Unfortunately being busy has made it difficult for me to sit down and write another newsletter. As well, my editor finished his exams early and is currently in Eastern Europe trying to rekindle a romance with a Polish girl he met 6 years ago. I’ll be meeting back up with him in a month in the Moroccan desert, and will do my best to include an update on his love life for those who are curious.
As for me, these past few months have been fairly busy both here, and for my Toronto affairs. Events have included travelling to a number of Portuguese islands, finding out that my childhood home has been sold (out of nowhere) and I’ll be moving to Etobicoke this summer. Also, I’m and trying to figure out if I’ll be considered an illegal immigrant once I’m finished school.
Hopefully my next adventure isn’t in a cell!
One of the most beautiful places I’ve visited in Portugal were the the Azores, a collection of tiny islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where there are just as many cows as there are people.
Although we weren’t allowed to personally choose our dinner from the field (I asked), the island had some incredible steaks and ice cream. While there’s not much to do in the cities in Azores, there is nature everywhere.
Driving around in a rental car, every 200m another sign points out a ‘miradouro’ (viewpoint), showcasing rolling hills and incredible lakes. We stopped at least 30 times in our 3 days, with each photo op more incredible than the last. Additionally, volcanic hot springs litter the land, which makes for a fantastic day of relaxation.
After getting home and spending a week back on the mainland (and excitedly watching the season opener of Game of Thrones), I set off to Madeira with the same group of friends. Another Portuguese island very similar to the Azores, Madeira is extremely well known (by soccer fans) as the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo. As well, its altitude and food makes for an interesting experience.
Although the island is the same size as the Azores, driving around takes triple the time because of the mountainous streets you continually have to go up and down. Sometimes you’re literally in the clouds! To get to the Airbnb we rented, it felt like we were driving up a wall for 15 minutes, followed by a few hairpin turns.
I’m glad I wasn’t driving, because if your car stalls there…well, you’re done. Also, I can’t drive stick, so I’d be done before even starting.
Anyways, onto the important stuff. The food.
Every single restaurant has these T-shaped poles coming out of the tables, where they hang huge kebabs of beef and chicken. Although this dish is mostly catered to tourists, we found a very local place called O Viola that served it. As soon as we walked into the busy restaurant, we’re given a tall glass of poncha (their regional boozy-lemon drink) and served a few small samples of what looked like totally raw beef (not a tartare, but delicious), cubes of maize and some sausage.
Although it took a while to get us seated, it was fun to watch the chef prepare the kebabs – cutting up what looked like half a cow, drowning it with salt and garlic, quickly skewering it and placing it on a wood oven. After being seated and putting back 7 of these behemoth shish kebabs, we headed over for my friend’s first trip to the casino. As I was still upset about my Niagara trip earlier in the year, I didn’t play, but had a great time watching my friend very quickly gain a life lesson, at the low cost of 20 euros.
For now, I’m in exam mode, which as a Erasmus student means checking out as many coffee shops and bars as I can while I’m still here. After wrapping up my undergrad (that went by way too fast!), the plan is to trek two weeks through the south of Spain, fly over to Morocco for a week and a bit, and then head back to YYZ.
Regarding the illegal immigrant bit in my second paragraph, I’m currently on a Portuguese temporary visa as a student. Once it expires, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to be in the EU as a tourist. The good news, however, is that it seems like nobody else knows either. After speaking with my exchange coordinator, the immigration office and scouring the deep internet, it seems this is uncharted territory, which makes me think I’ll be alright.
If I don’t end up deported, I’m looking forward to seeing all of you after I’m home July 3. Until then, I’m sure I’ll muster up a few stories in my last days in Europe and definitely in Africa.
Catch you soon,
Zev
P.S. In an interesting turn of events, I ended up accepting a different job at Info-Tech, an IT consulting firm in Toronto. It looks like an amazing job, with a great company, and I’m starting out there July 15.
