Travel Adventures: From Lisbon to Brighton and Beyond

It has been a while…. Not sure, not had the inspiration to write… A lot has been happening and time flies. Marianne left for uni in the UK in August, we went to Europe for the first time in 3 years, we decided to move on and have been job hunting.

First stop Lisbon in the Summer. What a beautiful city and country, I never tire of it. We had not seen anybody for so long, it was amazing to make connections again and to feel part of something. Living so far away, with such a different lifestyle, it can be easy to feel a loss of connection with those we are close to. Covid further created

Group of five people posing together outdoors with a large tree in the background, smiling and enjoying a sunny day.

A young woman and a young man posing together with a scenic view of the ocean and a bridge in the background. — At the top!

Group of five people posing together outdoors with a scenic view of a castle in the background.

View of the waterfront in Lisbon, Portugal, featuring the river, a bridge in the background, and people enjoying the sunny day along the promenade. — Riverside in Lisbon

Sadly we all got Covid during our stay in Portugal! Just before, we had a fabulous family reunion in a beautiful area in Minde. Thank you Leonor for organising this.

Glacial river! After the warm water in Thailand, this was way too cold for us.

A person sitting on a white horse wearing a helmet, holding a phone, with a background of rural buildings. — Wherever we go, Maz finds a horse to ride!

There was one thing I have wanted to do for years, to walk the Passadiços do Paiva, 8 km of steep wooden walkways along the bank of the Paiva River with scenic views. Provides a walk “untouched”, surrounded by unique beauty of landscapes, in an authentic natural sanctuary with waterfalls and rivers. The route extends from the river beaches of Areinho and Espiunca, lying between them, the Vau beach. A journey through biology, geology and archeology. Sadly, between having Covid and one of the hottest summers in history, we were not able to do this walk as it was closed due to the danger of fires. Instead, we chilled in our own schist village in Arouca. Very isolated and raw natural beauty!

A stone pathway bordered by lush greenery and hydrangea flowers, with a painted figure holding a guitar and a directional sign visible in the background.

We had a river close to the house, not cold at all.

I had not been to Coimbra before and I absolutely loved it! What a beautiful city steeped in history. I could easily have spent more time there. We visited the old university, of course. It was the first Portuguese university in 1290 in Lisbon and relocated to Coimbra in 1308, making it the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. Its historical buildings were classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013. The library, built in 1717 is simply stunning and considered one of the most beautiful in the world. You are not allowed to photograph inside so these are not my photos. Oh, and the books are protected from insects by a colony of bats!

We visited the Cabinet of Curiosities in the Science Museum of the university. These cabinets were popular in 17th century onwards and were mainly created by the European nobility, who tried to gather in these rooms a set of objects, such as exotic pieces, in an attempt to recreate the work of God. The aim of these cabinets was to display rare, exotic and even bizarre objects, so as to amaze the visitor and simultaneously show the cosmopolitan vision of their owner.

A dimly lit cabinet of curiosities in a science museum featuring shelves filled with various specimens, fossils, and artifacts illuminated with purple lighting. — Cabinet of curiosities

Historic university building with a clock tower and architectural details under a clear blue sky. — The main square

Facade of a historic building in Coimbra, Portugal, featuring classical architecture with decorative elements and a central entrance.

The rest of the city was great for walking and we did some exploring although by this stage we were all pretty sick and spent the next two days in the hotel recovering.

A narrow cobblestone alleyway lined with lush green plants and flowers, flanked by weathered whitewashed buildings under a clear blue sky.

A large mural depicting two faces with beards, surrounded by geometric patterns in shades of gray and red, located on a building wall.

A bustling street in a picturesque city with colorful buildings, featuring people walking and shops along the sides. Decorative elements hang overhead, and a clear blue sky is visible.

Street view of colorful historic buildings in Lisbon, Portugal, showcasing intricate architectural details and people walking along the sidewalk.

It was time to leave and visit out friends and family in the UK where the weather was also fabulous. Don’t you just love the British seaside… and Brighton! Here are some typical seaside scenes, you wouldn’t expect this in such a trendy city but there you go.

A colorful carousel on the beach under a clear blue sky, with the ocean in the background.

A sign for a shellfish specialty shop with the text 'Shellfish Specialities' and 'Sea Haze' offering a selection of shellfish including cockles, whelks, mussels, prawns, and jellied eels, with a view of the sea in the background.

A sunny day at Brighton beach with people relaxing on the pebbles, striped deck chairs set up, and a view of the iconic old pier in the distance.

An older man with a white beard is resting inside a hollowed-out fishing boat, which is mounted against a brick wall with scaffolding. A sign for the Brighton Fishing Museum is visible nearby.

As we were in Brighton we decided to go up on the i360, a 162 m moving observation tower with, as the name suggests, 360 degree views! Fabulous, highly recommend it.

We spent some time exploring London with Mazzie, Camden Market was her fave place. We found Peaky Blinders over there!

We couldn’t even remember the last time we saw each other! So, so long ago… We had a great time in Portsmouth, pottering about like tourists. We went up the Spinaker Tower, what a view at 170 meters high with a glass platform, not for the faint hearted.

A panoramic view of a marina with several sailboats moored in the water, alongside a town and lush green landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

View from the glass viewing platform of the i360 observation tower in Brighton, showing the ground and marina below.

Back to Brighton once again and it is time for Pride 2022! The city is full of colour and rainbows, such a happy, carefree atmosphere.

It is always a pleasure to spend an afternoon in Lewes, wandering around the old lanes, sitting in the cafes and what a wonderful summer of sunshine to do this in.

Anne and Grammy kindly let us stay in their beautiful house. We were very lucky to also look after Sam who is a truly lovely doggo. Mazzie and I enjoyed taking him for walks up on the hills, beautiful views and sense of freedom up there.

A dog walking along a gravel path in a grassy landscape, with the sea in the background under a clear blue sky.

And it was nearly time to go back home. Time to leave Mazzie who went on to America to work at a stables in North Carolina. It was so hard to say goodbye… Before she left, we went to Barcombe Mills for a swim but it was full of algae and not safe for swimming.