Back to Lisbon – Alcantara and Timeout, Day 11 in Portugal

Indulge

From the Algarves to Lisbon, we have put some miles on this rental car. At our new apartment in Rua da Costa we are cozy, nestled into a new neighbourhood.

We went to a must- try food and drink hub: Timeout Market

Met up with an old pal from Toronto and checked out cafe Tati, and an installation at Giv Lowe.

Gin tasting back at the market and croquettes.

Then off to Tosca for caipirinhas and good tunes. Later we met up with Jess’ friend, Nuno, who is a guide by day showed us the hidden gems of Lisbon – places we would never have found on our own. From late night food to the history of fado, written on the walls of alleyways, we strolled into the wee hours. So grateful to be here in such good company! Thanks to Jess and Nuno for an amazing inside look at Lisboa!

Lagos, Sagres and Praia da Mareta- the Algarves, Portugal Day 9

Indulge

We started our day in Lagos, to register for surf school, then explored the streets winding down from the main wall of the city to the marina.

A short car trip took us to another beach near Sagres.
Praia da Mareta: cliched slice of heaven Home to relax and get ready for surf school tomorrow. Grilling again for dinner and the low point of the night….sleeping with the mosquitos.

Road tripping to the Algarves – day 7 in Portugal

Indulge

This is home sweet for the next four nights. A villa in Burgau, just outside of Luz, just outside of Lagos.

Quinta da Liberdade

Five minutes away, we picked up groceries to prep our own meals. En route to the south of Portugal, we took a scenic (more scenic) detour, into the hills, to Monchique. Fire fighters helicoptered in, likely from assisting in other parts of the country. Monchique …may be worth the time out of your way if it’s your goal to mountain bike or go to the town’s hot springs.

Most mesmerising were the views from just outside of our villa.

Hypnotizing water views from he cliffs are just steps from our garden. This view was so special. We nearly had to pinch ourselves.

We brought wine to share, olive so, cheese and good company. Despite eating and drinking constantly, with lots of good hydration, we are balancing that indulgence with lots of walking. I could definitely get used to this breeze and beautiful sights at every turn.

And a great fire to grill some steak from the butcher, with a fresh medley of tomato and zucchini.

Sweet dreams! See you tomorrow.

Portugal, Porto and Aveiro – day 6

Indulge

We slept in because it was Saturday. Then had a great big breakfast at the hotel and headed over to the other side of the Douro River to pick up some basics at the shopping centre.

Mishaps galore. From parking stubs getting mixed up, to blood-red burgers .. But gourmet burgers with bacon, cheese … And an egg for good measure. We asked to get it cooked to more of a ‘medium’ and really enjoyed it once it stopped mooing. There is also the fact that I’ve written this entry three times, had it deleted, and …Wordpress for mobile is a disaster.

At the sky scraper of a shopping mall, we had a clever flirt, in the makeup department, ask us if we “have vertigo?” The pickup line doesn’t work as well when the subjects are struggling to make the linguistic connection between their height and his doe-eyed lash-batting. Sweet though.

Hours into the day, it was clear we needed a drink; we were en route to our first real destination: Taylor’s to taste Port.

As my wife, @buttonsmcleod, put it: The highlight of today was – while at a port winery, Taylor’s, sitting in their beautiful garden sampling three ports, we watched …as one of the workers chased a rooster around, trying to get it to stop attacking the peacocks. She yelled “chicken, CHICKEN..!” as she ran.

Taylor’s opens its doors for those looking to sample generous tastings of those various port styles, while enjoying incredible views and the estate. Buttons has been the absolute best, a dreamy (though sassy) travel companion. She kept me from losing my mind while a number of mishaps occurred this morning; bless the woman who can keep me in line,…and smiling.

From Taylor’s Port, to the whimsical town of Aveiro. Aveiro is full of glazed tile and pays homage at every turn to its fishing village vibe and canals; it is the Venice of Portugal, just a short drive from the city of Porto. Aveiro had unexpected treasures and though we went on a hunch, it was so picturesque and idyllic that we are happy we didn’t miss it.

Fortunately for us, dinner was also exactly right. A great end to our time in Porto. We just happened to find Mizu – sushi and anti-sushi.

When you travel, sometimes it’s hit or miss when it comes to restaurants. You leave it to fate (or recommendations from friends, scanning tripadvisor.com/strolling the neighbourhood to see what looks popular). Tonight was a total hit; a slam dunk if you are using mixed metaphors. Inconspicuous from the street, Mizu sushi restaurant was just what we needed. My wife is very picky about her sushi and Toronto (home) has great Japanese food, so we were thrilled to experience the combination of Portugal’s fresh seafood with a sushi treatment in the expert hands of Mizu’s Sushiman, Anibal.

The staff was attentive and charming, the portions weren’t large, but they were delicious. Presentation was creative, but tasteful. We had such a great evening, with table wine and whisky that could please the spoiled (but not snooty) palates of two people who have been hitting up wineries on the regular for almost a decade.

The entire night was lovely and getting to chat with Anibal made it clear how much he loves his art; if you have the chance to taste it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

Though it is tucked away somewhat, finding it was quite a treat! Thanks for a perfect end to our stay in Porto and Maia.

Mizu on Facebook

Lisbon, day 1

Indulge

Fado music. Night to day, out of order, but still a pretty good capture of day one: we ended with late night Fado music at Esquina de Alfama. So animated and authentic; it was recommended by our host at the final apartment we will stay at when we return; we enjoyed a hot pot of fish and shrimp. Mode of travel: we walked the streets, taking in the sights, over 6 k in total – through bairro alto and Alfama.

To start we enjoyed tuna salgadinhos and pasteis de natal.

Our hotel.

A taverna set in a building from the 1700s. Tried some white port.

What if God was one of us?

Late lunch at Zero Zero, after the indoor market.

Where it all began: This is going to be a daily ritual.

Ola, Lisbon!

Indulge

The tv is a projection on a fully mirrored wall panel.There is a window from the shower into the bedroom. Marble bathroom and leather walls. We are off to a great start!And we have chocolate turndown service. Wake me if I’m dreaming.

StyleSaVie Does NYC – day two

Foodie, Indulge

We got up on our first full day, ready to walk my wife to the HBO head offices. We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel and greeted a day of pleasantly, unexpectedly mild weather. A floral print maxi dress over leggings and a slip, with a brimmed hat was a great choice, easy and comfortable for a day of walking.

Out on the street we soaked in the lights, iconic buildings and streets full of people. The hustle and bustle was pretty amazing. Toronto is similar, but the famous places and faces in NYC made me feel like I had ‘arrived’ and even a brisk morning walk felt like an event.

Now that I know what I’m looking for, I have started to see ads for Vinyl everywhere!

I loved seeing how life was just teeming amongst all that concrete and metal.

Victoria’s Secret … on three levels… was a sight to behold. I asked one of the staff, “so, is there a real ‘Victoria’?”

“Victoria? Victoria, who?”

“This is Victoria’s Secret. Is there an actual ‘Victoria’?”

She seemed very confused. However, I was enamored of some bralettes, found a $168 dress marked down to $9.99, and spent the day shopping – while Al was doing interviews. Shopping is a close second to interviewing Juno Temple and all the other folks doing press for the new series.

Fancy-pants changerooms! Next, I headed to what was possibly the most beautiful H&M I have ever seen. The multi-level store was setting the bar high. Poor Toronto locations!

I picked up some amazing mock neck printed blouses, with ballerinas and 70s prints, in navy and mustard. Last on the list for today was Macy’s, which we don’t have in Canada.

I checked out the various departments and was thrilled to find a big ‘additional 40% off sale items’ in the BCBG area. Also… the changerooms. There were lighting options for ‘office,’ ‘daylight’ and ‘evening’. Wow. Such a great idea. I played here for a little while, and ended up buying a high-waist black tulle skirt with gold swiss-dots, and a long blue evening dress (’cause every year I go to prom and… there are always weddings to attend).

I have always loved playing dress-up! Changing the filter lights on the changeroom mirror:

This dress will make me very happy come summer. With a few alterations, I’ll be set.
The magic maker:

After an exhausting morning of shopping, I headed back to the hotel … to get ready for a late lunch and some journal writing.

Allia joined me back at the hotel and we went to Costas for Arepas! Yumm, yummy, yumm. We wanted a quick bite before heading over to the red carpet for the Vinyl Premiere.

Strolling before the red carpet. My mom’s vintage coat was an impossibly perfect choice.

Allia getting ready for the carpet: Looking fly, as ever.

Behind the velvet rope.

Enter the stars: Juno Temple, bubbly, sweet and more than a little sexy. She looked very seventies in a silver plunging gown and tiara. I’m definitely biased, but it’s safe to say that my wife is an amazing interviewer; her questions are real, content-driven and original. Watching people respond to her is such a treat. Our neighbours on the carpet were from Australia and often pushed Allia to reel in big names who might otherwise not have stopped in our area. It helps that she is beautiful and has a big beaming smile (and cool hair).

I was very psyched to see some up-and-comers, like Emily Tremaine, and some familiar faces, like Pitch Perfect’s bitch-supreme of ‘Das Sound Machine: Birgitte Hjort Sørensen

Mini-Quaid, Sopranos and Glee alumnus, and faces you just know are famous.

And some who need no introduction: Glenn Close. Close up.

This actor is so vibrant and I can’t wait to watch more of the series to catch more of her! (Susan Heyward)

What it really looks like back there:

The cherry on my night’s sundae: Olivia Wilde. Yes, she is that beautiful. And her character in the show is strong, complex and provocative.

And of course no show starring Mick Jagger’s son, naked in the first episode, would be complete without the proud papa, in this case A Rolling Stone: Mick himself.
To be honest, I was less awestruck by him than I was by Olivia Wilde. At one point the camera shooting B-role got my ‘omgeeeeeee’ face as I watched Olivia Wilde… just being Olivia Wilde. She was mesmerizing. And watching Allia interview her can only be described as hotness-ping-pong.

All of this, of course, required a great dinner to end things off. So we went to the Mermaid and Oyster Bar.

We were treated to free wine and beer, just for having a minor wait. Totally our pleasure. We shared oysters, naturally, and their lobster trio, which was delicious! Because they don’t offer dessert, but ‘feel mean’ for not offering dessert – every patron gets to finish their meal with homemade chocolate pudding. Fine by me!

I was strangely charmed by their fortune telling fish. Depending on how they curl in your hands, they give clues to your state of mind and heart… “Passionate” seems about right.

We ended the evening with a quick tour of the queer scene: Henrietta Hudson had a big dance party and Boots and Saddles was drag, drag and stand-up.

And for good measure: take just one more look. Seriously.

What better way to end it than with this? And our trip was only just getting started. ‘Til then, sweet winter dreams and stay smiling.

StyleSaVie Does NYC – day one

Foodie, Indulge

I was so lucky. Timing was perfect. My wife got sent on business (to go and interview the cast of Vinyl, the new HBO series) and I was able to make a weekend of it. This never happens. But, for one time only, we had a weekend away together and it was super inexpensive. Stay tuned for the four days of whirlwind fun.

Day One

At Toronto Pearson Airport, YYZ, we were ready to head out. Hats are my travel buddy. Even though they are a bit of a pain to carry on the plane itself, they save whatever is going on from the eyebrows up, and keep me feeling pulled together. Allia’s hair was a hit, here and abroad. She had no less than eleven shout outs on the streets – from admiring hair fans. One man in Manhattan, who looked rather tough, completely stopped in his tracks, put one hand flamboyantly onto his hip and declared ‘girl. I love your hair. mmmm hmmmmm. God bless,’ then he melted away into the cold day, leaving us grinning.

High flyer airport cocktails and a journal ready for filling.

Easy, cheap jewellery (no fuss if it gets lost or damage), but again, it got some love on our trip. No one would ever know it was a $11 sale item from The Bay.
After we landed, we cabbed it to the Hilton Garden Inn, near Times Square, and walked off our airplane lungs and legs in a late night stroll around the square. People say that New Yorkers are harsh and chilly. Not so. We always have such pleasant interactions. I chose my mom’s vintage coat (she wore it during her pregnancy with me, 33 years ago) for the trip. I sewed a fur collar onto it years ago, which helps make it perfect for cutting wintery wind. The belted waist also adds some shape.

  I think of all the Law and Order I have watched whenever I see the NYPD.

  The divide between yellow cabs and Uber is ever-present. We split our time between the two.
Obviously, the Delorean is waiting, gull-wings up, for photo ops. What first night in the city would be complete without a slice of pizza. Just off Times Square, we are big fans of the cheap and delicious pizza from Bella Vita. It was flavourful and an amazing bedtime snack.

Tomorrow’s promise: celebs, shopping, great food and some romance, too.

Brazil – I was that International Exchange Student

Indulge

It seems like so long ago, because it was half a lifetime ago. At sixteen, I got on a plane and left my friends, family and country, even my language behind. Wearing a red, Canadian exchange student blazer, and holding back tears, I said goodbye to everything – sad, not because I was going, but because I was leaving things I loved behind.

A year seemed like it would be forever, but by the time the first weeks had passed, it seemed like I’d never have enough time to do all the things I wanted to do before our time was up.

In a year I saw more of Brazil than I could imagine and made so many memories. I traveled to the Pantanal region, went to see the Iguacu Falls, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay (for a handball competition). I traveled to the southern tip of the country, to visit friends I’d met, and all across the Northeast of the country on a whirlwind trip that became one of the most important experiences of my life.

If human history, in some areas of the world, is measured in B.C. and A.D., I measure my life in these terms: Before Brazil. After Brazil. It was formative, transformational and completely changed who I am.

A few days ago, a sad event brought a flood of memories and people, from the past, from the far reaches of the world, together; our old friend, Erin, was killed in a drunk driving accident. In my mind she is still sixteen, just as I remember her. She was a bright light, and seemed to have changed very little from the fun-loving, warm person we all knew when we were sixteen years old.

The happy side-effect of this tragedy is that we’ve all been reminiscing, reconnecting and revisiting those wonderful memories – where Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” was our song.

Here are some of those moments, from before digital cameras existed. When 90 exchange students from over 20 countries spent 30 days together travelling across the Nordeste region of Brazil.

Beijos and muito carinho to o povo do Rotary1999.

Brazil 1999 – We saw the stadium where Ronaldo played and we toured Rio De Janeiro.

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We met friends from Denmark, France, USA… and went on a cross country bus trip… taking our pale skin to varying shades of golden.

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We took two boats out to Angra Dos Reis, a remote, unspoiled area off the coast, drinking coconut water, dancing to music and jumping off the side of the ship into crystal water.

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We visited Lencois, Maceio, O Linda and other small towns, growing close to one another and breaking down barriers of language, gender and culture. I never felt close to my friends in high school the way I ended up feeling on this trip.

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Being away from your family and friends, and all the expectations about who you should be, who you were and who you are, really let us explore who we wanted to be. And in all that hilarity and freedom we found incredible things. We were open to new knowledge and experiences.

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There was a lot of posing. A lot of art. Culture. Silliness.

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A lot of silliness. This is Anthony. He is from the middle-of-nowhere, USA.

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And we had the moments every high school movie promises; there were the cool girls, the shy ones, the wild ones. And we all co-existed.

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We explored cities and ruins, museums and forests. Not caring about trivial things like fashion, or Instagram, or Facebook. Because we didn’t have those things. We did have a whole lot of matching t-shirts.

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And Muscle Poses.

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And this.

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We bonded over our home countries. Over music and dancing. Over our love of the beach, or reading, or sunscreen. Or over who saw the nurse most often (chicken pox, mono, bronchitis, Dengue Fever, heat stroke). But our alliances and flags were only superficial.

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We beared it all. Making ourselves vulnerable. Having the best time.

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We sang with guitars in courtyards in the moonlight. Danced at live drumming concerts and took the band back to our hotel. We partied in the treetops (literally) at clubs suspended in the trees. We sweat our butts off at outdoor beach concerts. We put sunscreen on each other’s backs, laughed at how much weight we all gained, signed yearbooks of memories and promises to each other.

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We pulled pranks.

And we were better people because of each other.

I miss you, Brazil. I miss the life we had there. I miss that closeness. And I am forever grateful for the time we shared.

Santorini Destination Wedding

Wedding

Greece was on my bucket list. We even talked of taking our honeymoon in Greece. We couldn’t afford it. So, when my good friend, a sommelier and traveller, decided to get married in Santorini, we couldn’t believe our luck. I was asked to do the bride’s hair and make-up and to do make-up for the wedding party. Of course, I said yes.

What an incredibly magical spot to wed!

The Bride’s closest friends, family and her new step-daughter!

Getting ready with her bridal party.

Enjoying the bridal suite at the El Greco in Santorini (Fira), Greece

I brought my favourite products for the big day – tried and true – ready for the heat!

Meanwhile, outside the day was shaping up to be incredibly idyllic. El Greco Resort, Santorini.

At the wedding venue, Oceanides, with my lovely wife. Just a little over a year ago, we married in Toronto, Ontario.

Delicious food and fresh local ingredients.

Honey, sesame and cheese…

By the time the ‘main’ course of whole grilled fish came to our table, we were so satisfied and full!

Plates for breaking. Opa!

The bride’s hair and some behind the scenes NON-professional close-ups.

The bride.

Braids and twists were the inspiration for this Grecian look. Heat-proof hair was on the ‘must have’ list.

At the venue, the sea took center stage as the gorgeous backdrop for their vows.

Our friendship goes back to 7th grade. She looked absolutely stunning, head to toe.

A rose between two thorns.

The day after the wedding; the bride, Lindsay, was ready to relax on the beach. Tunic/beach coverup from Muska - Thira, Santorini.

The day after the wedding; the bride, Lindsay, was ready to relax on the beach. If only we all looked this fresh the day after ‘the big day’! Beach cover-up from Muska – Thira, Santorini.