Libby, Rachel and I spent five days exploring Porto, Portugal together, with one day trip to Braga (which frankly we enjoyed more than Porto which was overrun with tourists). Libby left us (booooo! Hissss!) to head back to the States for (stupid, stupid) work, and Rachel and I continued on for a few days in Sintra followed by a few days on Sao Miguel island in The Azores.
Portugal is beautiful with its architecture, and tilework, and friendly people. It is also a truly hilly place. We averaged seven miles a day which sounds like very little except it was stairs and hills at all times.
In Sao Miguel, Rachel and I ventured out in our rental car to find a waterfall called Salto do Carbito. When we found it, there was a sign at the top of a hill which led down to the waterfall, and from what we could gather, the sign meant cars were not allowed on that steeply descending road.
(We kept telling ourselves we would research signage and then promptly forget to do so when evening came.)
We parked our rental and walked down a heavily sloped, paved hill, took a turn, and continued down again. When we got to the bottom, we were disgruntled to discover that there were cars at the bottom which clearly drove down the hill we’d just traversed since there was no other place they could have come from.
The nerve.
We are hitchhiking our way back up, I thought to myself. I was tired with a capital T!
We visited the waterfall which is where I realized that while I want very much to be inspired by them, I don’t seem to be. I’m thinking back now to about twelve years ago when I detoured to see Niagara Falls on my way home from visiting friends in upstate NY. I got out of my car, stood there and took it in, literally said out loud to myself “yeah, that’s a lot of water!” and then got back into my car and continued on.
I’m not sure why I have this lack of dazzle about them. They are most definitely beautiful not to mention incredible feets of nature!
While the photo above sucks, this one in Oregon which Libby took me to see, was outstanding, actually. So I stand corrected. It’s just certain waterfalls that underwhelm me.
And actually going to this one above with Meg and her family in the Berkshires always makes me happy so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Anyway, we take in this cute little waterfall in the Azores, and once we’ve had our fill, we walk back to where all the cars are parked. We’re both tired and I spot a guy getting ready to leave in his van. There was a woman in the backseat, so I felt safe asking them for a lift.
It was in this moment, as I’m about to approach the van, that Rachel states optimistically, “I don’t mind walking!”
At which point I turned to her, and in a tone I don’t think I’ve ever heard leave my body, and let out a low, growling “NO!” like some psycho, fire-spitting dragon! I’m not kidding, I couldn’t even replicate it if I tried right now.
I apologized to her for my tone and asked “Do you feel unsafe about me asking them for a ride?” Because I genuinely can suck it up and walk if so. She assured me I hadn’t offended her and that no, she was cool with it.
I was more willing to risk being murdered by this guy and his wife in the white van than I was willing to take on another hill after ten straight days of doing nothing but hills and stairs.
The couple, who were packing up their two small children in the van, were happy to oblige us and I was reassured that we’d made the right call when even the van slipped on the gravel a bit on our way up that massive hill!
For the rest of the trip, Rachel and I would put each other in spontaneous fits of laughter by periodically turning to each other and mocking me with a reenactment of the furrowed brow, low, growling, fire-breathing “NO!“
Thanks goodness for travel friends with senses of humor!
Above is my tolerant and kind friend, Rachel, and at right is the horse we spotted and had to pull over to admire right after hopping back into our car for more adventuring.
BEAN'S BABBLETORIUM 