Right now—this very instant—I am delighting (yes, DEE-lighting!) in a bagel and cream cheese. Unlike the US where you can’t turn around without bumping into a coffee and bagel place, bagels are a little scarce in The Algarve. I know in the bigger towns, the towns that cater to tourists, you can find bagels. But…
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You Meet All Sorts I had a lovely “wandering around” day on Saturday. The town of Tavira in the eastern Algarve has a weekend farmers’ market, which is not huge compared to some, but big enough, particularly because I don’t really eat vegetables or fruit. Or fish. I mean, I do eat some fruits and…
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The subject of tipping in Portugal was brought up in one of the expat groups and it raised a lengthy and rather contentious discussion. People from the US tend to over-tip—we are accustomed to tipping a minimum of 15% and usually 20%, sometimes more. That’s because there’s a separate minimum wage for tipped workers, a…
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Transferring my life overseas is a months-long process. It may take a couple of years. I thought once I had physically arrived in Portugal I was on the downhill stretch. Not even close. (Getting here was just half the fun…) I knew I had an appointment with immigration for my residency permit set for a…
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If you eat tapas at an outdoor café in Seville and forget to take pictures, did it really happen? A friend and I took a day trip to Seville. The end goal was to go to Costco but we also planned to kick around the city a bit, have a leisurely lunch, and then see…
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Moving to a new country is supposed to be life changing, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. Sunset on the Tavira Canal, Ria Formosa You are certainly plunked down in a different world. There are all sorts of adjustments to make, depending on where you end up and I’m going to say how much money…
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Who knew? The Globe Roundabout in Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal An unexpected benefit of the expat life is that it helps keep your brain healthy. I have always heard that as we get older, doing things like puzzles, learning to dance, or learning a new language will help the brain make new connections, which helps keep…
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I received my residency permit and I feel like Steve Martin in The Jerk. I am now officially a legal resident of Portugal. I have somehow blundered my way through the paperwork properly and made it through the two most anxiety-ridden weeks of my Portuguese life. Moving here has been a series of steps, made…
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In the mornings I sit on my balcony, drinking my coffee, and watching the world go by on the main drag of my village. Mondays are comparatively quiet: the bakery below is closed for the day and no one is sitting, chattering at the tables. The weekend day trippers have all gone back to wherever…
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Because I still work and my business is based in the US, I do the expat time zone warp—I work in two different time zones (sometimes three). While some expats are retired and get to spend their days deciding between golf, tennis, shopping, and, of course, where to eat lunch or dinner (one of my…
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