Our final days in Lisbon

On our last day we went shopping. We made it over to the mall and found a couple stores that we really liked. Sarah Grace was very excited to make some beautiful purchases at Zara! Rachel and I purchased a dress at some hippie store. I can't remember the name, but it was fun! We had a good time just...being girly. Which is often so rare for me, so it was fun to buy a dress and heels. I figured out I hadn't bought heels since...2004. I guess it was time. Sarah Grace and Rachel have such amazing tast, so it is fun to ask for their oppinion.
We were all prepared to get dressed up for a night of Fado! We made reservations at a restaurant at 8:00PM. So exciting! We were all dressed to the nines, including Grandma. When we arrived at the restaurant there was only one other couple there, so we got the best seat in the house right near the performers where they were going to play! Pretty soon the restaurant was packed! We ordered cod fish and it was absolutely without a doubt the best cod fish I had ever tasted! It melted in my mouth! Grandma said it was because they put cream in it. It was devine!
Pretty soon the Fado performers came to play. There were two guitars and a bass and one singer. Fado is famous in Portugal. It is singing from the heart. It is absolutely tragic and dramatic in true Portuguese fashion. There is always a song about forbidden love or somone dieing or not being able to persue your dreams. Tragic! Grandma just sat there with her head in her hand and you could tell she was in heaven. There were four performers and they were all amazing, but each one got better and better as they went. The last one, was a starlet! She worked the crowd. Every time she ended a song she stomped and shouted "Bom!" She sang a song where we all had to shout out, "Em Lisboa!" Grandma said she was saying they have the prettiest women in Lisboa. We all shouted back, "Em Lisboa!" At the end of the night we bought her CD for our mother and she signed it! It was quite a memorable night. One that I won't want to forget. Just looking across the table at my beautiful sisters and Grandma brought a few emotional tears to my eyes. I realized it was our last night in Portugal. We definitely will be returning and to have the opportunity to have shared this with our Grandmother, this legend of a woman, has been for a lack of a better word--priceless. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
We returned to the hotel and went to bed immediately. The next day we packed and I went into my Grandmother's room. She had her head in her hands like a little girl and was staring out the window. I wanted to know what this profound woman was thinking? Was she saying goodbye to her Portugal? I could not even fathom what kind of feelings she was having at this moment. But I do know, that these are the moments you look back on and you never forget. I had a feeling she was taking it all in.
We went downstairs and met with more of our cousins. Their grandmother was Margarida our Great Grandfather's sister. It was such a beautiful reunion. My grandfather's cousin had passed away the year before and last time Grandma had seen him was in Portugal and he wasn't married yet. Now we were meeting his wife, their two children and two grandchildren for the first time. It was very emotional for my grandmother and the wife of my grandmother's cousin. They told stories and they asked what we had seen on our whirl wind trip. After recounting everything to them I was impressed with how much we had seen! Had it really only been 12 days? It seemed like a life time of knowledge was just poured into my brain. I really hope it stays.
As we said our goodbyes through tears and promises to return we set off again with our luggage for the long journey home. As we got on our plane I looked out the window and saw the red roofs of Portugal. "Grandma look!" I said. "Goodbye Portugal," she said whistfully. "Ate logo." I said as we flew away.