Leiria Part 2

So I left off at Friday night, right?

Saturday - This day was soooo long...We started out by meeting at the monastery in Batalha. It's absolutely gorgeous. Giant gothic sanctuary in the form of a latin cross, huge stain glass windows, an arc, tombs of kings and queens, their figures holding hands in death, even a 13th century sculpture of an asian man! Then we walked out to this beautiful courtyard with the most incredible stone carvings you've ever seen. There was a type of "unknown soldier" tomb guarded by soldiers. When we went in this room, the guide told us it had been built by the Masons because they had left 4 carvings as clues at the corners of the room. One was blank, signifying "mystery", one was a man with leaves coming out of his mouth to signify "sharing knowledge", one was a master, signifying "being the master of your trade", and the last was two angels mounting fighting lions, which signified "nobility and brotherhood". Cool huh? After we walked through the coutyard a bit and saw this fountain with gargoyles. Then we all tried our hand at sculpting! Though we didn't really get very far...After we went to more tombs, this time outdoors (my family laughed when I was showing them pictures, because this is the only place Johannes and I actually posed for a picture. The tombs. "Why not a garden with flowers or something?" me: "ummmm it's more nordic?" But it was romantic how they were holding hands even in death...though maybe a bit morbid? whatever =P)

After the monastery we had a coffee in this square and the Thailand kids continued to teach us swear words in Thai! (yet meh! zut!). After the coffee we had lunch, logistical right? Melody - who's a vegetarian - had gotten in an argument earlier with our tour guide about eating meat, and then Johannes followed suit with his "if we didn't kills whales we never would have survived in Faroes". We talked for probably half an hour about this...no one really one in the end. The both of them were giving arguments for naturality and survival.

Anywho after lunch we got on the bus for nazare and spent the afternoon on the chilly, rainy, but none the less gorgeous beach. We played football for a while then went to eat Caracois...aka snails. Check the photobucket for the wonderful pictures for the literal plate full of snails. We boarded the bus for home, I went back and took a shower, changed and got ready for the night out.

This night was legendary. We had an AFS dinner that "started" at 9...so at about 10 things got going. Only AFS Europe would serve beer at a proper function...=P. We had a "talent show" where everyone from the different countries sang something (and the girl from iceland and Jo's host brother did the moonwalk?) We then went to the town square where Henning, Jo, me, Ursula, Paraguay girl, and two Portuguese found a bar. We met back in the square at 1 and walked for 45 MINUTES to find this nightclub, all the while joking and generally having a good time. Henning and Jo together are RIDICULOUS. If germany and faroes ever formed an alliance it would be insane. People kept rearranging into fake couples to get in and then I had to go to the bathroom really badly...like running to the club. So Johannes and I get there and we get to the front of the line half because I had to use the bathroom and half because we're blonde foreigners. Then the nightclub was a nightclub...dancing...stuff...yeah. Good times. My host sister and I left like 3:30 (early by europe standards) and went home.

Sunday - Woke up fairly late. Chilled with the host family. Jo wanted to leave at 2:30 but wasn't ready, I wanted to leave at 4:30 but bought the 2:30 tickets anyways and explained this to him, then we changed, and then he STILL thought we were leaving at 2:30...frustrating to say the least...everything ended OK and we did eventually get back to Porto.

Today I had a field trip to this house from the Romantic era, was very beautiful, though I kind of zoned out a lot of the time...Nightwish this Friday, totally stoked!