Home For the Holidays

One belief I’ve held for a long time, as a friend, a parent and a grandparent, is that the gift of time is far more worthwhile than Barbie dolls, or videogames, or even trendy socks! Peter and I were able to put that belief into practice this past Christmas when we took our (Iaboni) family to Portugal.

We launched this idea in the fall of 2023 during an after-dinner conversation. Could we all go somewhere together, and where would everyone like to go? The response was pretty quick – they chose Portugal for Christmas. “As long as the place has a swimming pool,” the kids said. After some weather-related research, we decided on the Lisbon area. In a charming seaside town called Cascais, we found a villa with 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and 2 above-ground swimming pools. It looked pretty good in the pictures.

Each family made their own travel arrangements, agreeing to meet at the villa a couple of days before Christmas. Peter and I arrived first. As we explored, we had first choice of the bedrooms. We chose one on the lower level, away from any noisy celebrations that might go on past our bedtime. It had only a tiny window and twin beds, but it had a small bathroom which we didn’t have to share. Perfect for seniors.

As the other families arrived, they set out on their own tour and chose their bedrooms. One family arrived with a sick husband and he was quickly diverted to a small bedroom near the front door close to a bathroom, although it seriously needed a make-over. It had a sink next to the shower stall, which was also the passageway to the toilet. The toilet could be flushed by pulling a chain hanging from the ceiling. Thee kids were highly amused but the sick person was not checking the decor.

The other bedrooms were quite nice with large king beds and modern bathrooms, and a couple of them had small balconies too. All the rooms had heaters to take the chill off. The kids chose their rooms far away from the parents so they could stay up at night and watch videos. None of them suggested being near the outdoor pools.

Next up was a visit to the kitchen; it was outdated like the first bathroom. The sink was shallow and made of rough granite. The stove was on a platform under a low ceiling. And the fridge – where was the fridge? We discovered it in a tiny closet. The dishwasher was in a different “area” on the other side of the kitchen. The dishes were in a cupboard in a third tiny room. Any person preparing a meal in here would get 10,000 steps before dessert.

On our tour we discovered another kitchen down a long winding hallway which seemed a little remote and creepy. What secret stew would chefs plan to concoct here? The main dining room, however, had a big table and 12 chairs. It was ideal for our group to play cards and eat take-out food. In the living room we found 3 large comfy sofas and a large-screen TV; lots of space for drinking port and eating chips. Peter and I produced an inflatable Christmas tree from a suitcase, and blew it up. It was the finishing touch we needed for our family Christmas vacation.

During the following days we left our villa and explored the area. We walked to the beach on the first evening and were surprised to find lights decorating every building and the Ferris Wheel. We ordered our traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner of cod, accompanied by beef, rice and grilled vegetables, and a brave son took the local train a couple of stops to pick it up, all packaged in boxes tied with ribbons and Christmas tags. He made this trip even though he hates cod. It was a noble Christmas sacrifice.

On Christmas Day we rode the train to another town and enjoyed a Christmas brunch of egg dishes, salads, more cod, and of course custard tarts. On Boxing Day we went to Sintra, a UESCO heritage village surrounded by castles on very high hills. Everyone, including us, made it to the top.

Sintra from below.

After some lovely days together, everyone packed up and went separately on to another adventure somewhere else. But we can’t help thinking that the kids will not quickly forget our week at the villa in Cascais. The idea of swimming was forgotten as they got into the spirit of the occasion. Whether it’s the chain in the ceiling for flushing the toilet, the winding spooky hallway to the secret kitchen, the dinner that came on a train in boxes, the card games where they beat their grandparents, or the blow-up Christmas tree; we hope their memories of our vacation together in Portugal will live on.

Sue