On June 7th they (minus their son, David, who was spending the week with his grandparents) touched down in Lisbon and began their week-long stay with us. Alex was still not able to tell anyone she was pregnant - and she certainly wasn't looking it! - but we made sure to take it into consideration when ordering or cooking food, for example.
Margaux was, of course, a hit from the get-go. She was happy to be handed around to everyone, and her calm and relaxed demeanor was fairly consistent.
As usual, I felt awkward that three of them had to speak English because I didn't speak French, but they were all very gracious about it and told me it was good for them to practice their English. Hmm.
There were two main themes to their visit: the beach and the food. Let me demonstrate:
Part #1: Sun, surf, and sand
Top line: At Guincho Beach (doesn't Margaux look like Popeye?)
Middle line: Thomas and Quentin playing beach volleyball; Maggie, Alex and I observed from a safe distance
Bottom line: post volleyball beverages... an obvious necessity.
We got ourselves all dressed and ready for a swim at Guincho Beach - including bathers for Margaux - but when we arrived we discovered the wind was unbearably strong! Quentin and Thomas braved the water and returned to where we girls had been sitting in relative comfort (read: a walled but open-topped café on the beachfront) soon after, looking rather like drowned rats. The important thing is that we can say we went to Guincho and nobody - apart from you, dear reader - will know that we weren't quite as adventurous as we thought we would be!
Quentin and Thomas decided to try to find an available volleyball court in Carcavelos Beach, which is a short drive from our home. Thankfully for them, this was a successful expedition. They played against each other, and then joined a couple of very capable looking players (judging by their physique and the important-sounding volleyball competitions on their shirts) for a few games.
After the requisite post-game beer for the lads, we headed home.
Part #2: Food, glorious food...
Top two: Margaux enjoying everyone's company at meal-time
Bottom right: dinner in Cascais on the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil
(You can also see a pic of Thomas and Alex feeding Margaux in the post Solids)
While Alex and Quentin were here, we managed to cram in a BBQ (prawn and tomato kebabs; roast potatoes; avocado salsa), a meal in a typical Portuguese restaurant - yes, we ate a lot of seafood! - dinner at 2 wonderful Indian restaurants in Cascais, and dinner at a restaurant that was screening the World Cup!
(At the World Cup restaurant I asked Thomas if it was the luck of the draw that Brazil was playing in the first game, or if that was a privilege of hosting the competition. A Brazilian waiter overheard me and interjected with, "There's no 'luck' when it comes to Brazil." I think he may have wanted to eat his words a little while later when the first goal of the tournament was kicked by a Brazilian... into the other team's goal. Oops.)
All too soon it was time to bid them farewell - not before our next guests arrived, however...
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