March 1st came and went and so did we…from Grindelwald that is. We loaded our packs, collected our last pay from the Glaners, and headed for Wengen to start our new jobs at the Silberhorn. Jason was to work in the kitchen and I was going to continue to cultivate my skills in the cleaning business – off to the rooms it was. We arrived at the Silberhorn and met with the manager who discussed our respective employment responsibilities and showed us to our small quarters in the personnel house. We were thrilled to find out that our new home was right next door to the hotel itself and not a 15-20 minute hike uphill!!! On our way back to the reception area we were told to fill out some paperwork, and then the deadly question was asked, "What kind of work permits do you have?" We looked at each other blankly and answered in unison, "We don’t have work permits." Shocked, the manager explained that he would need to check with his boss to get approval for our illegal employment. Regardless, we were immediately put to work, and our fingers and toes were crossed that the Swiss francs would continue to roll in. Our answer came at dinner when we were called into the manager’s office. Unfortunately, after a successful and pleasant day at work, we were told that our days at the Silberhorn were numbered. The manager gave us 3 days or so to secure new jobs and move out. Jason returned to work and finished his kitchen duty while I spent the evening trying to figure out a plan of action via a list of pros and cons. Shortly after completing my "yeah’s vs. nay’s" Jason arrived home in a bit of a huff. He was totally frustrated with our current situation and insisted upon immediate action. The idea of looking for yet another job in Switzerland was more than overwhelming for both of us, and Plan A1/2 (snowboarding the entire month of March) seemed foolish in light of Jason’s fractured leg. All of a sudden heading to Portugal’s beautiful beaches looked like our best alternative. Indeed, our first day at the Silberhorn would be our last. On March 2nd, under the cover of early morning darkness and snow we left Wengen and set course for the Algarve region in southern Portugal.

Our bad luck seemed to travel with us as we tried to leave Switzerland. We missed every train possible, could not get a refund on our season snowboard rentals, and Jason even ran into Mr. Glaner while closing our Swiss bank account. However, we were able to sell both of our season lift passes and managed to grab a hot shower before our 2-day trek down south. After a bookstore and grocery pit stop in Bern we were ready for the journey that lasted a total of 49 hours, consisting of 10 legs via train, bus, and ferry. From Bern, we took a train to Geneva, where we had to change trains for my first night train experience. With age comes wisdom – we reserved couchettes (a cabin with bunk beds) and managed to sleep most of the night. We arrived in Port Bou, Spain early the next morning just in time to catch a train to Barcelona. We cruised into Barcelona with the Spanish sunrise and its many shades of pink and purple. Having never been to Barcelona, I was praying for a layover despite Jason’s desire to get on with our journey. As luck would have it, I got my day in this fabulous city with Jason as my own personal tour guide, as he had visited Barcelona almost 7 years ago with his buddy Neil. We packed it all in, from the Segrada de Familia to La Rambla and a scenic park overlooking the entire city. Our next train taking us all the way to Seville departed at 7pm. Having the choice of sitting beside one another in a smoking cabin or separately in non-smoking cabins, I stupidly opted for quality bonding time with my new husband. Throughout the 13-hour ride, our 6 cabinmates smoked and chatted incessantly, making for quite a miserable time. I read an entire book, started another, and ate cookies. Jason, on the other hand, tried to sleep, but this proved to be an impossible task. By the time we arrived in Seville, WE STUNK and found the first available restrooms to freshen up a bit. The remainder of our trip was relatively peaceful – another train to a bus and a walk across town to a ferry which landed us in Portugal. We thought we had it made until we realized we had another 4-hours of train travel before we arrived in Lagos. By this point, all I wanted to know was why these towns never put the train and bus stations near one another. In the interest of time and energy, especially with a 20 lb backpack, it would have been helpful. We must have walked miles just getting from one mode of transportation to the next. By 4:30pm we arrived in the hot, sunny town of Lagos, and we could not have been any happier!!! Our joy was short lived because finding accommodations proved to be a bit tricky. The only youth hostel in town was full, and we were sent just up the road to a room for rent out of a local woman’s home.

Our first day in Portugal was spent honeymooning, as we needed to recuperate from our long, tiring journey. After a day at the beach, we started our Portuguese job search. We hit every open bar and restaurant in town having no luck other than consuming mass quantities of cheap beer and meeting friendly people. The next day was spent hiking along the cliffs overlooking the beaches of Lagos. Truly a change of pace from the snow covered Swiss Alps. On our way back to our room we stopped into a few places and got a lead on a job in a neighboring village, Burgau, a.k.a "Hicksville". Excited, we took the phone number of the bed and breakfast and called the very next morning. The owner of Casa Grande, Sally Vincent, appeared thrilled to hear from 2 potential employees and invited us to coffee that morning. After discussing the our minimal wages (although room and board is graciously provided), Jason and I decided to board a bus and make the trip out to Burgau the next day. As we turned into the driveway of Casa Grande, we were impressed by the amazing 1912 Portuguese estate, now a B&B. The rest as you would say is history. We packed our bags once again and started work the very next day.

Casa Grande is situated atop the picturesque fishing village of Burgau, approximately 13 km west of Lagos. We have spent the last 2 weeks cleaning this old estate house that has been restored with Portuguese antiques. Our Swiss cleaning experience has come in handy trying to revitalize the restaurant that once was a winery. Much of our free time is spent at the beach, walking along the multi-colored cliffs, or at the movies for staff outings.