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Halfway To 100
July 1st was my golden jubilee of a birthday, the big 50. We had kept busy with Portuguese language school through the end of May, we finalized our house purchase the beginning of June, and then hosted cousin Elsa who arrived on June 18th. By the time my birthday actually rolled around, I hadn’t really…
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Porto: Boat Tour And City Sights
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Tourists For A Day In Tavira
During cousin Elsa’s visit we tried to balance relaxation and beach days with travel, attractions, and tourism. One of the best day trips from Olhão is a quick 30 minute drive to Tavira. There are a ton of great restaurants, scads of picture opportunities along the Gilão River, cultural events, plenty of shopping, and even…
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We Traded That For This
Our 2 year anniversary of living in Portugal was June 20th! We desperately wanted to change our lives and here we are. Let’s celebrate with a slice of life comparison of then vs. now. Two Cars For No Car: We like the freedom of not worrying about parking, paying for insurance, and planning never ending…
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The Perfectly Imperfect Day
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Old Couple
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Wrapping Up 2023
October: We headed back for Year 2 of Portuguese language class. With any luck, at the end of the course we will have a B2 (upper-intermediate) language level, and hopefully a bit more ease with conversational Portuguese. Our favorite neighborhood kid Bianca needed help with a school project and it was Halloween themed, so definitely…
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Sintra: Pena Palace, Petiscos, And Playtime In The Garden
Sintra is a town nestled in the Sintra Mountains about 15 miles northwest of Lisbon. It was once a summer holiday haven for Portuguese royalty and is a very popular day trip for visitors. The region is chock full of palaces, castles, mansions, viewpoints, a convent, a sanctuary, and multiple beaches. When limited to a…
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Casa De Chá Da Boa Nova
On almost every trip, we try to book a meal at an upscale restaurant. We aren’t food snobs, we’ll eat street food and sandwiches without a single complaint, but we like fancy food too. I love collecting cookbooks, reading about food, experimenting with new recipes, and watching shows like Top Chef, Iron Chef, Chef’s Table,…
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Olhão – Lisboa
Our first extended vacation in Portugal was in September. We had finally arranged pet sitting for our unruly furry kids (thanks neighbor Paulo) and there were still a couple of weeks of summer vacation left before Portuguese language school. We headed to Lisboa the day before a scheduled meeting with my cousin Susie and her…