The Approach of Winter Break

One week of work left until Christmas Break! Ericka will be flying back to Portland to visit her family, and my parents and brother will be coming to Portugal. Both of us are looking forward to time off with family and friends.

Last week Ericka participated in the Lisbon Half-Marathon. She was pleased to finish with a fast time on a hilly course with lots of wind.

Today Brent and I lead the first hike of the our recently formed "CAISL Outing Club." Fifteen of our students joined us on a hike in the hills. Fun was had by all in spite of bush-wacking through thorn-filled shrubs. Future outings will include mountain biking, fishing, surfing, rock climbing, and camping.

Thanksgiving in Northern Portugal

Evora and Lagos (Before Tunis)

The week before visiting Tunis on business, we visited the Portuguese towns of Evora and Lagos. We joined our friends Cara, Brent, and their dog Finn, and made the best of a three-day weekend. Among the highlights were surfing, Roman ruins, pastries, and a rare game of pool.

Africa

We attended a teaching conference in Tunis, Tunisia for five days in November. We had time to see some pretty fantastic sites. . . keep reading to see more!

This was the view of the Mediterranean from near our hotel. Strangely enough, there was no way to get from the hotel to the beach. . . but it was pretty to look at!

The market in the Medina was bustling with merchants, shoppers, and small carts selling bread and cheese.

Sidi Bou Said - a traditional town outside of Tunis. . . lots of white buildings with blue trim. The town has been limited to these colors since the 1800s.

The Roman ruins in Carthage were plentiful. Here is a wall with a bunch of little bits of Roman sculpture stuck in it. . . I guess if you have that many fragments you have to get creative about how to use them.

Ericka's favorite part of Carthage - a Roman thermal bath. We walked around here until a thunderstorm (and guard with a machine gun) encouraged us to move along.