It’s hard to believe five days have come any gone so fast, and this morning will be our last yoga class together. I will really miss doing yoga outdoors, breathing in the crisp morning air and listening to the birds in the trees.
Today Vera decided to join us for class and we put together many of the poses we’ve been practicing this week into a more challenging series. Great way to finish things off…we are pretty sure last night’s tree pose practice and wine did wonders for our form!
After yoga I headed down to the dining area to have a coffee and savour the last few hours I have left at this beautiful place. As I walked in I was treated to the most beautiful table set for breakfast with rose petals scattered throughout...this really set the tone for our last breakfast together.
Cam was preparing breakfast today...his famous French toast on freshly delivered homemade bread, granola, apple, lemon and honey drizzled over top. It was definitely a feast and a great way to finish off the week of healthy and creative meals…the mimosa’s were a nice touch as well.
For our final dessert, we had carrot and orange cake that looked so good and I enjoyed with a cup of green tea...the green tea here is one of my favourites by far.
I was planning to take the bus to Lisbon, but Patrick and Valeria offered to drive myself and Catherine to the city instead, so I packed my bags, said my goodbyes...maybe it was really “until next time”...and by noon we were on our way for the 2-hour drive.
I can not express how lucky I am to have found this amazing retreat run my two incredible people who put so much time an effort into their passion project and to have met such wonderful people...finding the right fit for a retreat with the right people can be hard to find, so I am so grateful it all came together for me in Portugal.
Quinta Camerena, you’re Not So Serious retreat was exactly what I needed and if I was to give someone advice on how to get the most from the experience, I would say embrace every moment with a little grace and sense of fun. Thank you Cam and Vera for creating such a lovely experience...looking forward to the next one!!
In Lisbon we headed out for lunch after which Patrick and Valeria headed to the airport. Caroline and I spent the next couple hours wandering around Lisbon...this time I actually recognized some of the places we walked by!! Eventually we came across Manteigaria on Rua Avenida where we enjoyed a cappuccino and one final Pastel de Nata...yum.
After people watching for a while, we decided to head down to the waterfront and take in the sights. While there, we noticed people heading to what looked like a football game...sure enough, the champion match was today for the local team SL Benfica and we could hear the crowds chanting from the stadium not too far away and it sounded pretty intense.
With about a half hour before Caroline had to head off to the airport, we decided to sit outside at a cafe and enjoy one last Portuguese red Sangria...the addition of mint, apple, cinnamon and orange added such great flavours.
Next up was trying to get an Uber...why was Antonio not moving?!?! Caroline finally got an Uber finally I gradually headed back towards my apartment - Casa Sao Bento.
My apartment is a beautiful spot in the Principle Real area and right across the street from the Parliament building...can’t beat the view from my table.
Along the way there, I came across all the crowds leaving the football match...lots of chanting, cheering, red team colours and police monitoring the crowds.
I walked about 30 minutes through an area I had not been to before and like most of Portugal, every street and alley had the possibility of surprising you with something beautiful and unique.
Once at my apartment, I enjoyed some dinner, a bit of Porto wine left as a welcome gift…and a Pastel de Nata I am saving for another day.
I started to organize my bags for my flight home tomorrow and then enjoyed a couple glasses of wine while savouring the beautiful views and recapping my day.
Tomorrow is a full travel day with a pick up for the airport around 7:30pm and an arrival time home at 7:30pm…including a 4-hour time difference. It should be a full day and hopefully everything goes smoothly.Until then...share in the experience.
Lisa
