June 8-15, 2026
Even after our trip to Cabo for the first Blue October Into the Ocean getaway, I was hard pressed to call us “world travelers”. Mexico is barely international travel.
Now, however…
Background and Departure
Soon after our return from said trip to Cabo, the getaways for June 2026 and September/October 2026 opened up. We hopped on and promptly secured our spots for both.
We had several months to wait before the trip so we watched the airfare prices like hawks and when we felt they were low enough, we pulled the trigger.
We spent the first week of June packing and making sure we had everything we were going to need for our first trip across the Atlantic, then, on Monday, June 8, we made a pit stop at Sun Tan City just up the street from the airport, then passed through security and waited for our plane.
At around 5:00 pm, we boarded a plane headed for Detroit. After a 2 hour layover there, we hopped on to the big one, an Airbus A300-900, with a 2-4-2 seating configuration for our 8 hour overnight trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
While we did try to sleep while on this flight, we were crammed into the small economy seats so sleep was not something we were able to enjoy in abundance. We did catch a few 20-ish minute cat-naps on the ride but nothing restful.
We landed in Amsterdam at around 12:30 pm, went through passport control, which was an absolute breeze, and were at our next gate with plenty of our 5 hour layover remaining.
The final leg of our trip took us to Faro airport on budget airline Transavia, a no-frills airline, and when I say “no-frills”, I mean, noooooo frills. Ya know, frills like order, comfort, timeliness… boarding was like a cattle herd being rustled through a gate. None of the passengers respected the boarding zones as they were announced and gate agents for the airline did nothing to mitigate the chaos.
We finally shoved our way onto the tiny airplane with no comfort class, found our cubbies and wedged in for the last three hour flight in to Portugal.
We landed an hour late, at about 8:30 Tuesday night, claimed our bags and were met in the arrivals area by the driver assigned to take us to the resort in Albufeira. The check-in process was much easier this time around, as we were very late, and we weren’t battling a mob of people also trying to check in.
We were escorted to our room at the very end of the hall on the third level, we untucked the tight corners on the blankets from our bed and before you knew it, we were out.
Jeep Excursion
Wednesday, after breakfast where I ran into Justin and Jeremy, I made my way to the lobby where I along with two other guys (one of which was a radio personality out of the Houston area) hopped into the back of a UMM utility vehicle where we were whisked away by a driver that took us through the Portuguese countryside, farmland and villages. We made a stop to pick up a wonderful British couple who were in Portugal for their holiday then we were off to tour the area.
We made stops including at a wonderful waterfall oasis where we hiked down a long flight of stairs to wade in the pool, a medronho distillery where we got to sample the products, a quick bite of some pastel de nata and cafe americano at a cafe tucked away along a cobblestone street in a small village and a stop at a natural spring, Praia Fluvial de Alte, where an ancient aqueduct now serves as a summer destination for the locals.
Evidently, we happened to be there on Portugal Day, a national holiday in the country, so the pool was crowded with families enjoying the sunshine. Along the way, we go a wonderful lesson about the history and agriculture of the region, including the wild strawberries that produce the medronho, oranges, and cork. I was unaware, but Portugal produces more cork than any other country in the world.
After around four hours, we made our way back to the hotel, I made my way through the sea of people in the lobby trying to check in (which is why I was happy we checked in a day early) and headed to our room.
For pictures from the day’s excursion, click here.
Wednesday Free Day
While I was out and about, Brandy got a relaxing massage at the wellness center at the resort. When she was done, she picked up our welcome packages from the lobby and waited for me to return from my excursion. Upon my return, we changed into swimsuits and went to the pool.
We met a couple from New England, Cathy and Dan, that were very nice. We struck up conversation with them and enjoyed their company while basking by the pool.
Soon after, Justin came down to join us (as a group, not us personally) wearing Doc Martens and shorts, grousing about how he’d forgotten to pack sandals.
“Anyone have any size 12 sandals I can borrow?” he asked, mostly jokingly, just making a spectacle out of himself as he is wont to do.
That will come into play later.
After basking in the sun for a bit, we headed back to our room, changed, went to the bar, had some drinks (some might say too many drinks…we were pretty well toasty by this point), had food at the welcome buffet and were making our way back to the room for the evening when we ran into Justin again. We told him we were going to order him some sandals and have them delivered via Uber Eats. Despite his protests, we did. It was too late to have them delivered that night so we scheduled them for the earliest delivery we could manage, between noon and 3:00 the next day.
Thursday, The Birth of Shoe Guy
While Brandy nursed her hangover, I had breakfast at the buffet provided by the hotel then went to the nearby beach for a short stroll.
The sandy part of the beach was pretty short, capped at both ends by stunning sandstone cliffs with some amazing erosion patterns creating caves and tunnels affording some spectacular photo opportunities.
Brandy woke up so I went back to the room to hang with her for a bit until the Uber Eats order got picked up and delivered. I was going to go back to the pool for a bit but wasn’t down there very long before I headed back to the room to change and head up to the VIP Meet and Greet to hand the sandals off to Justin.
He was in the middle of talking to another couple and not wanting to interrupt, I patiently waited until they got their pictures with him then approached, sandals in hand. When he saw them, his eyes widened, he gasped and said, “Are those for me?!” As if they were expensive luxury sandals by Gucci or something, (they were, like, €10, plus delivery and tax so under €20, so under $23 USD), and when I conifrmed they were indeed, was met with, “You didn’t have to do that” and “That’s so kind” and all that (I reminded him that we told him we were going to, but his ADHD brain didn’t remember).
We took some pictures…
…then I said, “I have a story for you when you have time.”
He said, “Tell me.” I looked around to make sure there wasn’t a bunch of people waiting their turn and, surprisingly, there wasn’t, so I told him the story about Brandy’s girls, how they suffered through their long, terrible illnesses and passed away entirely too young. He was devastated. I could see him getting choked up and fighting tears which only made it that much more difficult for me to tell the story.
Anyway, I concluded by telling him that Fear was what helped her through those times, particularly the line, “Get back up” because after all that she went through, that’s what she needed to do was “get back up.”
“Fear, we’re singing that tomorrow, can I dedicate it to her? What’s her name?”
“Her name is Brandy, and it would mean the world to her if you did that.”
I watched him take a note on his phone, I thanked him for his time and we parted ways.
Back at the room, Brandy and I hung out for a bit then got dressed and headed up to the rooftop deck for the first concert of the week. As we arrived, one of the Blue Family spotted me and called out, “Hey, Shoe Guy!” We laughed about it, found a spot, secured some chairs and waited for the show to start.
It was a full-band, full-electric rock and roll party with just the core four – Justin, Matt, Jeremy and Ryan. They did a lot of their older stuff from Consent to Treatment and Any Man in America, in around that time period, as well a handful of newer songs. They did play a very rockin’ rendition of Italian Radio which I captured most of on video.
During the show, Justin called out to whoever brought him shoes and the same guy from our arrival yelled, “Shoe Guy!” and pointed at me. The stage lights highlighted me and Brandy, I gave a cursory wave, laughing along at it and the show continued on.
After the show, we headed back to the room for a restful sleep.
Friday’s Canceled Outing and Replacement Adventure
Friday, we were scheduled to take a boat tour to the Benagil Cave. After breakfast, we met with the rest of the group in the lobby and at 9:30, boarded a bus that Cathy and Dan also happened to be on.
A short drive to the marina later and we were all gathered outside of the storefront where we would be boarding. We had a little time to kill before the boat would arrive so we left the breezy marina to do some shopping in a store nearby then, with minutes left until our boarding time, we got word that the trip was to be canceled by the coast guard in light of the wind making for choppy waters.
Disappointed, we strolled for a bit more, got an ice cream cone then headed back up to the pickup spot to wait for a ride. A van pulled up and picked up 8 of us and ran us back to the hotel where, in the lobby, the pictures with the band was taking place. We hopped in line, noticed Justin was wearing the fancy new flip flops we got him, got our pictures taken then headed back to the room.
With the rest of the day to kill, we hailed an Uber and had the driver drop us in Old Town Albufeira.
Old Town is a long district with narrow, cobblestone-paved alleys lined with shops and eateries of varying quality. At the end of one of these alleys was our destination for lunch, Restaurante Casanova, a place that had come recommended by the guide that drove me on the Jeep excursion on Wednesday. I ordered the recommended dish, the Fish Cataplana, a dish where different types of fish are stewed in a metal clamshell over a fire along with onions, bell peppers, potatoes, garlic, wine, and spices.
Brandy got a chicken Caesar salad. 🙄
We headed back down the road, stopping for more shopping along the way, picking up a small suitcase to bring back our extra stuff along the way, then we hailed an Uber to take us back to the resort.
We got back in short order, changed and got ready for the show that night.
Core Memory Unlocked
Friday night’s show was a smaller, more intimate show with just Ryan and Justin, Matt and Jeremy bowing out for this one.
Along the way, Justin would preface a song with a story that he’d been told about the song and how one or more of us were impacted by it, and what it meant to us.
Then Justin told about how he was told a story by “Shoe Guy”:
“So I was walking around in my combat boots and shorts and a gentleman gave me, I think everyone’s calling him ‘Shoe Guy’, but he shared a story with me, and just like every one of you guys, I could talk all night about how special y’all are. You all have your own movies, and your own books, and uh… anyway, Brandy…”
looking directly at her.
“I love you. This song is for you and your sweet angels, OK? OK… ahem… if I can fuckin’ make it through this shit…”
Then, he launched into Fear, singing with the same powerful emotion he always does, only this time, he spent most of the song singing… directly. To. Her.
Needless to say, Brandy was overcome with emotion. I sent the raw video that I’d captured to her and she spent the rest of the night well into the early morning watching it over and over again. It was definitely the creation of a core memory that will live inside her head for the rest of her life.
The above video contains footage captured by other guests who are credited in the video’s description.
Saturday, The Chill Day
After the emotionally draining day for Brandy, topped off with a good amount of alcohol consumption, she needed another recovery day so she spent the morning in the room, slowly waking up.
As I write this, well over a month after our return, I forget some of the specifics of that day. I do remember some lounge time by the pool with our new friends Cathy and Dan, I did go up to the VIP meet & greet for autographs and to ask Justin to inscribe a line from 1222 Bay Oak St so that I could later get it tattooed on me.
The idea behind that line is so powerful and moving. I know it’s a line from a song that resulted from a conversation with his mom about the death of his father, the chorus being:
If you’re wondering
1222 Bay Oak Street, Blue October
Is there any getting over this
I will never fall in love again
I won’t even try
Take it in
There will never be another this
I will never fall in love again
I won’t even try
That line speaks to me. “There will never be another [gestures at my amazing life] this.”
While waiting for Ryan, I had my book I wanted him to sign while trying to hold my rum and Coke in one hand and the glass bottle of the rest of Coke with the fingers of the same hand. Without warning, the Coke bottle slipped from the weak grip of my fingers and shattered on the deck at my feet. Sticky Coca-Cola soaked my feet and glass sprayed everywhere, even into my legs, unbeknownst to me. It had to be pointed out to me that I was bleeding from taking some shrapnel to the shin (just call me Cotton Hill)
Anyway, I got the inscription and went back down to Brandy at the pool. We stayed there for a bit before we headed back to our room to change for a prix fixe dinner at the nice restaurant on premises. The menu that was served to us was billed as, I think, Italian Grill.
Once dinner was through, we headed down to the last show of the trip. This one was in the hotel’s auditorium, which I didn’t even realize there was an auditorium at the hotel, but there we are.
This was a solo Justin I Laugh At Myself show. These shows are half concert, half story-telling. Justin has a performative way about him, after having been in Drama Club in school and spending most of his life on a stage. He puts a lot of emotions on display during these shows and, I guess, leaves the audience weeping as well. We didn’t know how emotionally moving the show was going to be until we other attendees walking in with boxes of Kleenex.
By the end of the show, we needed some too.
Afterwards, we headed back up to our room for our last sleep in Portugal.
Departure Spa Day
The next morning, we took our time getting packed up and humped our luggage, which was now one bag heavier, to the front desk where we checked out and left our bags.
Our departure flight wasn’t until 8:00 pm so our ride wasn’t going to be there to pick us up until 4:00 pm. With an 11:00 am checkout and time to kill, we headed down to the spa for a massage each, followed by time in the sauna, pool and hot tub. It was nice to get a little relaxation in before heading to the airport for the long multi-day trip home.
Nice and relaxed, our ride showed up just before 4:00. We loaded our bags and hopped in the van for the hour ride to the Faro airport. We got off, had a light dinner then checked in for our flight, dropping too many bags with them, then we headed to our gate.
Our gate was a ground level, the jetways were on the second level. The area around our gate was very chaotic. It was too small for the amount of traffic is was seeing, it was a challenge to find seats to sit in while we waited. We eventually did, right under a TV that was playing games from the World Cup so we had a huge crowd of people seemingly staring at us (though they were actually riveted to the TV).
After another unexplained delay, our Transavia flight finally started to board, but not the plane. Instead, we were herded into a bus that hauled us across the tarmac to the plane waiting in what felt like another time zone. We climbed up into the plane and took our too-small seats, departing from Portugal almost an hour late.
We landed in Amsterdam after midnight. We made our way through the deserted airport, through immigration and found our way to the Yotel Air inside the airport where we had a cabin waiting for us.
I was happy to have an actual bed to sleep in for the night, instead of trying to sleep in the terminal, but when we got to the room, we found a tiny, 60 square foot room with just enough space for a queen sized bed and a shower that was the entire bathroom. We wedged in, strategically placing our plugged in devices (my BiPAP, the fan, our phones) wherever we could squeeze them. Just as we were settling in to go to sleep, there arose an awful whining groan from the pipes in our miniature bathroom. I got up and tried flushing the toilet, jiggling the handle, turning the water on to a trickle, but nothing permanently stopped the noise.
In fit of exhaustion, I collapsed on the bed and wound up sleeping through it.
The next morning (or, really, later that morning), we woke up, did a cute little dance around the tiny space trying to get ready for the big leg of our flight then headed out into the airport. I reported the ghost-wail to the front desk attendant on our way out then we headed to Starbucks for coffee and a light breakfast.
Once caffeinated and fed, we made our way to the gate where we would depart from for the big, 8 hour jaunt across the ocean. Boarding time arrived and so we hopped on the plane and made our way to our seats where I was uber-oh-so-pleased to have this:
That’s right! I was able to score us exit row seats for the long flight back to the states. Directly in front of me was the jump seat for one of the flight attendants so during take-off and landing, that seat was occupied, but for the rest of the flight, I was able to stretch out and get up and move about as needed. It wasn’t first class, but compared to the long flight out, it sure felt like it. Best $200 I ever spent.
We landed in Detroit where we went through the exceptionally long immigration process (when we first got into immigration hall, there were only two agents checking in US Residents (more agents checking in foreign visitors but only two for us)). As we waited, more agents arrived and the line sped up. Eventually, we made it up to the counter, got our passports scanned and we were sent on our way. We got to our gate and had a chat with another family that was just coming back from, I think, Italy? They were nice enough.
We boarded the last plane on this trip, made the couple-hour flight back to DSM, landing at almost 5:30 pm Monday afternoon and finally walking into our home just after 7:00.
Conclusion
First of all, pictures from this adventure are broken down into categories and can be found here:
- Our Arrival and The Resort
- The Jeep Excursion
- The Beach
- Around Town
- Us and Blue October
- Blue October in Concert
Now.
It took me over a month to get this post written, and for good reason. I was home less than a week before I took off for a solo trip to New Mexico for a camping trip that wasn’t, then more shenanigans ensued, so finding the time to sit and write has been challenging, to say the least.
But, the post is done now, and not a moment too soon. Tomorrow after work, we are leaving for a three week outing that will see us visit Almont, CO, for a weekend, Montrose for a week, then Tucson, AZ for two weeks, during which I will make my way to Phoenix to meet up with my parents and go see the Dodgers at Chase Field. More chaos and insanity will ensue after that, but we’ll just start there for now.
There’s a lot to be said about our time in Europe (that still sounds so weird for me to say, “I visited Europe”). Between the flights, the one-on-one time with the band, experiencing Portugal (the food, the culture, all of it), the dedication of Brandy’s favorite song to her and to basically be serenaded by Justin, orchestrating that core memory for her was amazing, not just for her, but for me too.
We made some new friends some of whom we will see again in September in Mexico.
As I have said a million times before and will continue to say until my dying breath, I have so much appreciation for the life that I live. I never in a million years thought that I would be able to travel to Europe to follow what has quickly become my favorite band.
And now, after this trip, I have a new motto to add to my ever-growing list of Life Touchstones™
First it was “Life is Good”, like the lifestyle brand.
Then it was “Live a Great Story”, like the lifestyle brand (see a trend forming here…?)
Now that I have convinced myself that life is good, and to live a life that would make a great story, I’ll remind myself to “Take it in…
…there will never be another this.”
-Phil