June marks our first month in Europe…ALONE! This was a big milestone for the York family as we’ve been lucky to have so many visitors during our initial stay. And so we’ve started to settle into a routine! A European one. Unfortunately, much of our June routine involved work, work and more work. The reality of starting a new job with a new group set in and so I worked several weekends trying to figure everything out. But we also had the opportunity for some fun and to see some great things. Yes, we’re here to work, but we’ve got to get our fill of Europe too!  

 Do all moves involve a trip to IKEA? In situations involving significant change, you come to love those places that can offer a bit of predictability. Like IKEA, McDonalds, etc. Yes, I did say McDonalds. There is one in walking distance from our house and I will admit that I’ve indulged in a couple of hamburgers. Here was our great IKEA purchase, the ‘His and Her Locker’ that we waited 2 MONTHS for! But, I finally feel a bit more organized as we don’t have any bathroom storage. Putting the locker together was also Jeff’s first home project in Portugal. There hasn’t been a whole lot of work around the house to hone his skills as a handyman. This has been our first and only house project!

Jeff is really living dangerously these days – riding motorcycles AND racing cars. I feel like we enter the Daytona 500 every time we drive in Lisbon (Fact: Portugal has the worst driving record in Europe) and so Jeff put his new found Portuguese driving skills to the test. He raced go-carts all weekend and apparently the rule in Portugal is that if a car comes up behind you, you’re supposed to move out of the way. These rules weren’t explained to Jeff and so he was rear ended several times before he followed the advice of his favorite song, ‘Move B*#!H, Get out the Way.’

I failed in my duties of being a supportive wife and did not go to watch the races, but instead brought in the bacon and worked from home. I did snap a picture of Jeff in his racing uniform. You gotta love a man in uniform and I’m convinced that this will make a good Halloween costume some day (all we need is to add a handle-bar mustache and a 40 and I’ve got myself a race car driver.)

We have been hearing for months about the St. Antonio holiday in Portugal. St. Antonio is the adopted patron saint of Lisbon and also the saint of marriage. The holiday begins with a huge public marriage ceremony funded by the city for 20 under-privileged couples. Every wedding must have a reception and this one involves closing down Lisbon’s oldest part of town and inviting the entire city to attend. And the menu? Sangria and Sardines. Jeff’s team adopted us for an evening of eating and dancing in the streets of Lisbon. It was such a wonderful, vibrant night with strings of light, streamers and bands everywhere. I can’t wait for next year!

A view of early in the evening (Jeff's first drink)...

A bit later in the evening...

And the last shot of the night when a dog entered the dance floor.

Jeff and I have already picked out our favorite local hot spots. Casa de Guia is one of my personal favorites. It’s an old mansion that has shops and then a bunch of restaurants in these little bungalows surrounding the mansion. It has beautiful views of the water and is a great retreat!

And then there is the town of Cascais, the boardwalk, beaches, restaurants....this is a view from the ocean path and Estoril (town next to Cascais). 

It wasn't a very crowded day at this Cascais beach and we did not see any topless sunbathers - hey, it's Europe and completely acceptable!   

Enjoying a drink at one of the many 'Esplanadas'

I will admit that Jeff and I are still tourists in Lisbon. We checked out a walking tour of Belem (home to the Portuguese President, the launch of many discoverers and the Pasteis de Belem (a pastery)). I am just CRAZY about walking tours and have vowed to never leave a city without having one.

Jeff caught in the act of indulging on a Pasteis de Belem.   

A procession of the President's guards in front of his very pink house.  We figured our dog loving friends would like to see that they are part of the pomp and circumstance! 

This darling old man was marching through the bystanders singing his national anthem. 

Always thinking of home!  Jeff was a good sport for letting me take this very touristy picture. 

The 'Torre de Belem.'  On a very random note, I just had a dream that I was at this open air market and that I was trying on some shoes and in the chaos, someone stole the shoes I was wearing below.  I woke up really upset (although I know some of you do not like my elf shoes!), but I'm happy to report they are safe and sound in my closet! 

There was a regatta on the river while we were in Belem and Jeff and I vowed once again that we would take sailing lessons (still hasn't happened). 

The gardens, Jeronimo Monastery in the background and the not so stolen elf shoes. 

It took moving to Lisbon to finally catch a Pearl Jam concert. It was the first for both Jeff and me. My ‘Must See’ concert list has dwindled to nothing (with Madonna last summer and now PJ) and so I need to go back to the drawing board and add some more to my list. I think that Pink Martini in Paris this November is my next ‘Must See.’

The Lincoln Park/Pearl Jam concert was outdoors on the river and was a mix between a concert and a fair. Fair food everywhere, a disco-tech tent and several stages with smaller bands. It was a fantastic show and I loved that we didn’t get that claustrophobic, overheated feeling that you have with indoor concerts. Eddie even mentioned that he felt right at home in Lisbon because it reminds him of Seattle with the water, hills, etc. Not sure that I agree with him, but I just liked the fact that he mentioned good ole Seattle. Ah, home sweet home.

Beer delivery...

Notice the live entertainers in the background.

My new favorite - boxed wine! We decided to test it out from our new favorite vineyard , Quinta de Alcube. Once you open the box, it’s good for 9 months. I loved being able to have a little drop of vino whenever and not having to open a new bottle or waste a bunch of wine because I wasn’t able to finish it. Two thumbs up for boxed wine.

We started feeling a bit more European with our trip to Amsterdam. I hadn’t been there for 6 years, but had an instant connection to it and could move there in a heartbeat. I even loved that it rained during our stay - how sick is that? But the climate is very similar to Seattle’s. My co-worker, Emile, and his wife, Shiah, were our hosts and personal tour guides for a day. What a treat to see all of the local spots!  Emile is great, speaks perfect English, was raised on all of the same TV shows as us and loves the Gilmore Girls.  Why can't there be an Emile and Shiah in Portugal? 

Emile and Shiah at a University in Amsterdam.

A stop off during a bike ride in the country-side.Meet Benita, the windmill.  She is the windmill featured in all of Rembrandt's paintings and etchings. 

A beer to finish the afternoon.

My clogs were so happy to meet their home town! 

When in Holland, do as the Dutch do and ride a bike!  The talented individual who took this shot was also riding a bike.  Please do not try this at home. 

We may only have been in Portugal for a few short months, but Jeff is already making the news! Is it for his incredible impact in Finance and all of the new ‘best practices’ he’s brought to Portugal? Is he making the news because he is the only Microsoft employee to prop his feet up on his desk (people have actually taken notice of Jeff’s relaxed sprawl and it’s been the office gossip!!!)?

Not quite! He was interviewed about the difference in cost of living standards between Seattle and Lisbon – kind of a random story…not sure why they picked Seattle as a comparison! My favorite was the subtitles and that his segment was the only part of the evening news that I could actually understand!

Reporting from Lisbon that another fun-filled month has passed!  Thanks for reading and next month will feature a visit from my mom!  Hooray!