DAY 8

The Hornets enjoyed their second full day in beautiful Nazaré, a mostly relaxing day that included time at the beach. Today also marked the team's eighth and final day in Portugal. Tomorrow, the Hornets will make the seven hour drive to Madrid, Spain, where they will spend the remainder of their trip.  Below is the eighth installment of a series of blogs Hornets players are writing during the trip. Today, we hear from senior rightside hitter Karlee Soderberg.

---------

Our trip has been breathtaking. I am so thankful that I've been able to spend time in this beautiful country with so many lovely people. I slept amazing last night, despite my roommate Ashlynn's constant snoring. This morning, we woke up and went to breakfast in the hotel where I ate the freshest fruit. Ruben's sister, Vickie, also taught me how to use the fancy Nespresso machine. I made an iced macchiato which got me ready for the day.

As a team, we hiked about two miles to the Nazaré lighthouse which overlooks Praia do Norte. It is a 318-meter high cliff which is a popular viewpoint known for having the biggest waves ever surfed in the world. I was unaware that the 50 foot waves (sometimes 100 feet) only occur in the winter, so when we reached the top, I was underwhelmed to see that they were only four feet tall. I still really enjoyed the view and was amazed by walking though the museum which displayed surfboards and stories about those brave enough to surf Nazaré.

We then split off and explored around the souvenir shops where I bought my Dad a back scratcher for Father's Day (I may have just spoiled the surprise). Afterwards, we found a cute cafe to eat lunch where I ate a delicious acai bowl, and a ham and cheese panini. On the way back to the hotel, we picked up a couple snacks for the beach. Everybody is amazed by the ketchup chips since they aren't in the United States; however, they do not come close to comparing to the ones back home in Canada.

We then spent a couple hours relaxing on the beach where we enjoyed the crystal clear water and falling asleep in the sun. The Euro Winners Cup is taking place in Nazaré, so the beach was packed with fútbol players. I have never watched beach fútbol before so I was amazed to see how intense of a sport it is.

After the beach, we got ready for dinner at Restaurante Dinamar where we ate some delicious chicken, rice, fries, gravy, and pasta bolognese, followed by a Portuguese desert similar to meringue.

To finish off the day, we went back to the beach and watched the beautiful sunset. We snapped a million photos and took in the amazing view. I will forever be thankful for this amazing experience. Obrigado Portugal!

Day 7 Blog - Greta Davis/Allison Mimbs
Day 6 Blog - Abbey Kadillak
Day 5 Blog - Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin
Day 4 Blog - Caty Cordano
Day 3 Blog - Kalani Hayes
Day 2 Blog - Bridgette Smith
Day 1 Blog - Caitlin Volkmann