Oh Hey Europe

Our first stop in Europe was Madeira, a Portuguese island near Africa. We were in the city of Funchal. It was a quiet, quaint town, with small streets that were fun to walk around. Even on a Thursday mid-day, there were many local kids and adults walking around. But I liked this port because there weren’t huge crowds of most touristy ports- this was a chill place. There were nice parks to walk through, great views of the mountain directly behind the town (which were covered with dark clouds the entire day, even though below we had warm sunshine), benches to sit by the ocean, and of course pastries! I can’t remember what this pastry was called, something like quiejitos or something. But it was a round pastry filled with a sweet cheese, like ricotta or something. Wow, this thing was amazing! I bought a few extra that I thoroughly enjoyed some days after that.

Next was Lisbon, Portugal. I was only able to get off the ship in the morning, but even though it looked beautiful I really shouldn’t have. I walked outside to a light drizzle and dark clouds. Being from the Northwest and Oregon, and even in Colorado, I’m not scared of clouds. I can take em on. If it rains on me, fine. I don’t need no stinkin umbrella! This time it turned out bad…. Within 10 minutes of walking, I saw the first lightning strike. Then more. It was POURING down rain, the slick cobblestone streets filling quickly with water. And I’m starting to get soaked. Really soaked. There’s no one even out walking except for brave souls like me, but they’re smart and have umbrellas. I end up walking back to the ship cause it wasn’t gonna let up. However, before I made that decision I had one of the best chocolate croissants I’ve ever had. So I guess it was worth it. We’re back here next week so I’ll explore the city more then!

The next day we were in Brest, France. Yes, it’s called Brest. I had some amazing pastries- croissants, chocolate, crepes, sandwiches, and more, plus some local cider that the area is known for. It didn’t have a small French town kind of feel- it was a pretty modern downtown area with shops and tall apartment buildings, but I wandered down side streets to find some cool local shops.

This next cruise we’re docked out of Rotterdam and go to a bunch of Spanish ports, including Barcelona which I’m really excited for!