily had a birthday party so Jay and I drove the quick 4 hours to cheer on the boys. Both games were good match-ups and ended in nail-biting finished. Won the first game and lost the second. The boys played well!

Ty stayed with a Host family and a teammate, so Jay and I had a date night in Brussels, which just happened to be Valentine’s Day!

The Grand Place was gorgeous! It is a huge square with beautiful buildings accented in gold.
We had dinner at Cave Du Roy – a random The Fork find. It was delicious! These Belgians really love their beer. This is a small (j/k). I had to use 2 hands to pick it up.

Did you know that Brussels is famous for 3 “mannekin pjs”? The city is full of little trinkets of peeing statues.

The most famous is the peeing boy. My mom had a fountain with this statue when I was growing up. Who knew that it was a copy of this?
One of the best photobombs ever
This is Jeannekin Pis. I find it hilarious that they named this statue after me.
A closeup of Jeanne. Apparently they often decorate the statues. Jeanne must have needed an IV.
This is Het Zinneke, the peeing dog.
While we were too full to actually eat a Belgium waffle, this is an example of what I mean when I say there are peeing statue items for sale everywhere.
We had a little time Saturday morning to wander around in the daylight. The building behind us is the Belgian Beer World Experience. We didn’t go inside, but the building was beautiful!
This was a cool thing. There were a few of these glass-covered holes around the city showing you the ruins below.
I mean, this doesn’t look like your typical McDonald’s.

We stayed at the Hilton Gand Place. The location was perfect for exploring the massive downtown area. I would have liked to have one more day when shops were open, but we had a great time wandering around at night. Cool city, beautiful buildings, yummy beer, fun atmosphere.

Big Ben…Parliament

02 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

Whirlwind 3 days in London. We scratched the surface, saw a lot but only from a distance. I ate some yummy fish and chips, and Lily discovered the joy of eating baked beans for breakfast.

Look kids! Big Ben
Oh hey. There’s Buckingham Palace.
So pretty
I think we probably need a red telephone booth at our house.
We mastered the Underground. Mind the gap!
A highlight – Hamilton!! The Brits were good sports about the King. :). He’s my favorite. ya da da da da dah….you’ll be back
Such a beautiful theater
Intermission – all smiles!
A chilly Sunday morning loop on the Hop On Hop Off Big Bus.
St Paul’s Cathedral
The Crown Jewels are in that fortress. Would have been neat to go inside and see them – next time!
Look kids! Big Ben!

I didn’t get any good pictures of the basketball team. Unfortunately the boys lost both games, but they played hard. ASL was a solid team.

I love that we can explore a whole new city and country during an easy 3 day weekend. And I loved having a break from Google Translate. We manage pretty well in the land of Deutsch, but it is an additional layer of thinking and is a subtle frustration to not be able to speak the language in Germany. Being able to read and listen to everything without having to exert mental translation energy is a holiday treat.

Cheers mate!!

GERMany to LONdon

31 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

Ugh. The Shearers were down for the count AGAIN! First Lily got sick, then Jay, then me. Influenza B this time. Somehow Ty managed to stay healthy through it all, which is a small miracle. I am so sick of being sick. The GERMS need to stay away. Shout out to Bobby for the blog post title idea. 😉

It’s been a while since I shared an update, because we have been just living our normal lives. Here are a couple highlights.

Jay’s high school friend, Gary, and his baby-mama came to visit us. Lindsey was 23 weeks pregnant with twins and was a trooper! They visited Paris, Switzerland, and Köln Germany within one week.
Jay was their Uber driver to Switzerland. I had to stay home with the kids. Wah-wah.
Our friend, Paul, celebrated the big 5-0 at the ice skating rink in Hoffheim. It was the perfect sunshiny day!
We watched Molly’s Game and Lily immediately set up a family poker game.
And she WON!!
Ty’s basketball team played in The Hague, Netherlands last weekend. So strange to see my baby boy so far from home.
3 day weekend in London. Ty is playing basketball against the American School of London and Lily and I are going to see Hamilton!

FIS lost their first game against ASL. Let’s hope tomorrow is a little better.

Classic Nicole move today. Ty is playing at ASL. Not ISL. What’s the difference between A and I? About an hour and a half on the Underground and an Uber. Whoops!!!! Thankfully we still made it in plenty of time to watch the game. Phew!

Stay tuned!

Obrigado!! Thank you Portugal!!

02 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

We drove to a coastal town, Faro, to explore a bit.
There was a massive wall built around the city.
The main tourist draw in the town is this unassuming church, Nossa Senhora do Carmo.
It is like many old European churches – will I be struck down by lightning if I describe it as a bit gaudy?
But then you wander out back to find a very small old cemetery and a little chapel – Capela dos Ossos. This is NOT like every other European church.
Um….look closely. You are seeing what you think you are seeing. They ran out of space in the cemetery so they exhumed the bones of over 1200 bodies and covered the walls of the chapel. Never seen anything like it – never want to see it again.
Jay was feeling the need for speed after being away from the autobahn for so long, so he and Ty found a couple go-kart tracks. Meanwhile, I had one of the best massages of my life at the hotel – Ricardo gets a 5+ star review from me!
Perhaps Jay should have contemplated a career as a race car driver. Poor Ty spent the day inhaling Jay’s exhaust.
But Ty got revenge by slamming into Jay’s broken bumper car over and over again. Lily got some good belly laughs in.
We ended 2024 with a little sunset exploration of the coastline by our hotel. I love the rocky, shell-covered, cracked cliffs, watching the waves crash into them.
We got all dressed up for New Year’s Eve and I didn’t take a family photo. After talking about dancing until 6:00 AM, Lily couldn’t make it to midnight.
But I had a pretty amazing fireworks show from our hotel balcony. This picture doesn’t really show it great, but I could see at least 10 different fireworks displays.
We drove into Albufeira on our last night in Portugal, January 1. While I am sure that the night before (and all summer long) the Strip was a hoppin’ place, it was pretty quiet. We had to use our imagination about what the atmosphere is normally like.

Some random thoughts about Portugal, in no particular order.

In the winter, 3-4 days in Algarve is plenty. Summer, different story. Definitely rent a car. Take the long way down the coast to get from Lisbon to Algarve.

The sun shines over 300 days each year. My Vitamin D deficiency should be eliminated now. While not super warm this time of year, it was a wonderful break from the cold and gray of the German winter. Anytime I can sleep with the windows open (snuggled under a blanket with warm pjs) in December is a great night.

Red wine from Duoro is amazing.

The Portuguese people are relatively short. I am short. I loved being able to sit in most chairs and have my feet lay flat on the ground (this is not usually the case for me). It’s the little things…

I liked Lisbon, but Algarve has some sort of special sauce. Lovely people, beautiful views, gorgeous coastline, sunshine, delicious food and wine, and a super chill and happy vibe.

This has been a long vacation. I am thankful to work for a company that completely shuts down between Christmas and New Year’s. It is the one time of year when I can 100% completely unplug and unwind. My email inbox stays blissfully quiet. While it was not at all a traditional Christmas season for us, and we missed our typical family celebrations, it was great to spend so much uninterrupted time with Jay, Ty, and Lily.

2024 Adventures

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

The 2024 New Year lived up to its name – new home, new country, new school, new friends, new teams, new adventures.

January.

1st day of FISW – 5th & 8th grades. Königstein castle. Redwings. FISW Basketball. Heidelberg.

February.

The highlight was definitely the trip to Italy. Rome, Florence, and Venice. Rome still lands near the top of our list of favorite places we have visited.

March.

Hikes, indoor softball, clubbing, and Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

May.

Vaters Tag (Fathers Day). Medieval Festival. Redwings. Auntie Shell <3. Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. Ty’s 14th Geburtstag (birthday). Solo work trip to Budapest. And the Backstage Crew at the school play.

June.

Euro Disney. Last day of 5th & 8th grades. Eurocup. Horse lessons.

July.

Köln Day Trip. Lily’s 11th Geburtstag. Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Royals Baseball State Champions. Auntie Shell’s funeral. Montana. New jobs.

August.

Ty’s drivers permit. Best time spent with my bestie. Iowa State Fair. 1st day of 6th & 9th grades. New school for Ty. Bad Soden Wine festival. Paris.

September.

FISO JV Rugby. School camping trips. Soccer. Deutsche Meister Baseball Championships in Füssen and Regensburg. Aunt Jekka and Uncle Jason!! Riley!! Crazy kids at Oktoberfest in München. Kitzbühel, Austria.

October.

Salzburg, Austria. Amsterdam. Frankfurt Oktoberfest. Softball Deutschemeister in Karlsruhe. Frankfurt Eintracht soccer game. More rugby + concussion = overnight in German hospital. Birkenstock Hotel in Switzerland. Halloween.

November.

Kirk & Sherry!! Paris. Crete, Greece. Christmas markets. Ravenna Gorge, Black Forest. Thanksgiving. New glasses. Another new job.

December.

FISO JV Basketball. Girls weekend in Nuremberg. Still riding horses. Jon-Jon!! Goose dinner. Lisbon and Algarve Portugal. 466 day DuoLingo German streak

Phew! That was a LOT! We only have so much time – in Europe, with our kiddos, on this planet. Trying to make as many memories as possible. Work hard, play hard. As the sun sets on the last day of 2024, the Shearers want to wish everyone a happy new year!!

The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail

29 Sunday Dec 2024

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

Today was a GREAT day. My feet hurt but my soul is happy. Prepare yourself for seeing photos of the 2nd best hike Jay and I have ever done (Maui is #1).

Have I mentioned how much I love the style of this hotel?
We watched the sunset from our balcony while sipping wine from Duoro – yummy
I really don’t like figuring out where we are going to eat while I’m on vacation. Kind of like how I hate figuring out what we are having for dinner every night in real life. Knock on wood but we have gotten really lucky so far. My technique for restaurant hunting is very high tech and analytical….i look at Google Maps and find a restaurant on the ocean.
Recommend!
Grabbed a drink in the lounge before going to dinner
She is so happy here. We fueled up with a great breakfast before heading out on our hike.
We parked the car at Praia da Marinha and started walking West. Lily and I were admiring the view when a guy said we needed to climb down a path to find the heart cave. The trail was a little sketch, but I am so glad we did it!
Love
Ty was off running around the cliffs
You really can’t tell in these pictures how huge these cliffs are.
Well that’s a gorgeous beach. I wonder how people get down there
I asked a guy where the cave ended up – he said a Magical Kingdom. He wasn’t lying.
Magical
There was a little kitchen area in the cave.
Lighthouse
Ok this might give you some perspective. There is a lighthouse on top of the cliff.
These homes have amazing views
Kind of reminds me of the 7 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Australia
The guy on the edge of the cliff was fishing.
This beach was about halfway – perfect spot to grab a smoothie
There were lots of these giant holes in the earth along the trail. This picture is looking down from the top. Some of them were so deep you could hear the waves crashing in but couldn’t see anything.
Lots of fossils
So beautiful
The only wildlife I spotted
We ended at Carvoeiro. Just over 4 miles of hiking – up and down, moderate intensity. Major views.
Again, my stellar restaurant searching skills did not disappoint. This little gem – Olivalmar – was the best meal we have all had in Portugal. Ty tried crab for the first time. We all basically licked our plates clean, and then Lily talked us into dessert. Um. Wow. Make sure when you go you leave some room for dessert.

Days like today remind me how fortunate we are. When the daily stress levels are at a peak, I need to take a deep breath, close my eyes, and remember this hike in the Algarve. I heard someone in a Rick Steves podcast describe vacation in the Algarve as adding to the “Mosaic of Memories”. We all added some tiles today.

Western Coast Road Trip: Lisbon to Algarve

27 Friday Dec 2024

Posted by in Germany

≈ 1 Comment

We checked out of our Lisbon hotel on Thursday, picked up our rental car, and drive (sort of) along the coast to our next destination – Albufeira in the Algarve region.

This was one of Lily’s Christmas presents. I spent way more time than I care to admit trying to solve it.
Are we in Rio? Are we in San Francisco? Nope – Lisbon has a giant Jesus statue, similar to Christ The Redeemer in Rio, overlooking the city, next to a bridge that looks a LOT like the Golden Gate Bridge.
We took the long way, thinking we would see more ocean. It isn’t like Highway 1, but it was a pretty drive.
A lot of places were closed due it being the off season, but Ty found this little gem. The Magic Cactus had amazing views and a delicious lunch.
This girl loves the ocean
Sticking this screenshot into the blog for future reference. The Portuguese countryside was full of 2 types of trees – cork (cool to see where the bark had been removed) and Stone Pines. Iowa is too cold for them, but maybe someday I can live in a warm place and have one of my own.
Lagos was a cool stop along the way. We wandered throughout the narrow cobblestone streets and did a little shopping.
We arrived at our home for the next week – W Algarve. Great first impression! The staff were all super friendly, the style has a super cool vibe. I can’t believe I didn’t come up with this Caution Cone idea….
This view doesn’t suck.
We had a suitcase full of dirty clothes, so Jay and I had a hot date at the Mil Bolhas Lavandaria.
Jay forgot the champagne and candles, so we settled for some Super Bock beer that we picked up at the Supermercado. We be classy….
Friday morning we had an ATV buggy tour booked with Algarve Riders. Recommend!!
Lily hopped in with me. She giggled and squealed so much. 🙂
Ty braved buckling into dad’s buggy. He’s a little more adventurous than I am.
First stop was the Paderne Castle. This is one of the 7 castles that is on the Portuguese flag, representing one of the last castles that the Christians conquered from the Moors. It was originally built in the 12th century using a material called Taipa – a mixture of mud, chalk, lime, and aggregate. Amazing that it still stands (with some minor repairs) 800+ years later.
Always have to stop at the top of the hill to admire the view
Lily was ready for a nap
The chimneys in Algarve are a thing. They are beautiful – similar to this on, but there are many different variations of it. Someone can fact check this, but our guide said that the chimneys were originally built on top of homes of Muslim Moors that remained in the region, representing miniature Minarets, to subtly show their Muslim neighbors that while they said they were Christian to remain in the country, they practiced the Muslim religion behind closed doors.
When we got back to the hotel, our clothes were FILTHY. So Jay and Ty headed back to the laundromat, and Lily and I explored the hotel grounds. If I can’t find her later, I will check here.
Actual photo of the Stone Pines that I love.
Ok, wow. The “beach” at the bottom of the hotel’s property is gorgeous. Definitely NOT a swimming beach, but the waves crashing into the rocks sounded amazing.
I like Algarve. 🙂
Lily talked us into doing a Mixology class at the hotel. I haven’t had a good margarita in Europe, but the bartender said it was because I hadn’t had his yet. He showed me his mix, I shook it like it was freezing, and it was actually pretty yummy!
Jay made a Manhattan. Check out that pour!
And the sun goes down on another great day!

Feliz Natal!

25 Wednesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Germany

≈ Leave a comment

We spent Christmas Eve day wandering through the shops in Lisbon. Not much exciting to report, but I wanted to share a few photos from our holiday.

Jay found a Medieval Tavern for lunch and we ordered a chorizo sausage that you cook over a fire at your table.
Headed to dinner
Lily found this outfit while shopping. So stinking cute.
Massive tree in the Praça do Comércio
Of course we had to get a selfie from inside the tree. We had this picture printed on a tile as a souvenir.
Beautiful
And sassy
Christmas Eve dinner reservations at RIB Beef & Wine. The kids were not so sure about having a set menu, but they tried (and actually liked) most things on the menu. The dessert room was by far their favorite!

Christmas Day lunch was a buffet at the hotel, full of traditional Portuguese dishes. There were lots of different salads (not the leafy kind, think grains), baby goat, ham, fruits, and desserts.

We finally wandered through the Winter Wonderland on our last evening in Lisbon. It was a Christmas market/carnival. We had one more shot of Ginjinha – a delicious cherry flavored liquor, mine served in a chocolate cup.
Feliz Natal!! merry Christmas!

Tomorrow we pick up a rental car and head south toward Algarve. We are taking the long way there, along the coast. Stay tuned!