I am so fortunate to have friends, family, and a boyfriend who spoil me rotten on my birthday. This year, despite being far from home, was no exception. Carling came all the way from Vancouver to help me celebrate, and of course for her own European vacation. She arrived in Amsterdam with a ginormous backpack, most of it filled with Canadian goodies. As I said, I am spoiled! I always try and convince our visitors that suffering through the first day of jet lag is the easiest way to recover. Carling has the biggest time difference- 9 hours- and she rocked it! At 5 o’clock she was fading and ordered an Espresso with her Weickse Rose and carried on like a champ. Amsterdam was a whirlwind of bike rides to North Amsterdam and IJburg, wandering the streets and canals, dinner and drinks at some of our favourite spots, and a wine and cheese canal boat tour!
Next stop for Carling and I was Lisbon, Portugal. In April, Lisbon is typically warm and sunny but unfortunately for us during our stay there was a cold spell. We still had a great time, but it wasn’t quite the winter escape we were hoping for. We stayed at a great hotel called “Lisbon Lounge Suites”. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and had great recommendations for what to do and where to eat. One highlight of Lisbon was walking along the walls of the Castelo de Sao Jorge while taking in the impressive views of the city. It was recommended by some Portuguese coworkers that we go to Pasteis de Belem which is famous for their custard pastries. This was pretty far from our hotel and after a whole day of wandering around and shopping we hopped on a city bus and made the trek. It was totally worth it as the pastries were unreal and the surrounding area was a cool place to check out with beautiful gardens and gorgeous old buildings. Riding the crowded old school trams was another highlight in Lisbon. It’s pretty unreal to think about how they built these things going through the narrow and hilly streets of Lisbon.
Best meals:
Pasteis de Belem
Restaurante O Piteu
We were thrilled when we checked into the most perfect Inn in Lagos to see the sun shining! The Residence Inn Lagos was an amazing hotel- it was so affordable that we decided to splurge a bit and book the room with the terrace with an ocean view. It was so cozy and again the staff were amazing. The man who worked at the front desk was there ALL day and even set up the breakfast and made us freshly squeezed orange juice every morning. He also helped us out when we got a sketchy looking parking ticket and went to the police station for us to inquire about it. What a great guy! Lagos is a really beautiful town in the Algarve with windy narrow roads and is right on the ocean. The roads are so narrow that the side mirror got ripped off our car when it was parked on one of the streets (we recommend purchasing the extra car insurance)! There are tons of great restaurants in Lagos and the beaches are unreal. I expected the beaches like the one we went to, Praia Dona Ana, would be “hidden gems” and difficult to find, but it was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We took full advantage of the sun in Lagos and laid on the beach, explored a lake and ocean caves by paddleboard, and took a surf lesson. Needless to say we were exhausted and sore at the end of every day, but in the best way. If you find yourself in the Algarve, I highly recommend taking a SUP tour with Algarve SUP!
Best meals:
Nah Nah Bah
Casinha do Petisco
After a full morning of paddle boarding we took the scenic route back to Lisbon for our flight home and we drove through Arrabida Park. There is a beautfiul coastal drive through the park featuring cliffs, beaches, great views, and cute coastal towns. It was a great way to spend our last afternoon in Portugal!
Emily Abroad 
Restaurante O Piteu and Casinha do Petisco were the two most memorable meals of any adventure I’ve been on. Nah Nah Bah after surfing and paddleboarding was legendary!