Last 2 weeks in Portugal...the last 2 weeks of my trip.

I have now arrived back in Canada but I can't leave you hanging on what happened during the end of my trip so I am here to finish that up but bear with me it is currently 2:00am for me as I just got back today and am ready to go to sleep!
So if you read my last post, you will know that I decided to stay an extra week in Lisbon which proved to be a good decision. It was a little hard at first saying goodbye to the wonderful people I met that first week and then having a wave of new people arrive when my second week began but I survived and was thrilled to have Annelise and Federica still around and of course, the amazing staff. I can't remember doing a ton in Lisbon during this time, I really enjoyed just "being", going out when I felt like it, roaming the charming streets, observing people, aahh I loved it! I went to the beach one day as well and got a little too sun happy. I was burnt bad. It didn't even feel that but because there was a nice wind. A decieving wind. That night I was in desperate need of aloe vera but I did not find any... I found something even better. That evening I met an australian whose parents are actually greek and he is currently living in Germany and speaking very good german, talk about multicultural! Well, in australia they have this pure extract papaya stuff that they use for all sorts of skin discomforts so he let me borrow some, or use some really since I wasn't going to return it back to him, and it worked like a charm! It doesn't have the same cooling effect as aloe vera so I was a little disappointed at first but within minutes I could notice a difference in how my skin felt. Amazing! This same evening us two, Federica and an Irishman went up to that same lookout I think I mentioned in an earlier post for some fine Portugal porto. We laughed and talked away. I was so intrigued by the fact that Federica, an Italian, had to concentrate extra hard on her English as she was hearing it in 3 different accents...australian, canadian, and irish. It's one thing to learn a second language like english but then to have to distinguish through the different accents. Man, I'd admire people who know more than their native language. The next day was my last day in Lisbon. I had no idea what I would do on this last day but I found myself hanging out with the australian/greek/german named Leigh. He hadn't been to the flea market yet so we hit that up, walked around a bit looking for aloe vera and then headed to a really cool modern cafe/bar looking over the Teju river. We got lunch and soaked up the sun and this fine Lisbon moment. That night, a super fun lady on staff said she was going dancing at this really cool brazilian/portugese dance place. It was my last night so I thought why not? Leigh, Federica, two german guys and I tagged along and had a great time. I mostly danced like a funky chicken which was probably quite the sight in a real authentic-you only find it if you're in the 'know'- kinda place but I don't think anyone minded. It sure felt like Portugal in there, though.
The next day was a departure I was not looking forward to but folks, you gotta do what you gotta do. So I headed down to the south on a 4 hour bus ride to a place called Lagos. The southern region of Portugal, known as the Algarve, is beautiful, very touristy but beautiful and I was ready to just lay on the beach so it seemed like a perfect place to do that. It was quite a shock to the system, though from being surrounded by amazing, fun, kind people for 2 weeks straight to being all alone in a hotel room. I wanted to have a quieter week for my last week in Europe just to be able to wind down and reflect on the last 6 months but I didn't expect to have such an amazing experience in Lisbon right before which made being alone more difficult. I eventually adjusted, though and appreciated having this time. It was also my 25th birthday during this week and it has been a little dream of mine to go sailing one day so I thought what better time than now? I hopped on a sailboat with a couple and their six year old son and then about 25 17 year old boys. Not really what I had in mind for my birthday sailing excursion but I had a good chuckle anyway. The trip was absolutely stunning! They take you into these cave like cliff structures on a little motorized boat and oh man, I will just have to put up some photos for you so you can see what I'm talking about! I also wanted to go out for a nice fish meal for my birthday, preferrably on the beach somewhere and there so conveniently happened to be a cute little resturaunt right on the beach right across from the hotel I was staying in. I put on a dress and got semi dolled up and enjoyed some delicious sea bass. I was almost ready to head back when one of the waiters comes up to me and asks, "What is a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?" After going through my first birthday ever where no one knew it was my birthday, therefore no one said or sang happy birthday, and I had not talked to any family or friends, that was like the perfect little sweet birthday gift I could have recieved at that moment. I told him that I had been travelling Europe and that this was my last week and also my birthday so I wanted to go have dinner somewhere nice. He gave me a little birthday congrats, we chatted a bit and then I asked for the bill and he headed off to get it. Instead of returning to the table with the bill, though he came with 2 large, tall, twisty vase looking things. He said one was porto and the other fire water and I could choose to try one and it was on the house for my birthday! I went with the fire water since I had porto numerous times and man, it was firey water! He then went on to say that he thought it was really sad that I was spending my birthday alone and so he wanted to take me out for a drink later. Hmmm....I think he probably was just really sad for me and being nice but my caution lights went on and so I declined. All in all it was a really cool birthday, one that will probably never be again, especially since I will never turn 25 again! But I must say, there is nothing like spending it with friends and family. That is the best.
My week in Lagos soon came to a close after much relaxing. I flew to London yesterday, stayed over night and then flew to Vancouver today. That is that. Europe in 6 months just like that. 13 countries in 6 months just like that. A dream has come and gone just like that. Wow!
There are still a few more things I'd like to write and I am planning to put a couple of photos up from the countries I wasn't able to put photos up for yet like my last visit in England, France, Austria, Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal. Wow, more than I thought. So this is not the last post yet, just the second last.
Please stay tuned for the grande finale :)