While The Merry Bells Keep Ringing…
December 8, 2019
The sound of Christmas music is one of our favorite things during the holidays, besides the glitter of ornaments and the glow of Christmas lights. We have a small wire frame Christmas tree adorning our living room (as seen above), it makes us feel cozy and Christmasy.
Fall is having fun with overcast days and a strong wind in our area. It enjoys teasing with intermittent bursts of sunshine. When rain falls, the beautiful glistening colors are prominent on the fallen leaves, showcasing mother nature’s creations even in their decaying state.
Our choice of scarves are available to toss in our bags, ready when needed. A warm hat is in order, not only to keep the cold away, but to manage the wind in my hair. Is winter officially here?
If you follow the winter solstice, which falls on December 22 this year, the answer is–winter is coming. If you prefer the Meteorological version, then, winter has already started December 1st. Really? The reason is that the meteorological system splits the year into four seasons of three full months, each based on the Gregorian calendar.
Ok, miss professor, some basics are fine, but I like the astronomical system because it’s more interesting. It arrives later in the year and can vary slightly from year to year, usually taking place on the 21st of December. — Ah, yes, miss professor agrees. I like that the winter solstice marks the date of the shortest period of daytime light and longest night of the year, when the Earth's north pole has its maximum tilt from the sun. That is so interesting and so cool! I rather go with this one too.
Ah, winter…we’re warm climate lovers, as you know, but we’re looking forward to our first winter season in Lisboa. Let’s see how we do. Our summer clothes are put away and our winter clothes are in the closets. A warm fuzzy throw lays over the sofa ready to be snuggled with, but now, it's time to bundle up and go on our daily walking routine before all the snuggling and cozying up on the couch happens. We’re starting to explore different neighborhoods, stores, parks, museums, art fairs, and any other places we hear or find out about. The local transportation is easy and convenient, taking us to near or faraway places.
Oh, my!
Sometimes I am brought back to my youth. The store El Corte Ingles reminds me of how the Emporium store in San Francisco (where I grew up) used to be. And some prices at the eateries and grocery stores are reminiscent of those many years back. Memories of my mother and I enjoying some tasty munchies at some of her favorite small restaurants in San Francisco come to mind. Donald and I enjoy sitting at a cafe-bakery shop to peoplewatch, while sipping on a delicious hot espresso coffee for 50 cents, and if we want a larger serving (latte or capuccino style eight ounce cup) is only 1 euro. The coffee tastes so good here! And, to add a yummy pastry, costs an additional 50 cents to 2.50 euros. Donald always savors his coffee and pastries. I must restrain or I will eat everything in sight! Lunch is between 4 to 10 euros, depending on the restaurant and location. On average, most touristy places are between 12 to 16 euros for lunch or dinner. If you want to pay higher prices per person, you can find that too.
All this means there is a wide variety of food and restaurants available for everyone. To us, it means control, control, control, our new mantra. We must recite it at the sight of fresh-baked breads, pastries, and cakes as we window gaze everywhere we go. We sometimes give a second glance at the dishes from people seated at their tables eating and talking. Mmm, yummy.
Did you ask what places we prefer to visit? We prefer the local coffeehouses, local restaurants and snack bars that are found everywhere. We also, occasionally, enjoy the touristy areas where the bustle of tourists moves from here to there with curiosity in their faces, and cameras and purchases on hand.
Since we do like eating out, I remember someone asking, do you cook? Some of you know well that I dislike being in the kitchen. To my surprise, I am enjoying, once in a while, cooking a light meal. And to cook, groceries are needed. We found several small convenience stores, to medium size markets, a couple of large supermarkets, and some organic stores. We cannot forget the open markets to eat tasty food and that are just fun to be visit.
Once we have accomplished plenty of outdoor fun, we head back home to a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, which are frequently on demand on top of our stove. Mmmm, slurp, slurp, snug, snug…This Holiday season is just as merry for us.
Yes! We love it here! Have a wonderful Holiday Season!
Until the next time.
Ciao ~ Kami