I’ve been home from my honeymoon for 239 days, so it seems like an appropriate time to blog about it, right?
Samer (my husband) and I talked about our honeymoon for several years – pretty much since we first started dating! At that point, I had never traveled out of the country, so it was always so dreamy and romantic to talk about all of the fabulous places we could possibly go. No matter which destinations we discussed, we always came back to Italy. With so much to do and see, and such a variety of landscape and history, it was always at the top of our list.
In true Samer and Hannah fashion, we couldn’t do a typical tour of Italy. I spent weeks researching dozens of itineraries before deciding that we’d be better off planning everything ourselves. If I had to guess, I probably spent around 100 hours looking up hotels, activities, train schedules, rental cars, boat tours, restaurants, and plane tickets. It was an exhausting process, and it made me delusional. So much so, I accidentally booked one of our hotels in Switzerland instead of Italy. Oops! This just so happened to be the best mistake EVER, and you can read about it here.
But first, Portugal
Before we get to Italy, the first leg of our honeymoon involved spending a few days in Portugal, where a lot of Samer’s family live. We actually had a second wedding reception there so that his family from Portugal and London could celebrate with us. It was an absolutely amazing few days that we will never forget!
Cascais
The first day we spent in Portugal was really special. My parents were able to come with us, and it was their first time out of the United States! Seeing them exposed to a different culture and seeing the beauty and history that Portugal has to offer was such a great experience for me. I know they loved every minute of it, too! After we all arrived and got settled in, we took them to the market in Cascais where enjoyed checking out all of the fresh local produce, flowers, locally made wares.
If you didn’t know already, Portugal is famous for its cork, and with good reason! There are so many artisans with beautiful cork things. Purses, belts, hot plates, coasters – just about anything you can think of. I have a purse and several hot plates from my previous trip. We also ventured into the fish market to pick out a fresh fish to grill for dinner. While it literally stunk, there is nothing fresher and I love supporting the local fishermen.
The cobblestone streets, sandy beaches, palm trees and other gorgeous plants make for a beautiful afternoon walk that you won’t soon forget! It’s such a nice place to walk around and enjoy the summer breeze.
After exploring Cascais, Samer drove us around and showed us some of the spots he used to spend time as a kid. A lot of people are surprised to learn that he lived there for about 12 years before moving to the US! It was so cool to see the house that he lived in and the beach he used to visit with his family and friends. I was also super impressed that he was able to navigate all of the roundabouts and unnamed streets like a boss, especially after not having lived there for so long.
That night we had a barbecue at Samer’s grandparent’s home. We had incredible food, including our freshly caught fish and lamb chops. Samer’s cousins and uncle played guitar and sang songs. It was such a relaxing way to unwind after traveling and all of the chaos from our wedding the week before.
Lisbon
On the second day we ventured to Lisbon with my parents. We wandered the colorful cobblestone streets and admired the architecture as we made our way towards the São Jorge Castle. The buildings in Lisbon are all stunning! There are so many beautiful details everywhere you look, and the tile work blows my mind. I can see why all of the Instagrammers have been flocking here like crazy. It’s one of the most picturesque cities I’ve ever been to!
It’s quite a climb to the castle and it was HOT, so we got a tuk tuk to help us out the last little bit of the trek up the hill. The driver was understandably very knowledgable about Lisbon, and my parents really enjoyed listening to her talk about the history of the city. I was too enamored with the sights to really be paying attention to what she had to say. Who could blame me!
The views from the top of the castle are absolutely incredible! From the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge that is almost identical to the Golden Gate bridge, to the Christ the King monument that closely resembles Christ the Redeemer in Rio, to the sea of terra cotta rooftops, everything is just stunning. I visited the castle in 2013, so it was really fun to be able to take a step back and watch my parents take it all in for the first time.
While most of the original structure was ruined and had to be rebuilt in the early 1900’s, it’s still a really amazing experience to be able to climb on the castle walls and take in the views from all over Lisbon. It’s an absolute must for anyone visiting Lisbon!
After climbing all of the walls and seeing everything open to the public, we went to the cafe at the castle and enjoyed a nice cold beer. I don’t remember if they were Sagres or Super Bock, but both taste like Portugal to me! While they’re definitely not the best beers out there, I guzzle them down every chance I get because I’m sentimental like that. Anyway, there’s a nice patio area where you can enjoy a drink with the company of the local peacocks. Please be careful about sitting at the tables under the trees. You just might end up leaving with some bird crap on you back. Definitely not speaking from a family experience here…
After spending time at the castle, we walked back down the hill to the Praça do Comércio, but not before I found some stunning bougainvillea to take some pictures in front of 😉 Honestly, you see something stunning just about every which way you turn in Lisbon! This was also the first time I got super instagrammy in public, but how could you not! I showed my dad how to frame the photo how I wanted, and he turned into my personal photographer for the rest of our trip. I feel so lucky to not only have a semi-instagram husband, but also a great instagram Dad! I’m sure he’s reading this wondering what the heck I’m even talking about.
I mean seriously… Is this not one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen?! I was pretty disappointed in all the passersby who ignored this stunning photo backdrop. Appreciate your surroundings, people!
Belém
Our third day in Portugal was a bit busy because we didn’t get to do everything we had planned for our second day. Our first stop was to Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon. The side entrance to this monastery is am true piece of art. It is so intricately detailed, and it truly boggles my mind how something so stunning was constructed by hand over 500 years ago.
We didn’t go inside this time around because, hello insane tourism boom, but I did get a chance to go inside in 2013. This time there were literally hundreds of people waiting to go inside. Even still, I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Lisbon! The interior is even more breathtaking than the exterior, and you can see the tomb of the great Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Pretty neat stuff even if you’re super into history!
After the monastery we ventured over to the Monument of Discoveries, which sits right on the Tagus river. It’s a marvelous piece of work and features 33 people who were part of the great discoveries in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It’s truly something to behold and if you have the chance, I’d recommend getting tickets to go to the top. The whole area around the monument is designed to look like a compass and world map. I have seen pictures from the top and it looks insane!
A short but beautiful walk along the Tagus river brings you to the Belém Tower. I don’t know exactly why, but I reallllllly love this building! There are steps down to the sandy beach where you can sit and enjoy people watching and soaking up the views! When we went this time, there was a man playing music on an accordion which added to the already amazing atmosphere. Since we were pressed for time, we didn’t go inside, but one of these days I am hoping to go back and check it out.
Sintra
After spending the morning in Belém, we drove up to Sinta to the Pena Palace. Guys, this place is from another world! It sits atop the Sinta mountains and has views for DAYS, but be prepared to do some serious walking to get to it. There is a shuttle that’ll bring you and up down, but it’s so much more rewarding to get to the top after a decent climb.
The photo above is from my visit in 2013, but you can get an idea of how high you have to hike to get to the castle.
On a clear day, you’re supposed to be able to see as far as Lisbon, which is just crazy! From certain spots, you can also see the remains of an old Moorish castle that’s also situated in the mountains of Sintra. It’s truly incredible to be able to see Portugal for miles and miles!
The palace is up so high that the clouds speed by incredibly fast and the wind will toss you over the edge if you’re not careful. Only kind of kidding! Maybe just avoid wearing a dress when you visit. The entire structure is so colorful and every detail is absolutely incredible. You’re able to tour the whole palace and the inside is really something to see! The whole area is littered with picturesque backdrops and facades. It’s 100% worth the trip from Lisbon and if you don’t visit, I guarantee you’ll regret it.
Back to Cascais
After an amazing yet exhausting day of sightseeing, we arrived back to Samer’s grandparents to find a whole ton of family there! It was so nice to spend the evening meeting some of my new relatives and playing with Samer’s little cousins. We set up the backyard for our party, made s’mores, enjoyed live music courtesy of Samer’s uncle and cousins, and soaked up every last minute we could with everyone we rarely get to see.
Our Second Wedding Party
Our fourth and final day in Portugal was our wedding party! Samer’s family did so much to throw us the most incredible party and we couldn’t be more grateful! Every detail was perfect, from the décor, to the food, and of course the company. His Aunt and Uncle planned out pretty much everything, so we didn’t have to lift a finger to plan this second reception.
We ended up with the most beautiful and memorable hand painted tiles for our favors. They were so gorgeous and put a nice Portuguese touch on things. Samer’s aunt made these STUNNING bags to gift them in. She is so creative and did an absolutely amazing job with all of the decor for the party!
We found a Syrian refugee family that’s trying to start a catering business make the food, and I’m so glad we did! Everything was so delicious and the presentation was outstanding. Nothing beats hummus and dolma! I still drool a little when I think about it. For dessert, we had a chocolate cake with a mixed berry filling, and of course we couldn’t forget the one and only Pasteis de Nata. These just so happened to be the top rated ones in the world. You could say we ate pretty well.
It was also so special to me that my parents got to spend so much time with Samer’s grandparents and other relatives. We had a beautiful day, but it was also sad knowing this would be the last time we’d see a lot of Samer’s family for a while. His little cousins are so precious and after spending several weeks with them in the US and then in Portugal, it was so hard to say goodbye!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Stay tuned for my Part II of the honeymoon series and my new happy place…