We have hit the rainy season here in The Algarve and no one dares to complain—we’ve been in drought for far too long. The days are a tad raw. Without sun, Portugal is like summer camp in the New England mountains, colder than it should be and everything is damp, no matter how long you…
Meeting new friends in Portugal could be a choice but thankfully, it is truly unavoidable. As I have stated many times, I am an introvert by nature and can get along quite well with little social interaction. I had, in my day, a very busy schedule of business networking meetings, running my own groups, serving…
I spent last Friday in Faro, which is the capital of the Algarve region. If you’re coming to visit, Faro is the closest airport to me. Just sayin. I arrived in Portugal through Faro airport and my driver told me he loved living in Faro. I have visited a few times, mostly for government paperwork…
When you emigrate to a new country, you’re navigating blind. There are so many more unknowns than knowns. And the second hardest lesson you have to learn is you have no idea what you don’t know. That’s partly because of the sheer volume of unknowns from tiny details to BIG IMPORTANT THINGS! and because they…
One of the luxuries of living in a safe place is that you can walk at any hour without worrying about being attacked. That is no small thing for a woman who grew up most anywhere in the US. I walk home after my Portuguese classes. It’s not very late—around 7:30—and the walk takes about…
I am sitting at an outside table at a little café, enjoying a galão because that is one of the few coffee variations I both like and can pronounce. The other is cappuccino, of course, but it is late in the day and rumor has it that you shouldn’t order cappuccino after 11:00 am, or…
Something the glossy magazines don’t tell you about living abroad: Some days are quit days. Any number of obstacles have presented themselves and you feel like you just don’t have the energy to take them on; this whole living abroad thing is too hard. You want to quit. When All the Little Things Pile Up…
And I’m Two Hours Late There’s nothing like going back to school in your sixties. Unless, of course, it’s going back to school in your 70s, 80s, or 90s. Last June I signed up for the state-offered Portuguese language classes at the local high school. You sign up and then you wait, checking the website…
Part of the D7 visa requirements is securing a registered, long-term rental agreement (at least 12 months). In many places, the Algarve in particular, landlords like to rent from October to May, leaving the summer months open to more lucrative short-term tourist rentals. It’s easier to find a rental in the winter than in the…
Quick Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my coffee, chocolate, and single malt scotch habits! So, I had this vision: I would…