Packing up at Casa das Aguarelas this morning after a couple A-OK three days in Ericeira. When we last checked in, we were on our way out to dinner with our new friend Shiva. We checked out a seafood place some folks in her hostel recommended (please note: we are not staying in a hostel. We are not poors -- at least some of us aren't). At this place and most others around town, when you walk in you select your fish from the tank at the front, then they chop it's head off in front of you and give it to you as a souvenir. We dont judge. At some point today we realized that this weekend was the town's festival of the fisherman, which made a bit more sense of the carnival rides and general like atmosphere in the centro. This meant one thing for Saturday night. Fireworks. FUCK YEAH AMERICA!!!
Liza was suffering from sugar shock so headed home ("I don't give a fuck about fireworks" - girl who's been outside the US too long), but the rest of us powered it out to see the show (it was over an hour late, but had the best finale I've ever seen), and then closed the night out with some caipirinhas (Ha Sangria). We said an awkward goodbye to our friend (after a gang bang), and much like the night before the partying continued in the streets all night.
Sunday was the day I'd been most looking forward to: SURFING. Ericeira is known around the world for its surfing, and as someone who has only skied in New Zealand, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge. We made our way up to a rental place where a sarcastic man named Riccardo got us suited up for the day, and then we hopped in a van with Luis to check out a beach about 10k south where we we were assured we would NOT die by running into reefs. We learned several things that day:
1 - WB just has something about her that makes people realize she should be picked on. Ricardo told me told me to get my camera and then grabbed her first to try on her wet suit...which she then put on backwards.
2 - you shouldn't pee in your wet suit (unless youre cold) because it stays with you.
3 - when Riccardo says the waves are too small for body boarding and then talks you into a gigantor board instead - insist otherwise
4 - surfing is hard, you guys.
About 10 minutes after we arrived, a heavy fog sat down on top of us so the beach wasn't as picturesque as I'd hoped. Liza gave WB and I some tips, and we watched others, but in the end we used the board more for photo pops than surfing, and our wet suits more as diapers. The waves were apparently smaller than normal, but they come really fast. Liza and I ventured out a ways to splash around, and after a minute or two I started to struggle with getting back to shore. It was terrifying, I will admit.
Several hours later we gave in and settled for some beers overlooking the beach and waited for our ride. We also had our first star sighting as Spain's best surfer, Gonnie SomethingSomething appeared to check out the waves. I really couldn't believe my eyes, and he gave me the hang ten when I called out adoringly to him. Luis said it definitely made his day
To close out our last night here we got some 40s of Super Bock, showered off an entire sandbox, and then went for a fancy dinner right on the water. WB has been such a trooper since she isn't really into fish, so she dove in to some awesome clams, and Liza and I split another sea bass (sorry ocean). In Portugal they generally bring you a tray of snacks at the start of the meal, and if you don't eat it, you don't pay. But it's generally only 3e so why wouldn't you? This place being much fancier gave us the option of our snacks, and I aggressively suggested we try barnacles. This turned out to be a comedy of errors, because really how the f do you eat barnacles ("I feel like I'm eating Rhinocerous feet" - the girl who's been to Africa)? After a lesson from our server (who later tried to take us out on the town), we had a tasty ass dinner.
We shut the restaurant down and then polished off our 40s down by the water. All and all wrapping up a totes awesome time in the totes adorbs Ericeira.
Did Liza tell you she doesn't eat sugar because it CAUSES cancer? Yep, that was one of many conversations she tried to convince me of. I am also not a big fan of fireworks - maybe it's a Beall thing.
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