Portugal - August, 2006.

Cascais

Zia at anchor in the Cascais harbor.

The fisherman's cooperative in Cascais.

Like father like daughter, on the train into Lisbon.

What, another playground?

I think we saw this same exhibit of bull sculptures at a "Taste of DC" festival years ago.  Somehow it was more fitting in downtown Lisbon.

View down the Avenida da Liberdade.

View of Praca do Comercio and downtown Lisbon from the Castelo de Sao Jorge.

The girls taking in the view at the Castelo.

Any place will do when it is time for a rest!

The girls posing with the Presidential Palace guard in Belem.

The courtyard of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Belem.

The roof of the cathedral at the Monastery.

The girls entertain themselves with books as mom and dad take turns touring around the Monastery.

A view of the entire Monastery from the top of the Monument to the Discoveries.

And the Torre de Belem, a 15th century defensive tower on the Rio Tejo.

AHHHHH, the Fisher Family Reunion has finally begun with Aunt Kathy's birthday on the 9th!

One of many dinners at the apartment in Alvor.

Gramps and Jim Heidenreich enjoy the Atlantic waters at the beach in Alvor.

Uncle Jim and Cassie can boogie board with the best of them!

Are you okay under there, Uncle Jim?

Tell me this woman wasn't made to go sailing!

The sons in laws.

Gran and her favorite middle granddaughter, Kayla!

Kayla takes her first leap off the bow of Zia!  Kathy was hiding in the cockpit, to frightened to watch!

Sushi!

Anchored off, a beach party makes a safe landing.

I wonder who the poor devil is that Joe is racing out there?

Downtown Alvor with the tile facade buildings.

The granddaughters with a couple of friends they met at the restaurant attached to the Estrela do Vau apartments.

"Vilje," flying a Norwegian flag, is our buddy Endre's boat.  We met him in the Azores.

Gran and Gramps hard at work on a crossword puzzle.

Trying to get the canoe planing with four girls screaming in the stern!

Some sort of game involving Barbie hanging down the open hatch .....  Whatever keeps them happy!

Like I said.......

Uncle Jim won the prize and got to wear the dunce cap for the afternoon!

The meeting point for the week was off the pier in the fishing harbor in downtown Alvor.

We met Carlos and Sandra Amaro with their kids Gabriella, Daniel and Philipe, in Alvor for drinks and pizza. 

Towing the kayak behind the dinghy.

At sunrise, the lighthouse at Cabo de Sao Vicente, as you turn the corner around Portugal.

Aunt Kathy's birthday on our first night together.

Kayla and Cassie.

The Heidenreich family.

You can just hear the giggles coming out of these little girls' mouths!

Happy to be with friends and family again!

Dan Fisher and daughter Kimberly pose for a photo opportunity.

The kiteboarding and windsurfing in the Rio de Alvor was phenomenal.  Although we were wishing we were out there, it was great to watch!

Pizza in Olhao.

One of the gardens that line the waterfront in Olhao.

A tile facade in downtown Olhao.  I'm getting major decorating ideas!

Zia at anchor at low tide in Olhao.

Yes, its true, another playground.

The market buildings, fruits and vegetables, meat and cheese on the right and fish on the left.

We met a British family who had just bought a vacation home in Olhao.  We wound up having dinner out with them one night.

The tile work in the churches in Portugal is amazing.

Juliana and Cassie sitting on the steps down to the dinghy on market day in Olhao.

We had a birthday éclair for my 41st!

Followed up by a wonderful BBQ and traditional Portuguese birthday cake (almonds) at the Amaros.  Carlos' mother was joined the celebration at their family holiday home just outside of Olhao. 

That is actually our yellow kayak on the sandbar and the kids off to the left of it.

Juliana ready for a day of touring....

A more modern tile facade in Monchique, a little mountain town that we drove to north of Portimao.

Monchique.

The Cathedral in Silves, a view of it from our parking spot......

It didn't take Joe long to learn how to park like a European.

The castle in Silves.

Hanging on for dear life, in the wicked current flowing into the marshes by Olhao.

On the ferry going out to the beach in Fuzeta, just east of Olhao.