Describing A Day in Portugal

I open my eyes to a bright sun at 7:30 am. Very tired. Yet, as i stretch and deeply breathe in the scent of fresh bread in the morning...all of my 'tired-ness' just fades.

I get up, wash my face, dress for work, and kiss my mother's forehead while she sleeps soundly...and leave the apartment. I go down to the lobby to find a beautiful breakfast that includes those fresh breads i previously smelt in the morning, scrambled eggs, different types of fresh cheese, fruit salad, jams, honey and my personal favorite...their rich, buttery, moist date muffins. The food slowly melts in my mouth as i gracefully wash it down with a warm berry and caramel tea.

Later on, the car comes to pick me up and i leave for a new day at work. Of course,
work is full of surprises. I get to meet powerful people negotiating sensitive subjects between two great countries (UAE and Portugal). For a few moments, i get to watch small parts of history being made.
At my lunch break, im invited by my colleagues to this very small, very down to earth, traditional Portuguese restaurant, where there is no place to sit....literally. If you would give it a modern rating, then it would literally get ZERO stars...but that's just an elitist way of looking at it. Bastards.
I order something of the 4 or 3 homemade dishes (menu changes every day with not more than 4 choices), and stand while I wait for the food.
The old woman, who made me feel like i was home with her caring motherly expression, presents me with a plate of beautiful fish soaked in tomatoes and onions with a side of lightly salted boiled potatoes, excellently pealed and cooked perfectly...not too much...not too little. The burst of flavor was unbelievable. It was better than any 'classy' restaurant i've been to...one could tell that it was made with a lotta love.

After lunch we go out to a small kiosk in the garden right outside work, where me and my colleagues sip a quick coffee before we go back in (this is only ONE of the many cups they have in a day).
The weather was mild (about 24 Degrees). It was a perfect mixture of a cold breeze and a hot sun. Doves literally come right next to my feet looking for food. People all around me, having a drink, a laugh, a conversation...just chillin. Monuments and art galleries all surround me at a close distance.
The people of Portugal are art admirers. They are very liberal and they don't care about other people whatsoever. They are a people that respect others for who they are and they also respect different opinions in all aspects. I got all of this so far in less than a week.

After coffee, i had to leave the embassy again to attend a negotiation at the Ministry of Foreign affairs. I cannot say anything about that, but i can say that it lasted for 10 hours.

After that hectic process, i dined with these powerful people and i had the opportunity of watching them debate extremely sensitive issue while a vast array of fresh seafood was being served on our table right across the beach.

My day ends at 1 am. Hectic. I'm exhausted.

It is only beautiful days like this that make me think about how much time i have wasted, and how many opportunities have passed.

Anyways, ill try to post pictures of the restaurants and foods later on. I hope you enjoyed my description of Lisbon, Portugal. Its truly a very REAL country. I love it.