The Tour Bus with EVERYTHING!!

Here's the tour bus that has it all: Anti-lock Brakes, DVD player, Air Conditioning, Reclining Seats, Individual Lights, and a BAR!!

I particularly love that the advertising goes in this order:

1- DVD Player,

2- BAR

3- Air Conditioning

4 -Reclining Seats

5- Anti-Lock Brake System

6- Individual Lights

Somebody clearly has their priorities straight - bar and DVDs way before anti-lock brake system and air conditioning! Clearly, SAFETY FIRST! :)

Ice Bar

It's getting much chillier here in Morocco, which reminded me about this spectacular experience I got to share with my parents and cousins Jeff & Tina - ABSOLUT ICEBAR!

The Ice Bar is no joke - they import ice from Northern Sweden and carve it into furniture and other decorations. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Get outfitted with your beautiful blue cape. This metallic masterpiece not only comes with a fur-lined hood, but it also has gloves attached.

Step 2: Step into the freezing ice bar, where if you're a real man, you'll kick it in shorts like cousin Jeff. Who needs long pants when you're in freezing temperatures?

Step 3: Head to the bar and order a drink made with Absolut Vodka (you are in the Absolut Ice Bar after all and there are a variety of options to meet your tastes). Doesn't my mom look cute in her fur lined cape? Kind of reminiscent of her wedding dress, eh?
Step 4: Make sure to put on your gloves first, then take your ice cup from the bartender and sip your fruity or spicy vodka cocktail. If you're still thirsty when you're done, just suck on your cup of ice. It will eventually melt in your mouth.
Step 5: Cosy up for warmth in a beautiful ice throne. This picture totally doesn't do the intricate carving justice. It rocks in real life.
Step 6: Leave before your whole body goes numb. When you buy your ticket for the ice bar, you only get to go in for 45 minutes. Sure that doesn't sound like a lot of time - until you're in there. We lasted 30, I think. It's pretty cold, like freezing.

Return Trip: When you return to the ICEBAR, there will be a new setup. They like to change up the decor pretty often so people keep coming back. Maybe next summer, I'll check out the updated look, but for now, I'm fine with freezing in my own home.

Hot Manse Post for Brooke

What girl doesn't want to be a princess living in a fairy tale castle? While is Lisbon, we had the opportunity to travel out to visit the Palacio de Pena, a beautiful castle in Sintra, Portugal. If you're ever in Lisbon, you should definitely check it out.

My dear friend Brooke loves to post about hot mansions all over the world. (Check out her blog by following the link on the side of the page.) This trip to Sintra totally reminded me of her hot manse posts. Who doesn't love a palace on a hill?

Even better - you get to feel like a real princess, climbing towers and peeping over the turrets. Here's Mom and I taking in a gorgeous view. I was looking out for my Prince Charming, but alas, there were no white horses to be seen.

The Palacio de Pena was originally built by Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Maria II in the 1840s and was the home of the royal family until 1910, when they fleed from Portugal. The palace was left as it was when they lived there, so the inside is lavishly decorated as only historical palaces can be. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but we did get plenty of photos of the beautiful outside of the palace.

Check out this kickass archway. The dude on top of it is some kind of sea creature guarding the castle. He doesn't look very comfortable, or happy.

Here's a picture of one of the outdoor courtyards with spectacular views of land and sea. Sintra is a beautifully wooded area with lavish estates, castles, palaces and a view of the ocean. I'd live there, I guess. :)

This little tower totally made me feel like Rapunzel and the view was spectacular. If I lived here, I would totally put a comfy chair right in the middle of the tower and use it as a reading corner/book nook.