An ode to our French commode in Montpellier. With a convenient location right by the front door, looks like my business just became yours!
This is your reminder that a band exists with the name Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum.
Their logo is no less impressive. 🎶
Where in the world is …?
Yesterday we patrolled the walls of Óbidos like proper 14th century guards. The only vagrant we spotted was a cat digging through the trash. We let him off with a warning.
🗺️
We hung out with a Lanner Falcon named Reggie last month in San Diego. After feeding him treats, we sent him off to fly up and down the coast at his leisure. We tried to coax him back for one last encounter, but he had better things to do. Who can blame him?
Visited Pena Palace yesterday where I found this intricate stained glass window in a chapel. If you look over the king’s shoulder you’ll see the palace itself in the distance. If you squint, you can see an arched window. That’s this window! The art contains a depiction of itself, ad infinitum.
🎨
View of Lisbon from Miradouro da Graça (Grace Viewpoint). Almost too much to take in at once. After losing our sense of direction in the labyrinthine side streets of Alfama, this was like coming up for air.
I bet the sunsets are hideous here.
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Slept in past 11 for the third day in a row since arriving in Lisbon. I think it’s a combination of the time change and having completely empty schedules. The comfy bed doesn’t help either!
Finished reading: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 📚
Preston has a great flare for rich visual descriptions. This is well used when evoking the sights of the African wilderness, and especially when describing the gruesome effects of Ebola. The first third of the book is compelling because it’s filled with both of these things. However the latter two-thirds is more of a medical procedural set in the US, which is much less exciting.
Preston mentions that this book began as a New Yorker piece - I wonder if that’s the better format. Maybe I’ll chase the article down. My takeaways are that Ebola is a terrifying virus, humans are fragile bags of meat, and also maybe I should check out some of Preston’s fiction.
Made it to Lisbon and our first meal was pasta and tomato sauce from the grocery store. Sometimes you just need comfort food after a long travel day. We’ll make up for it by finding a local tasca just as soon as we kick the jet lag. Obrigado!
Last day in LA
Spent our last day in LA in Santa Monica walking the pier after breakfast at Rae’s. Apparently a scene from True Romance was filmed there. Whatever happened to Christian Slater?
Had dinner with Neil at a ramen spot in Culver City where the waiter was very particular about how we should eat our Yuzu Cheesecake. It was good advice!
Then back to the Airbnb to pack and watch House Hunters before an early morning flight.
Now we’re sitting in the terminal and I have one final remark: dear LAX, please have mercy and refrain from blasting Taylor Swift dubstep remixes into the terminal at 6am. Thank you.
Had breakfast at Pann’s in LA this morning. Great retro futuristic vibes, friendly service, big omelets. Felt like a time capsule. I could see us becoming regulars at a place like this (if we weren’t leaving in two days).
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