Ljubljana, Slovenia in Winter

The first weekend of February was a long weekend and one of the better ones in memory.  It was the kind of weekend that warms you up from the inside, even when it is -11 degrees celsius outside.  The kind of weekend for starry eyes, beating hearts and sweaty palms.  It was fabulous.  

It was spent in the teeny Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, after a spectacular and picturesque train ride through the Alps.  The snow flurried around our heads and then the sun came out to make it all glitter.  The city itself is quite small, but beautiful, with great cafes and trendy spots.  (Alkaline water, I am looking at you!)  To be honest, though, I didn't notice much of it.  I was too busy with my starry eyes and sweaty palms ;) 

Doors of Lisbon

 

It's been a while since my trip to Lisbon, Portugal, but the impression that the vibrant city left on me lingers and inspires me to put a little color into my life.  One of the small details that stole my heart while there, was the brightness and intrigue of all of the doors in the city.  Something about the colors and the dilapidated charm caught my eye and I found myself taking pictures of almost every door I saw. 

I hope I get to go back to Portugal someday soon, but in the meantime I have a trip to Croatia to look forward to! I can't wait to welcome my sister to Germany at the end of the week and travel with her to the beautiful seaside city of Split.  Only 7 more days to go... :) 

Cascais, Portugal

 Life is good when there is nothing to do all day but sit on the beach, warm in the sun, and drink wine.  The sound of the waves crashing soothes the soul.  The salty damp air fills the lungs and calms the body.  I could spend my life at sea, feeling small and expansive at the same time, learning about the energy of the ebb and flow, getting lost in the vastness, yet being a part of it and finding myself there.

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At the beginning of December, I found myself drinking in the warm sun on a beautiful beach in the small town of Cascais, in Portugal.  I was only there for one day, but it was the best day I have had since I can remember.  My bones were warm from the heat of the day and my toes were in the sand.  The sea air seemed to heal me from the inside out.  It was so, so calming.  I highly recommend the town of Cascais if you are going to Lisbon, and would personally even stay there and take day trips to Lisbon if I went back.  It has great shops, fantastic food and the most quaint little beaches. 

I know it's been a long time since my last post but more pictures from Portugal are coming up later this week.  Happy Sunday, everyone!