Amy's mom's illness

I was going to progress on to the Spain part of our trip for our next blog post but things have been very busy so I figured it would be better to write this in real time rather than waiting for so long. 

When we were just leaving for Europe, Amy's mom told us that she had a cough and went to see her doctor.  She was told that she may have pneumonia and took a course of antibiotics.  When we returned two weeks later, she was feeling ok but still a bit short of breath so we advised her to follow up with her doctor again.  A repeat chest x-ray showed abnormal fluid in her right lung, which was very suspicious.  It took a bit of convincing but she went to the ER and was admitted.  After a thoracentesis, where they pulled fluid out of her lung, and many studies, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.  Amy has been taking point in coordinating her mom's care, which also means coordinating care for her dad who has advanced Parkinson's.  It's been hard on everyone and I'm doing my best to help with the kids while all this is going on.  Because I work in the acute setting, things in the outpatient world seem so slow to me, but both Amy and I had to realize that things happen on the order of weeks not days.  We still pushed to get her mom the fastest and best care possible, coordinating consults at PAMF and UCSF.  My friend, Kristin, was very helpful in referring us to the head of thoracic oncology at UCSF and getting us in ASAP.  We are also connected with a great oncologic surgeon in the PAMF system.  Amy's uncle also had a similar cancer and has been doing well 6 years out so that's giving us some hope. 

We're praying for her everyday. The kids know that Popo is sick and it's serious but I don't think they understand the full extent of it, of course.  Amy has been very tired and neglecting herself while this is in the acute phase but hopefully, things will stabilize soon.  Things like this make you think. 

Amy's mom, the kids and David (who was dog sitting three that day :)

Portugal 2024

All right, this is a mega post for our trip to Portugal and Spain.. :)  I may end up breaking this into two pieces if it turns out to be too long ..

About a year ago, two of our friends moved to Europe.  Angel, a friend of Amy's from college, and her husband, Sujit, decided that they wanted to try moving from Seattle to Portugal.  They have no kids so it was easier in that respect and ended up in Porto, Portugal because of it's easier immigration policies.  At nearly the same time, Sora's classmate's family also moved to Valencia, Spain, which was a bit harder as it is more difficult to uproot the kids.  We figured this was as good a reason as any to go to Europe.  The last time we went was just after Sora was born so probably about 9 years ago!  It's funny to date things to when we had kids, mostly because we realize how much time has passed.

I had grand plans to have the kids all carry their own bags on this trip.  I remember from our backpacking days when we would see European families traveling with their kids and wanted to be kind of like that.  Amy thought it would be too much for the kids to carry so eventually we compromised with Kai and Sora carrying their own backpacks while Amy carried Jad's clothes.  We did try to be minimal though to avoid too much weight.  Eventually my dream is for all of us to be able to grab a backpack and go travel for a couple weeks.  Not quite there yet :)

A stop in the Montreal Airport w/ cool acoustic echo walls

Jad got lucky and could sleep in the three
open seats next to me on our 2nd leg

We chose the overnight flight so we could land at ~11am and be ready to go in Lisbon but I think we under estimated the time change and jet lag of ~8 hours.  We were all pretty tired for the first few days and though we still pushed to do things, the kids were kind of cranky.  There were a lot of thing we wanted to see in Lisbon too so the schedule was more busy (though we didn't end up doing everything we had planned).  After we left for Porto, I think we realized it and took it much slower, which honestly is probably the way to go with the kids at this age.  Our schedule ended up being something like this: wake up at ~9am, eat leisurely breakfast, watch some TV, get out the door at about 11am, go see a sight or walk around for a few hours, eat lots of ice cream/gelato/treats in lieu of lunch, maybe a second activity in the afternoon, then dinner at the rental or sometimes out at about 8pm, then hang out and watch TV until about 11pm and get to bed around then.  That worked out well for the rest of the trip especially with the later schedule of the Portuguese and Spaniards.

Our place in Lisbon was in the Alfama.  Former poor quarters
with tiny winding streets.  Very quaint.

Gelato!  Everyone was a fan :)

Food, of course, is a highlight while traveling and both Portugal and Spain did not disappoint.  We're not foodies but we do like to find places that are good and authentic.  Angel and Sujit had a couple of good recs for Lisbon and there were so many pastries to try as we walked about :)

Portuguese Seafood Rice @Uma.. very tasty

The Pastel de Nata is very famous in Lisbon and was
the precursor to the Chinese Egg Tart!  Our favorite was
from the Manteigaria bakery

Some of the quaintest parts of Europe are the open squares where people congregate.  We wandered to the Praca do Comercio one evening and met with Angel and Sujit.  They are basically fully retired now and having fun exploring Portugal from their home in Porto.  They have no kids so the move was fairly easy for them.  They are planning on staying in Portugal for at least 4 more years until they establish their EU citizenship then maybe moving elsewhere. 

These guys are enjoying the good life!

Action shot of Kai

Lisbon sits on the Tagus River/bay.. very calming at night

We joined a walking tour one day through downtown Lisbon.  We learned some neat facts about the history and events that shaped the city.  It was hot though and halfway through the kids had had enough.  I took them back to the rental (w/ a stop for gelato :) while Amy continued on the tour with Angel. 

Top of the famous Santa Justa lift/elevator

A view from the Castelo de São Jorge.  Neat but..

.. the highlight was all the little peachicks (and cocks
and hens) that were wandering around

Street art / graffiti is all over the place in Portugal.  I really liked spontaneous artistry and a culture that embraces expression.

Funny graffiti

A good dinner along with Fado performance,
a singing style famous in Lisbon

Amy still managed to get out for some
early morning runs

We also took a day trip to Sintra, famous for it's castles and architecture.  It took about an hour on an Uber, which took us right to the Pena Palace entrance.  We've never used Uber as much as we did but it was very convenient in Portugal and often less expensive than the metro.  With 5 of us, it was a bit more expensive because we had to get a larger vehicle but I can see with 4 people, it would be the way to go.  We didn't use it as much in Spain because it was more expensive but it was very useful in Lisbon.

Pena Palace

Walking up to the palace.. it's so brightly colored

We walked from Pena Palace to the Moorish
Castle, got lost on the way but eventually made it

Both were both worth visiting.. very 
different types of landmarks

By late afternoon, we came back down to
the main Sintra village

Quick stop for pastries from Casa Periquita

Dinner at a local restaurant.. lots of good seafood in Portugal.. 
in a few minutes Jad will pass out on the cushions :D 

Our last day in Lisbon, we went off to see the Tower de Belem, which is basically a guard tower at the mouth of the Tagus into the Atlantic.  Apparently, it used to be on an island in the middle of the river but earthquakes etc have shifted the course of the water and now it's accessible on the northern shore.  It's where the kings and queens would see their fleets off, possibly including where Christopher Columbus set off from when he was going west across the Atlantic.

Not too many people in the tower that day

This cannon looks tiny and didn't seem like it
would damage any ships

Some street art in Belem celebrating the Carnation Revolution,
which is when democracy started in Portugal (April 25th, 1974)

The original place that started pastel de nata, Pasteis De Belem.
  This place has been in operation for almost 200 years!

We ended that day by meeting up with Angel and Sujit 
and taking the train (4.5 hours) up to Porto.

Porto is a smaller town, more quiet and picturesque, less international than Lisbon.  We enjoyed it more, I think, partly because we had adapted to the time change and also didn't push ourselves as hard.  It's a very pretty place with the Duoro river running between the two towns of Porto and Gaia.  

Amy is usually in charge of our rentals and this was probably the coolest place. Smaller but very well designed, very modern, with a bedroom loft over the main living area and kitchen.  Adults slept in the loft while the kids were on the pull out couch. One of the things that was interesting about all the places in Portugal we stayed at were these full metal shutters that closed behind the glass.  Kind of neat and different.

Lofty place

View from the top

We had some smash burgers nearby.  Not traditional
but we needed a break from Portuguese food.

We stocked up at the supermarket.  Kai is
messing with the daily catch.

The next day, we walked with Angel all around town.  Lots of hill and stairs down to the river and then back up!  

View from downtown side down to the river

A neat riverwalk area

Took an hour boat tour up and down the Duoro

After sitting on the boat, the kids wanted
to run in the playground for a bit

Stopped at a market with lots of food stalls for some lunch..
pretty good, though there is a distinct lack of vegetables

Really cool rabbit street art, made from recycled found trash on the Gaia side

Porto is where the port (duh!) is but Gaia is where all the Port alcohol is made.  Later, we'll take a tour of one of the Port distilleries and learn more about how it's made but today we wandered over to the World of Wine, which is a touristy combination of multiple exhibit halls, cafes and such, showcasing things like the history of Porto and the Duoro region, chocolate, port wine, etc.  It was too expensive for us to go in but we still enjoyed wandering around the area.

IG time!

Our kids were really good sports most of the trip, walking tens of
thousands of steps each day.. there was some complaining but
it wasn't too bad :)  Here, they are playing with some seat bunnies.

A little cafe with a photo corner

Amy and I did a little port tasting at their cafe.. that stuff is
strong and I was slightly dizzy walking around for a couple hours :p

Once we walked back across the river, we had to go up the steps back to the downtown area.  It was probably a couple hundred steps at least so I had to take a couple breaks, but the kids did it pretty easily.  You could have taken the funicular, but then we would have had toupee! 

Lots of steps but Sora's still smiling!

We made it! We stopped at the main Cathedral in Porto

Amy and Angel went up to the top of the cathedral to look around but the kids didn't want to so
I showed them the old panorama trick on the camera phone and they had some fun
making silly pictures.. They all changed a bit from one side of the pic to the other :)

After the Cathedral, we went to "the most beautiful McDonalds in the world."  It was placed in an old art deco building in downtown Porto and is very nice inside with art on the walls, mirrors and chandeliers.  

Food isn't any different though :p

Continuing our silly panorama tricks.. I like how Right Jad is mad
at Left Jad sticking his tongue out at him :D

Angel and Sujit lived in downtown Porto for about a year but then moved to Matosinhos, the beach suburb just to the north and east.  We took the metro out there to meet them and started off the day with a tour of the Nuri sardines factory.  Sardines are a big deal and industry in Portugal and we saw all different types in the shops that we passed including a golden colored tin with gold flakes sprinkled in with the fish ($22 a can, I think).  Nuri is an old brand and a bit artisanal in that they do all of their processing by hand rather than machine except for the end sterilization and sealing.  They said they make much fewer cans but they are of higher quality.  I didn't think it was going to be that interesting but the tour guide did a great job and it was pretty fun! 

Commemorative sardine can with special 
can and certificate of authenticity .. 249 Euros!!

The kids were the only young ones of the tour so they got to do all
the activities.. here, they are searching the sand for sardine related items

Getting dressed up for the factory floor

At the end of the tour we had six cans of sardines!  (one per
person).. the kids really liked them :)

After that, we dropped by Angel's place where Sujit was playing Destiny 2.  Then we walked a few minutes to the beach.  Angel and Sujit usually walk about 1-2 hours a day for exercise.  Sounds like a pretty good life to me!

Playing in the waves

College friends after 20 years!

We finished the day looking for dinner at the nearby Mercado de Bolhao.  Unfortunately, it was just closing so we ended up with some empanadas to take home.

Also near the Capela Das Almas (Chapel of Souls)
with famous azul tiles

Amy started off the morning with a riverside run

The next day, we had reserved a tour and tasting at a Port distillery.  I mean, we can't go to Porto and not check out the port, right?  There were many to choose from on the Gaia side of the river and Amy settled on Cockburn's because of good reviews and general friendliness to kids.  We took the train over the river and then walked the rest of the way.  We learned a lot about how port is made and aged!

View from the Gaia side

Cockburn's was started by two Scottish brothers in 1815

They have a cooperage on site for the barrels

The cellars where they have port from the 1800's

Pretend drunk, really just slightly tipsy

We finished the day by walking to a famous river/sunset overlook at the Jardim Do Morro.  Lots of people congregate there for a nice evening.  There was some street musicians and we got a couple of hot dogs to snack on.

Cool street art made of old tires

More panoramic silliness

Nice sunset overlook..

.. lucky we took the picture above quickly before the fog rolled in

We walked home from there and said goodbye to Angel.  It was so nice to have her and Sujit with us while we were in Portugal.  I'm glad we were able to visit them.

Last evening in Porto!

The next day, we boarded our flight to Valencia!

Whew, that took some time to write.  So much stuff going on the last month too.  I'll put Spain in a separate post and also try to catch up on the ongoings at home. Til next time, everyone!