The plane rides over here were as great and awful as could be expected (I hate flying. I am not afraid, but I do not enjoy flying anywhere, ever, and international traveling compounds this distaste). The lady next to me on the leg from Philadelphia to Lisbon, Diana who was accompanied by her husband David, offered me Dove hazelnut dark chocolate, and it the best part of the journey over. I told her and David about my internship and they were interested in visiting Évora and ADC so it will be interesting to see if they show up in the next two weeks during their time in Portugal. The moment we landed, I had zero technological connection to the world. My boss, Peter told me to meet him at the bottom of the ramp. So I was a bit surprised when a woman who I presumed was his wife Nina (it was lol) was inquiring if I was Alexis and hugging me when I said I was her. Apparently that morning Peter experienced the detaching of his retina so he was in a hospital in Lisbon. Nina graciously came to the airport to meet me so I wouldn't feel like a lonely and lost puppy and put me in a taxi to the hotel in Évora so she could go be with her husband again. So off I left in a taxi for an hour and a half ride, of which I remember about 20 minutes of. Thanks to some strong sleeping pills I had never taken before, I was a bit groggy for the next few hours.
After arriving at the hotel, I was greeted by Michelle, the sweet lady I have been communicating with since December. Because Peter and Nina were not able to work, they were understaffed so Michelle had another intern, Miguel, take me to my apartment. My place is located about 10 minutes away by foot in the "historic district" of the city. When I arrived, Miguel translated the tour led by the landlord and was asleep approximately 28 seconds after they left. When I woke up about two hours later, I unpacked everything and set up my room. It is a very spacious room with a ceiling that is at least twenty feet tall and a balcony that overlooks the apartment's garden. Everything, and I mean everything, is painted white so the room is bright and cheery. There are seven other rooms in the apartment and we all share two bathrooms that are right next to each other in the corner of the house. I do not understand the set up of the house AT ALL. It makes no sense to me and I am no architect! After unpacking, I wandered around the city for a bit, ate a ham and cheese sandwich, and went straight to bed. "Sleeping" on an airplane plus losing five hours of sleep is not a good combination for princesses....
The weirdest part about this apartment is how gas works. In normal situations the gas is hooked up to the oven and the shower and it's all automatic. Here, nope. I had to purchase a gas tank and have it delivered to the house. Each tenant has his or her own tank and the lines are disconnected and reconnected whenever you need to use it. But this morning, I could not for the life of me figure out how to get the gas to work. Naturally, there wasn't anyone else home. So guess who took a FREEZING COLD shower this morning? ....at least I smell nice I suppose...
So after my *refreshing* shower, I got ready and walked over to the hotel. For normal people who understand how to properly navigate a new city with a map, the walk takes about ten minutes. I thinkI got there about thirty minutes after leaving.. Haha. But I found it, all by myself (Mom, be proud!). When I arrived, Michelle gave me a teeny, tiny, precious not smart phone. I'll includes a picture of it because it makes my iPhone seem bulky, which my weird humor finds funny! After chatting for a bit, I left the hotel and explored the city for a while more. It truly is a wonderful place. Not a single road is paved; they are all cobble stone, which I find magical and nerve wracking at the same time (who is placing bets for when I will trip first?). There are, like, always five types of water. Here is an example conversation that has happened numerous time already:
"Could I please have a water?"
"Sure. Would you like tap, bottled, sparking, distilled, large, flavored, mini, sans gas, glass bottled, Perrier, or ocean water?"
"Um..."
(I might have lied about the ocean water..."
It's crazy. I also bought some crackers. But they are actually cookies with chocolate icing in the middle. I have never been so delighted to be wrong. The mashed potatoes I had tonight were like glue. Note to self, do not order mashed potatoes, even if they are your favorite food ever in the whole wide world.
So that's been my first full day here in Évora, Portugal. Tomorrow is my first day at work!! So while all y'all at home are snuggled in your cozy beds at 3 a.m., dream of me starting my day! Lol That's it for now. Pray that I don't get lost tomorrow morning :)
Boa noite <3
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| Fun Fact: My cab driver to Évora really likes humming "Wrecking Ball" |
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| Almost there!! |
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| My grande doors |
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| I know it's messy, I was half asleep unpacking lol |
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| I have a wardrobe (with 4 hangers...) and a desk! |
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| My bed and balcony window :) |
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| Out the window |
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| Isn't it great? |
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The public library is soooo amazing!! |
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| teeny, tiny phone ^_^ |
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| teeny, tiny pistachio ice cream ^_^ |
