USA 0 - POR 0

We went to our last football match in New Zealand as our trip comes to a close today. It was the match where we had hoped to see the USWNT finally unleash on their opponent as we didn’t feel like they did all they could against Vietnam and the Netherlands. That is not what happened at all. We saw a team that didn’t look comfortable and cohesive as a unit. And Portugal gave a great effort and came incredibly close to knocking out the tournament favorites. Paula wore both Portuguese and USA scarves and supported both her countries on what was a momentous day to see these two teams play each other. I truly hope we see them in a match against each other again. For now USA moves on to the round of 16 against Sweden and they have an uphill battle. They are a talented group of players and we know they can dig deep and come back stronger from this.

New Memories

For us, we leave a beautiful country with a new set of memories of people we have met, landscapes unlike anything we have seen, feeling proud to have supported women all over the world playing this great sport. And maybe even starting a new tradition….

Thank You

I want to say a BIG thank you to my travel companions, Amy 1.0, Amy 1.5 and Paula. This was just an idea and a dream 10 months ago and we had no idea if we could make it happen. It all came together so beautifully and made special by spending it with these three.

I also want to thank all those at home that followed and read my blog. It’s a challenge to take so many activities in a day and try to condense them down to the highlights. I hope you got a flavor for our experience. I feel like I have more to write which I will attempt when I get home in addition to processing many many photos.

I would love to hear from you all. What stood out to you? Feel free to leave a comment on this blog or message me.

THANK YOU!

The view from the air and the rails

The weather is talked about a lot in Wellington especially since it is constantly changing and is often wet and windy. Locals even try to plan to live on the sunny side of the street when moving to a new house or apartment. After a couple of cold days for us California girls, Saturday came and the weather was glorious. The air was still, the sun was out and the clouds were minimal. No rain in sight. Everyone was out. Tourists, families with children, people with dogs were all walking the path next to the water.

Shed 6

The Wellington waterfront has restaurants and businesses that are distinguished by their shed number. Earlier in the week Amy and I walked by Shed 6 which was a helicopter tour company. This peaked our interest since we did a flight over Kauai last year which was amazing. We walked in and inquired and I said “Flights must be cancelled all the time here due to windy conditions” The pilot confirmed that it does happen often. We heard that Saturday’s weather was supposed to be good so we said we would come back. The weather could not have been more perfect for a flight. The helipad was literally a 2 minute walk from the office on the water’s edge.  We did the “South Coast Discovery” flight over the southern coastline of the city and the highlights were seeing the Makara wind farm (similar to the large white windmills you see in Palm Springs), the Karori Rock Lighthouse, seal colonies and views of the Marlborough Sounds, the top of the South Island. A special feature of this flight is landing on the beach of one of the seal colonies and we got to see the New Zealand fur seals sunning on the beach. According to Dai, they are in large numbers in the winter on this beach and travel further south in the winter. The oil from their fur is so potent it stains all the logs and rocks they lay on. On the return trip we were treated to incredible views of this nation’s capital city including the oval shaped Sky Stadium where we watched two football matches.

Northern Explorer Train

For our return trip home back to Auckland, we opted for a 11 hour scenic train ride from Wellington instead of a boring, bumpy 1 hour flight. From the railway website: “The Northern Explorer train journey follows the historic North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT). Completed in 1908, the railway was the dream of Julius Vogel, who wanted to connect the North Island interior - and the people who lived there. In an age before roads, the journey from Auckland to Wellington took several days of treacherous sailing around the coast. The railway would enable the journey to take less than a day. But the terrain along the way proved difficult and expensive to build upon. As a result, the NIMT took almost 30 years to complete.” The train had an open air viewing car, multiple passenger cars, a cafe and a baggage/food storage car. Some of the highlights included seeing the coast at the southern end and then traversing though farmlands, soaring over viaducts and three spectacular volcanoes,  Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruho and Mount Tongagiro. It was a site to remember forever. Then after seeing these massive snow covered volcanoes we saw swamps which are used for training by the military camp. This is truly Lord of the Rings country.

Dedicated Fans - Angel City FC 2 - Portland Thorns FC 1

Meanwhile back at home ACFC had their first game after a long break. We played The Portland Thorns in a Challenge Cup game and any contest against the Thorns is a tough match. While we couldn’t be there in person, our friends took our seats and saw a stunner of a game with lots of drama including a penalty kick blocked by our new goalie Angelina Anderson who made her NWSL debut. As we meandered this railway we tuned in to the radio broadcast when we had reception and high fived each other when the announcer called the win for ACFC.

SWE 5 - ITA 0

The second game we attended in Wellington was Sweden vs Italy. The former is ranked number 3 in the world so we expected a good performance. We were a little surprised to see Italy take more of a lead in the beginning of the game and even get a couple of shots off. Then as if a switch was flipped Sweden unleashed on Italy. It was definitive proof of why they are ranked number 3 particularly when it came to set pieces. Three times they scored off corner kicks that literally curved toward the goal to make it easy for the forwards to just get their heads or feet on it to guide the goal into the back of the net. One of the headlines on their performance after the goal was “A set-piece master class” and that said it all. One of the most fun moments of the night was watching the youngest Swedish fan in the stadium watching the game from his dad’s lap. Many years from now he can say he saw Sweden win a match in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

A reunion and a local’s touch

Yesterday was a free day for us in Wellington with no matches to attend which allowed time for sightseeing. Our friend Paula went to university in Portugal with Luis who happens to live in Wellington with his husband Colin. This is the first time these two friends have seen each other in 24 years. Colin is a volunteer and guides tours at Zealandia which is a protected urban sanctuary and he offered us a personalized tour. It is home to some of New Zealand’s most rare wildlife and is set on a picturesque reservoir surrounded by trees.

Colin led us through the sanctuary and the trails are covered in a canopy of trees, plants and ferns which was reminiscent of walking in the rainforest in the South Island when we hiked The Milford Track in 2008. He taught us about the species of birds that live in the sanctuary including some that have been restored from the brink of extinction. The location was in the hills above the city and it was quiet and a welcome break from city traffic and noise.

After our tour of Zealandia Luis and Colin suggested we use the Wellington Cable Car to get back into the city. It is a running funicular railway in the heart of the central business district and provides a unique form of public transport. The landing at the top of the cable car route has a museum, observatory, cafe and an amazing view.

The day turned to evening and we capped it off with a nice dinner, drinks and plenty of questions answered by our local guides, Luis and Colin, about this special island nation.

NED 1 - USA 1

By now I’m sure the entire world or anyone remotely following the Women’s World Cup has heard the result of the matchup between the United States and the Netherlands was a tie.

The game was at 1 pm local time at Sky Stadium which is literally next to the ocean in Wellington. In fact it looked like the areas just outside the stadium are used as a port for exporting wood and we saw heavy equipment operators moving massive logs.

The energy of the USA fans in the stadium was palpable and it felt like there were more fans than our first game against Vietnam.

We got to the stadium right when the gates opened at 11 am and walked the full loop around the oval shaped stadium. My super recognizer skills were on point as I spotted the two younger sisters of our very own ACFC player Alyssa Thompson. Alyssa, at -18 years old is the youngest player on the USWNT and from Los Angeles. Gisele Thompson is also a USWNT player on the U-20 team and we have heard their youngest sister Zoe is on a similar path. Amy 1.5 was proudly wearing her #7 Alyssa Thompson jersey when we snapped a photo.

We also met Alyssa’s dad and he was just beaming and so happy to see fans for his daughter there to support her. It was such a cool experience.

Game Recap

I’m not a football analyst however after watching the game and reading the analysts comments our instincts about the game were pretty spot on. We think more substitutions could have been made. It was a very physical game. The officials should have called more fouls to control the physicality. The Netherlands scored relatively early in the first half and this was an opportunity for the US to show how they handle adversity. They absolutely dominated the second half. Lindsey Horan was fouled badly by Danielle van de Donk who is her teammate in France when they are not in the World Cup. Lindsey was pissed and words were exchanged between the two. Horan got even by heading in a corner and scoring the game equalizer off a Lavelle corner kick. It was a defining moment for our captain to show up and change the momentum of the game. How she reacted to that adversity after getting fouled is what will teach the younger and newer players how to be champions. It was amazing to see. And by far the most intense sporting event I have ever watched.

A wander and a new city

New Zealanders or Kiwi as they are also called of course speak English however they do use words we as Americans are not accustomed to. For example, if you are talking about a long walk or a hike they call it going for a “wander”. By the way it is ok to call a New Zealander a Kiwi. If you are referring to the national bird or the fruit you say kiwi bird and kiwi fruit.

Amy and I heard about the Coast to Coast walk which is a hike across Auckland which highlights the natural and built heritage areas of the city with panoramic views along the way.

We wondered if the wander would be worth the 10+ mile walk. We headed out early on Tuesday morning, I got a coffee first of course and off we went. Once we got out of the business district we were treated to beautiful city parks with massive green fields, many of which had football or rugby goalposts. We also walked through multiple residential neighborhoods and got a feel for how people live. We saw school kids in uniforms and some were playing football at recess. We hiked to the top of Mt. Eden which is the highest point in Auckland. The 360 degree views were well worth the effort. What also made this worth it was the comforting Italian food we ate after we completed it.

The San Francisco of New Zealand

After 7 days in Auckland, it was time for us to leave Auckland today and follow the USWNT to their next match in Wellington. We packed our stuff and headed to the airport for our 10 am flight. I knew it would be a short flight but I swear we went up and I blinked and we landed. Fun fact; Wellington is known for being the windiest city in the world. And did we feel it on our flight? Let’s just say if I’m on a plane anywhere in the world in inclement weather, I hope my pilot received their training in Wellington.

The city is stunning from the air. It has a dramatic shoreline, houses nestled into the hillside.The ocean has varying shades of blue. I can certainly see why people think it is similar to San Francisco.

We spent the day checking into our hotel and walking our new city. So far it has less of a commercial business vibe than Auckland with more clothing stores; lots of restaurants of varying cuisines and even record stores. And of course a coffee shop on every block which makes me really happy.

Next up USA vs NED tomorrow which is a big game. These fans need to rest up!

Road Trip to Rotorua

On Sunday, July 23rd we had a free day from our soccer matches and wanted to take advantage of it by getting out of the city and taking an overnight trip to Rotorua. Amy and I came here in 2006, our first time to New Zealand. It made an impression on us and we wanted to share the experience with Amy and Paula.

We left Auckland early in a rental car to make the 3+ hour drive to Rotorua and our plan was to go to the Wai-O-Tapu (wai-ow-taa-poo) Thermal Wonderland and to the Mitai Māori Cultural Experience. Rotorua is south of Auckland and is situated roughly at the bottom of the top third of the north island.

Our driver Amy 1.0 got a crash course in roundabouts and driving on the opposite side of the car and road as we headed out of the city. Between the car navigation system, phone GPS and her human navigator (Amy 1.5) we made it successfully and didn’t get lost. Amy and I wondered how we navigated in a campervan in 2006 with no such technology. I guess we used a map, made of paper. GASP.

When we arrived at the geothermal park we definitely felt more of a chill as it was only 41 degrees. Due to the geothermal conditions beneath the earth, the area has many hot springs noted for their colorful appearance and also has boiling mud pools. The park is very well laid out with a pathway that we easily walked in about 3 hours and that included stopping for many pictures. It was well worth the trip to get out of the city and see something so unique and scenic. Next it was time for lunch, check into the hotel and a rest before heading to the cultural experience.

Mitai Māori Cultural Experience

The Mitai Māori village has been operating over 20 years which means when Amy and I went in 2006 it was fairly new. The experience was largely the same as it was 17 years ago. The village is family owned and run and their mission is to give its guests an authentic introduction to the Māori culture, the indigenous people of Autearoa, New Zealand. They depict this through traditional dress, song, dance including a “Haka” Māori war dance. I personally love this experience because of its authenticity and their dedication to educating their guests to this special culture.

Group E - Netherlands 1 - Portugal - 0

The second game of Group E happened on Saturday night and we are keenly interested because they are the competition for the US and it was Portugal’s debut to the World Cup. Our hotel TVs in Auckland don’t have access to the channel showing the World Cup. By sheer silly luck our hotel in Rotorua gave us access to the game and we could record it so we could watch it when we got back from the cultural experience. I told the girls I planned it that way….

USA 3 - VIE - 0

The anticipation of seeing the United States play in its first group play match of the 2023 Women’s World Cup has been building for us for 10 months so the excitement was palpable all day on Saturday. By the way what the hell day and time is it? For those of you in the Pacific Time zone, we are 19 hours ahead of you. The math I did while at home is take your time, subtract 5 hours and add a day. The USA fans at home lucked out because the United States has two games in group play at 1 pm local time  which is 6 pm the day before for you.

Amy and Paula are part of the American Outlaws supporter group which is a non-profit group dedicated to organizing support for US soccer teams. The Outlaws planned an event before the game against Vietnam at a local cafe in a neighborhood near the Eden Park Stadium and supporters would then march from there to the stadium directly. We got to the cafe and supporters came out in droves. This was the first time since the tournament began that we have seen a large group of fans adorning all USA jerseys, scarves, jackets, hats, face paint. It was really cool to feel like a part of something that was so big. It’s reminiscent of the feeling I get when I go to an Angel City FC game on a much larger scale.

We sat in our seats close to game time and the texts and emojis between my family started flying. Mom and Dad were watching from Canyon Lake. Scott and Lisa were watching from their vacation time share in Cape Cod. And TL and Kiewan were watching from Atlanta. I loved sharing my experience with them throughout the match. Go USA!!!

Game Recap - In a nutshell the US had a solid performance and against a gritty Vietnam team that proved they won’t be pushovers in the rest of the tournament. For the FIFA recap, read here.

https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/content/usa-v-vietnam-or-group-e-fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-highlights/9fb97852-c67c-4162-97ba-1220999264b7

As we walked out of the stadium, we wanted to take a group photo in the fan fest area in front of a prop that had a picture of the World Cup Trophy and the US and Vietnam flags. We lined ourselves up in order of red, white and blue from left to right. Some Vietnamese fans liked what they saw and quickly asked to jump in and take a photo with us. Many of them smiled and congratulated us.

The NWSL Fans are here

The USWNT has 23 players on its roster and all but one of those players plays for a National Women’s Soccer League in the United States. The exception is Lindsey Horan, our captain, plays for Olympique Lyonnais Féminin which is a French women’s professional football club based in Lyon.

The NWSL had its 10th anniversary in March and its influence on the Women’s World Cup is felt in a big way. A few stats:

• 60 NWSL players are playing in the World Cup

• All 12 NWSL clubs have at least 1 player in the World Cup

• 16 of 32 competing nations have NWSL representation

Throughout our trip we have spoken to fans from the Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave, Racing Louisville, Portland Thorns, KC Current, OL Reign, Washington Spirit and last and most important LOTS OF ANGEL CITY FC fans.

Angel City FC’s 4 players in the World Cup are Ali Riley of the NZL Football Ferns, Julie Ertz and Alyssa Thomson for the US and Jun Endo for Japan. I wrote about Ali Riley’s emotional win for the Football Ferns on Thursday.

Japan and Jun Endo make a statement against Zambia

Jun Endo is a fan favorite back at home for Angel City FC. She has an amazing work ethic and all around great attitude and she is well liked and cheered for at our home games. We went to a bar on the waterfront to watch the game and it had huge TVs which was a nice surprise as finding bars that play games hasn’t been as easy as we would like. Jun started the game and her team came up big against Zambia including scoring her own goal.

Next up we will take a break from soccer and head to Rotorua for an overnight trip. Stay tuned.

The New Zealand Football Ferns make history

When we woke up yesterday, we heard a helicopter and police activity outside our hotel room and down the street in the distance. We heard the news of a terrible tragedy of a mass shooting that occurred. We learned by the details later that we were not in any immediate danger. The FIFA Fan Fest would be cancelled however the Opening Game would proceed as planned. A heavy way to start the day and this tournament.

The Opening Game took place at 7 p.m. at Eden Park with New Zealand vs. Norway. The doors opened at 4:30 p.m. and we knew we wanted to be there as soon as the gates opened. With some time to burn, and since the weather was still pretty decent (rain is coming) we decided to go up to the telecommunications and observation tower called the Sky Tower. It stands at 1,076 feet tall making it the second tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere. It has an observation area on the 53rd and 60th floors with 360 degree views. It was well worth it to see Auckland from all angles, its prominent buildings and views of the water.

After the Sky Tower, we had a some lunch to fuel our bodies and get ready for our first World Cup Match. Fans can use Auckland’s public transportation for free to get to games. For us that meant a short walk to the Britomart train station and hopping on the Western Line to the Kingsland stop. Once we got to Eden Park with about 20 minutes to spare, the excitement started to build outside the gates seeing the FIFA signage and the staff prepping for what would surely be long lines at the stores selling souvenirs. At 4:30 pm promptly the wait was finally over and we walked in and began to take it all in.

Your Captain is Our Captain

For us Angel City fans this game had a special meaning beyond being the Opening Game of the World Cup. The captain of the New Zealand Football Ferns is named Ali Riley. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the captain of our very own Angel City Football Club. Her father is from Christchurch, New Zealand. We wore our Angel City gear to ensure all the Football Fern fans knew we were there to support their team and their captain.

We walked the entire Eden Park stadium and the excitement continued to build and I personally enjoyed seeing a trip that was so many months in the planning come to fruition and was beaming the whole time. The Opening Game ceremony had so many elements including depicting the rich history of the Māori people who are the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa New Zealand. It also celebrated the 32 nations who have qualified for the tournament. It had music, dance groups and fireworks.

Game Time

The game was closely matched early on there was no score going into the second half. I was happy for the Football Ferns, ranked 26th to hold off the 12th ranked Norwegian team. In the 48th minute after a beautiful cross Hannah Wilkinson scored in the 48th minute. GOOOAAALLLLL!!!! The crowd went crazy and so did we. Now we would just have to hold them and that we did. The Ferns did a great job of controlling the second half and Norway had so many chances and just couldn’t pull off a goal. Throughout the game we heard a group starting chants for the Ferns which was one of my favorite parts of the match. Let’s Go New Zealand! Let’s go Aotearoa (Au-tee-uh-row-uh)! At 90 minutes, the Ferns were still ahead at 1-0 and had 9 minutes of stoppage time to hold off Norway. It was a long nine minutes! The whistle blew and the entire Football Ferns team ran onto the field hugging one another as they just made history. This was New Zealand’s first World Cup tournament win in history. Our captain, Ali Riley was interviewed and overcome with emotion for what this meant to her, the team and the nation. The moment that gave me goosebumps was when all the players and staff had pretty much cleared the pitch and Ali walked alone to the center and just looked up to the sky and then down to hold her face with emotion. What. A. Moment.

A full day in Auckland CBD

Our departure from LAX was pretty smooth especially given we were on a very full plane, approximately 300 people. We had a celebrity sighting of one of the passengers, Sue Bird (Megan Rapinoe’s fiancé).

Thirteen hours and 6500 miles later we landed in Auckland along with 2 other flights around the same time. The airport was packed so it was a slow go through passport control, customs and getting to our hotel which all in all took 3 hours. As we were exiting the airport we saw our first FIFA signage and happily took a photo.

We are staying at the Avani Metropolis Hotel and we were so thankful to have our hotel rooms ready for us to check in. We all took hot showers to clean up and felt “new” again. Time to go get a coffee to perk up a bit and explore the Central Business District (CBD). Most of you know what a coffee enthusiast I am and I’m thankful to say that Auckland’s coffee game so far seems right on par with L.A. Lots and lots of places offer “coffee takeaway”. I had a flat white this morning and it was delicious.

We decided we would go towards the wharf and find some fish and chips for lunch. Along the way we did some window shopping. The city was definitely bustling with people in the CBD. We saw the Britomart train station which we will transport from to get to The Opening Games.

All of us kept commenting on the weather and how nice it was. I was frankly really surprised that it was so nice. And apparently I have reason to be which I will explain. We thought maybe we should take advantage of this amazing weather and take a ferry ride or a boat through the Harbor. We found a company that takes guest on a sailboat through the harbor. The boat left in 30 minutes and would be about a 75 minute trip. Perfect! The sky was clear with puffy white clouds and the boat moved slow enough to take many photos and video.

The captain of the ship said, “You picked a good day to come out because this is the nicest day we have had all year.” Down under they are in the middle of their winter so I clarified with her, “This is the nicest day you have had all year, including earlier this year when it was summer?” She said yes! Wow, I was so pleased and felt so lucky we could experience it.

After the boat ride, around 5 p.m. it became clear we packed in a LOT and it was a very long day. Time to turn in early and get our rest so that we are fired up for the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow.

Aotearoa New Zealand Bound

It’s finally here. The planning for this trip started a little more than 9 months ago. The 2022 National Women’s Soccer League season was coming to a close. Angel City FC just finished their inaugural season and I attended every home game. My love for this new professional women’s soccer team in Los Angeles ignited a passion for the game that I hadn’t felt since I was a teen playing in high school.

My fellow ACFC season ticket holders Amy and Paula and Amy and I knew the World Cup was coming in 2023 and just started saying wouldn’t it be cool if we could go? Why not?

We knew nothing about the logistics of getting tickets for and attending such a huge sporting event. I signed up for a FIFA newsletter so that I could be notified when tickets would go on sale. And with a little bit of sleuthing, strategy, lots of planning and pure luck we are going to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup!

Planes, trains and automobiles to travel the North Island

The Basics

It is the first Women’s World Cup to be hosted across two countries Australia and New Zealand. 

The opening games of the tournament — New Zealand vs Norway and Australia vs Republic of Ireland — will be played on July 20. 

The final will be played in Australia (Sydney) on August 20th. 

32 teams qualified for the tournament, an increase of 8 teams since 2019. There are 8 groups of 4 teams competing to get out of the group stage. The top two teams in each group advance to the round of 16. 

We will see all three USWNT games in the group stage in addition to three other games including the opening ceremony in New Zealand (Auckland).

Check back regularly to follow our journey.

Feliz Aniversário, Parabéns

XXXI Festival Internacional de Tunas Universitárias Cidade de Porto

The formal way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Portuguese is Feliz Aniversário but people usually use Parabéns which translates to "Congratulations". We experienced two very special anniversaries in Portugal that immersed us into the Portuguese culture in a way that wouldn't have been possible as a tourist.  

On Thursday, September 14, Paula's birthday, we went to a festival of music at her alma mater, the University of Porto. It was held outside on a stage in the square in front of the university.

A Tuna is a group of university students in traditional university dress who play traditional instruments and sing serenades. This originated in Spain and Portugal in the 13th century as a means of students to earn money or food. It helps them pay for all the espresso they drink! Source: Wikipedia 

The festival named in the title of this blog entry is organized by Orfeão Universitário do Porto which has two Tunas: Tuna Universitária do Porto (men) and Tuna Feminina do Orfeão Universitário do Porto (women). TUNAF was the first female Tuna in Portugal. Paula and her university cronies were the founding members of TUNAF in 1997. On this night, alumni members of TUNAF including Paula, Ana and others were invited to sing on stage with the current members.

Paula singing on stage with current and alumni members of TUNAF

Current and Alumni members of TUNAF backstage. Photo credit: Amy 1.5

So to recap... 

1. It's Paula's 50th Birthday

2. It's the 31st anniversary of the international festival of university tunas held at U. Of Porto

3. It's the 30th anniversary of the founding of TUNAF

4. The event is held outdoors and free to the public for the first time in its history

5. Paula is reunited with original members of TUNAF

6. Paula sang on stage with fellow alumni and current members of TUNAF

7. And, it's Paula's 50th birthday... 

That all being said, it was a special night for Paula and we felt honored to experience this tradition first hand. 

A party and a half... 

When Ana Paula Ferreira decides to throw a party she means business! On, Saturday, September 16, Ana and her family hosted a birthday party for Paula that was open house style. It started early and ended in the wee hours of the morning.

People from all different aspects of Paula's life in Portugal (and the Americans, Kim, Amy 1.0, Sanae and Danna) celebrated with her. To say there was food and drink is an understatement of the greatest kind. Some of my favorites were the Bacalhau, Bola de Carne, Arroz de Pato and Tremoços to name just a few. Ana's husband, Vasco created a carefully thought out bar with Portuguese wine and port wine. 

And dessert? The Portuguese people LOVE their desserts. Ana asked the guests to bring a dessert from the region where they live. Ana insisted that since people would be coming and going all day that everyone have the opportunity to sing her happy birthday (Parabéns a você). Ana's mother made three birthday cakes and Paula blew out candles three times! 

Most people get one birthday cake....

An enorme "Obrigada" (thank you) to our wonderful hosts, the Costa family. They made us feel like their own family members and made this a trip to remember forever. 

Clockwise from left: Marta, Duarte (doesn't he look thrilled?) Ana, Vasquinho, Amy 1.0, Kim, Amy 1.5, Vasco and Paula

A City by the River

I mentioned in the previous blog entry that the city of Porto is alongside the Douro River. When traveling I have grown to love the element of water and the interest it adds to the experience of the place I am visiting. From the canals of Venice in Italy, the River Thames in London, the Danube River in Hungary, the Milford Sound in New Zealand to our own Big Bear Lake in California, all of these places are special to me because of their unique proximity to water. The Douro River is another body of water that adds to the beauty and romantic nature of Porto on one side and Vila Nova de Gaia on the other. 

View of Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia. The boats you see pictured here were the traditional boats used to carry Port wine from the Douro Valley where the grapes are grown, downstream to Porto. 

Ponté Luis 1 Bridge

Arrábida Bridge

I also love being able to see a place from the vantage of the water. On Thursday, we were lucky enough to take a boat ride on the river and see all six bridges of Porto from the water. My two favorites are the Ponté Luis 1 and Arrábida Bridges. The architect of the former is Gustave Eiffel, the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower. The Arrábida bridge is made of reinforced concrete and designed by Edgar Cardoso. It was inaugurated in June of 1963 and Paula said that people came from all over the world to see it collapse because they didn't believe a bridge made of concrete could stay standing. 

BFFs Paula and Ana  

Robalo (sea bass) with a salad and potatoes

Thursday was Paula's birthday and her dear very busy friend Ana gave her the gift of her time and spent the entire day with us. After the boat ride we went to lunch to a nice restaurant near a plaza where music was playing in the background. Again we have had amazing weather this trip. Ana's sister Susana surprised us at the restaurant with a beautiful delicious homemade chocolate cake. 

From left: Kimmie T., Amy 1.5, Ana, Susana, Paula, Amy 1.0

Felicidades!

No trip to Porto would be complete without a tour of the wine cellars that are the home of Port wine. We visited Ferreira Cellars and learned how Port wine is made which of course ended with a taste of the wine.   

Amy walking in front of a large Portuguese tiled wall

Another really enjoyable part of this day and the next was walking the narrow streets of Porto and seeing how people live in their flats. With every turn there was a new combination of paint colors and unique Portuguese tiles adorning the buildings. Porto is also known for its unique windows and people often hang their clothes to dry from their balconies.

Oporto - Friends, Food, Culture

It's hard to believe it's Sunday and we are making our journey home tomorrow, a day late. I will explain that later. The last five days have been jam packed with a combination of sightseeing, visiting Paula's friends, eating and shopping. So much so that I had to backtrack the days and make notes of what we did.  

On Wednesday Ana, our host, drove us to Oporto and dropped us off and we made our way to a large roundabout called Rotunda da Boavista with a 148 foot column in the middle. It commemorates the victory of the Portuguese against the French troops that invaded Portugal during the Peninsular War. 

Monumento aos Heróis da Guerra Peninsular

Paula and Fátima

For lunch we met one of Paula's good friends Fátima that she has known for many years from their University days. She is a University professor who lived 10 years in Belgium and fairly recently moved back to Porto. She speaks 7 languages. I'm still wrapping my head around that one.  

After lunch, we took a drive to see the Foz do Douro Lighthouse on the Atlantic Ocean. I have seen some very dramatic images of this lighthouse with waves crashing over it which happens in the winter time.

It was here that we were able to meet up with our other friends Sanae and Danna from the U.S. who also came to celebrate Paula's birthday. It was surreal to be taking an afternoon stroll all together along the Douro River. 

From left: Amy 1.0, Danna, Sanae, Amy 1.5, Paula, Fátima

Boats overlooking the Douro River  

In the evening we were treated to a wonderful fish dinner with the Costa family, our hosts. The fish is caught the same day as it is served. We had a variety of dishes including Hake, Robalo and of course more Bachelhau. Our animated server Orlando filleted a whole cooked fish tableside. 

Typical Portuguese Bachelhau dish  

Até à Próxima (until next time) Ponte de Lima

We have been walking the crowds of Feiras Novas in Ponte de Lima for a couple days. I asked Paula if there was a way we could get up to the nearby hills to get a view from above of this beautiful town. 

She knew the place to go and she borrowed her uncle's car and off we went for a short drive to a the site of a stone chapel.

From the top we could see the Rio Lima clearly and white clouds scattered across blue skies. The weather has been mild and beautiful. 

The view from above Pointe de Lima

Team KAAP standing on the new bridge over Rio Lima

Today we left Tio Loreta, Tio Luis and Mauricia in Ponte de Lima. They were such gracious hosts and fed us so many traditional Portuguese home cooked meals. They don't know English so Paula translated for us and them but through hand gestures, smiles, pats on the back and saying the word "obrigada" (thank you) a LOT we found our own way to communicate with them. They made us feel like we were their own nieces and created a special memory that will stay with us forever. 

From left: Cousin Miguel, Paula, Tia Loreta, Tio Luis

Cousin Miguel drove us to our next destination to meet Ana who took us to her home in Gulpihares where we will stay with her husband Vasco and their children. This will be the site for Paula's 50th birthday party. Ana lives very close to the beach so she took us to quickly look at the ocean before arriving to her house and the ocean air was really refreshing. We undoubtedly will be taking walks there.  

The Atlantic Ocean from Gulpihares  

Feiras Novas 2017

The last two days have been full of eating, drinking, walking, visiting and exploring the vila of Ponte de Lima. Feiras Novas (The New Fairs) is a yearly festival since 1826 that takes place the second week of September. Paula and her family have many years of memories attending this festival and still attend. There are so many elements to this festival it is hard to describe the experience. It is music, folklore, fireworks, and parades. Along with food vendors selling farturas (churro), roasted chestnuts, pastries, popcorn, candy and more.

Paula's cousin Miguel's home is in the direct path of the ethnographic parade so we went to his home for lunch and got a front row seat to the action. The people in the parade dress in costumes and ride on mini floats to tell the story of what makes this region unique or special like iron works, stone works, winemaking, farming and more. It was lively and entertaining to say the least.

Music is a big part of Feiras Novas. There are traditional multi piece bands that play in two small grandstands. Other groups specialize in drums only and the have their own procession and the literally try to "out" drum each other. Imagine the loudest drums you have heard and multiply that by 1000. At night people crowd around other small groups in the streets playing an instrument that is like a small accordion and singing traditional Portuguese songs.

Did I mention we have been eating? Just a bit. Paula's aunt and her sister have made us all home cooked meals with love. It reminds me of my childhood of eating at my grandmother's house. We had a very special dish made with Bacalhau, dried and salted cod, a staple here. The Portuguese say there are 1000 ways to prepare and eat Bacalhau. To summarize the dish, the fish was soaked in water, baked in the oven with sweet peppers on top and swimming in creamy mashed potatoes on the bottom. It was truly delicious!

Traditional Bacalhau Dish

A Familiar Face in an Unfamiliar Place

Our two leg trip to Porto went off without a hitch for the most part. We had to transfer by car from London Heathrow to Stansted Airport. Never heard of Stansted? I'm not surprised. I won't waste precious blog space except to say that I read that 5 hours was the bare minimum you should have for a transfer between these airports and that is the BARE minimum. We were delayed due to rain so by the time we landed it was close to 9 pm local time which was 24 hours from when we left our house in L.A.

Happy Team KAAP

We deplaned and grabbed our bags and at the end of the hallway there were two smiling very familiar faces very happy to see us and we we sorta happy to see them. Paula's friend Isabel graciously offered to pick us up and drive the 1 hour north from Porto to Ponte de Lima.

I mentioned to Paula that I might want a snack before going to bed. She said her aunt would most definitely have something for us to eat. We arrived at the home of Tio Luis and Tia Loreta, Paula's aunt and uncle and Mauricia, Tia Loreta's sister. They greeted us warmly with a double kiss on the cheek starting with the right cheek and moving to the left. This is a typical greeting in Portugal.

We were whisked off the the kitchen where a slew of plates, cups, platters of food and various drinks were offered. You could tell this very thing had been done many many times around this table. We had bread, cookies, a cheesecake like dessert, cheese, espresso, juice. My favorite was this pinwheel like savory dish with a thin slices of meat wrapped in homemade bread called Bola de carne.

My tummy was happy but by now I had been up 33 hours. So you know what comes next, head hit the pillow.

Oporto here we come!

It's time to dust off the old travel blog and we have a great trip to do it. We have taken several trips in the month of September and it seems to bring us good travel karma. A year ago this month we were walking the hills of Ireland and on Thursday we embark to Europe again, this time to Portugal. 

From left: Little Lego Kimmie T, Amy 1.0, Amy 1.5, Paula

We have a wonderful reason for traveling to Portugal which is to celebrate our dear friend Paula's 50th birthday. As if that wasn't special enough, Paula is from the town of Porto in northern Portugal and she will be our very personal tour guide into the sites, sounds and tastes of her country she so loves. Her family and friends will open their homes to have us as their guests and we get to experience this country through the eyes and hearts of those that know and love it. 

Our stay is concentrated in the northern part of the country and we will stay near Porto in Ponte de Lima and Vila Nova de Gaia. 

We are looking forward to exploring this country with our friends Amy and Paula and having a weeklong celebration filled with many adventures. 

Goodbye Dubai

The cheesy title of this post was just too hard to resist.  On Thursday Mark, Ian and I walked the streets of the Gold Souk area looking to shoot more street photography. I have always wanted to create a blurred pan image so I gave myself an assignment. Essentially the subject in the image stands apart from a blurred background. It's a skill to be honed with a lot of practice. I stood on a street corner for an hour just waiting for bicycles or motorcycles to move into my frame. I captured this scooter whizzing by and I love how he looked up toward me as he turned the corner. 

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​My last workshop on Friday was an off camera flash class with David Hobby. I don't even own a flash and have never used one with my camera. Mark let me borrow his and David did a great job of giving the class a foundation in using flash in photography. My favorite image is of another photographer named Amir who turned out to be a great model too. 

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My goal in coming to Dubai aside from enjoying the company of other like minded photographers was to stretch my photography skills and I can say without a doubt I accomplished that. 

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Serious Ian

It has been an amazing week and I'm really looking forward to sharing my experience with you all in person. A very special thanks to Amy for supporting the pursuit of my passion. 

Dune Bashing UAE Style

Friendly herd of camels on our way to the shoot

On Wednesday night Mark, Ian and a local friend and photographer named Saadia and all headed out to the UAE desert. The driver was prearranged by Saadia and the plan was to get the desert night sky, but the weather spoiled that. It has been really cloudy here and zero chance of seeing stars.

But, I now can say that have walked in the Arabian desert. How cool is that? It's red! As you know back home, it is a beige color. The red really stands out against the landscape and is really impressive. 

Our experienced driver Omar took his trusty modified Toyota 4 x 4 to the desert and started to "dune bash" as Saadia called it. At times it felt like a roller coaster, but Omar knew what he was doing so we all just sat back and enjoyed the ride and laughed a lot. 

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Light painted desert tree against Arabian desert backdrop

The landscape is really barren and doesn't have a lot of trees or bushes to help make a foreground. But Ian started to walk and walk and walk until he was just a spec. He said he was in sand knee deep at times. He is still pulling sand out of his shoes. It was worth it for all of us because he found a couple trees to be our subject that night. A trick that photographers have in their bag is light painting. The concept is to paint the subject with a flashlight while the camera is taking a long exposure. As long as the person keeps moving, turns the light off and walks out of the frame before the shutter closes, then the person won't be in the picture. Many thanks to Mark for painting the tree in the image above. 

Photographer taking picture of a photographer taking a picture. Go figure.

A Culture that gets lost in a Sea of Culture

Zack Arias giving us the lowdown of the area

Yesterday was my "street photography course with Zack Arias. He is an established portrait and street photgrapher based out of Atlanta, GA. It started out in a classroom setting and Zack gave us some really practical tips for capturing street photography, especially people. So the idea is go out on the street and take pictures of complete strangers in a strange country without upsetting for offending them so you can share your story and theirs if you know it when you return home...Got it...Easy...Not.

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Conceptually it actually was easy. You walk the streets and explore the smells, sounds, faces and get a feel for the area. Sometimes you act like a "magician" and sort of pretend to take the image without people realizing it. And sometimes you just smile and ask if you can take their picture. If they say no, you move on. Oh and your focus, exposure, ISO and shutter speed have to all be ready to go in an instant. Got it...Easy...Not.

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Young Pakastani man taking a break from loading goods on to a Cargo ship heading for Iran

As a group we went to the Dhow Wharfage area of Dubai which is situated along Dubai Creek. The streets are bustling with small shops, alleyways, cars, and people of all different backgrounds. The creek is full of ships with men hauling textiles or food on their backs. You can tell it's grueling physical work that they do day in and day out.

I was walking with Zack and another student and I saw a young Pakastani man taking a break and saw him yawning. He saw me walk by and put his hand in front of his mouth. I guess it's universally rude to yawn with your mouth open? I smiled and kinda pointed at him as if to say I caught you yawning. He smiled back and I could tell he was friendly so I walked up to him. He didn't speak English too well, but we exchanged words and I learned the ship was being loaded with goods going to Iran and the trip would take 12 hours. But he only worked on the dock. I asked him if I could take his picture and he obliged. It was such a cool interaction and I'm thankful to have an image to remember it. 

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You see many men like this one constantly shuffling goods in the area with a cart.

Dubai has so many people from all of the world, it's hard to get a sense of who is from Dubai. I learned from Mark today that you can't become a citizen of the UAE no matter how long you live here. The citizens are called Emirates and they make up only 14% of the population. In my time here I have met people from Iran, India, Pakastan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia along with expats from Great Britain, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and the list goes on and on. So Dubai is the quintessential melting pot. 

I was walking with a young woman named Zainab who works from Gulf Photo Plus. She is from Kenya and has lived in Dubai for about 5 years. She asked me how I liked Dubai. I paused and thought carefully trying to think of a way to define it. Then I said, "It is a city so full of culture that it gets lost in a sea of culture." 

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My experience of shooting street photography was amazing and I know it is a genre that I will continue to pursue in my travels.