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Tomorrow morning, Cathy and I fly out of the Portland airport to start our new life in Portugal. I am taking a break from final packing, trying to get our bags down to 50 pounds, to write this last blog in USA before heading out.

I am very excited and have no reservations. Cathy is excited also but I do see, in my peripheral vision, a bit of momentary trepidation now and then. I know it is mostly, or almost exclusively, centered around family. But we will come back each August (high tourist season in Portugal) and we will help as best we can to get the kids and grandkids to visit us or meet us in European locations. And modern technology offers many options for communication, minus the hugs.

Quality of Life – Portugal #1

Portugal rose from second to first this year. Taiwan was number one last year but their public protests and disruption at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport this year may have dropped their ranking among expats a bit. Regardless, Portugal certainly deserves the designation. Let’s go down the list here and look at each of the categories.

Leisure Options

Portugal is number two in this category, rising from number four last year. Spain was voted number one by expats. There is no shortage of leisure options in Portugal. There are dozens of museums throughout Portugal.

Portugal has been described as the first global empire in history and is the oldest nation-state in Europe. It became a kingdom in 1139, just slightly before I was born.

Ever hear of Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan or Christopher Columbus? Yep, all Portuguese explorers. Portugal was the world’s first maritime power, and birthplace to some of the world’s first explorers. So you will find enough museums and places of interest to keep you busy in Portugal.

The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed was in Portugal

Besides museums, there are wine tours, surfing lessons, castles, and more restaurants than I can count. And I am not talking about fast-food restaurants. Eating food quickly is really not a thing in Portugal. You will never be rushed out of an eating establishment. You may need to beg your waiter just to get a check. And the food is delicious and inexpensive.

Oh, and the biggest wave ever surfed? EIGHTY FEET TALL!

Personal Happiness

Portugal has risen from number four in 2018 to number two in this category as well. I don’t know what makes the Portuguese people so happy but I do know that they like to joke around a lot. Except at the government offices. I hear they tend to get rather serious there. And I know that you will find depressed and angry people everywhere but it seems to be less on exhibit in Portugal. Maybe it has something to do with the sunshine and good food and wine.

Travel & Transport

Portugal has great roads and highways. I was so impressed when I was driving from Ericeira to Porto mid-week and thinking it felt like a Sunday because it seemed that practically nobody was on the roads. I also like that the left lanes are strictly passing lanes. That is one law that seems to be strictly enforced.

Traffic in the bigger cities, especially Lisbon, is congested, as one might expect. Some of the multi-lane roundabouts are a bit stressful and the narrow roads in older parts of Lisbon can be truly harrowing. Walking and cable cars are recommended whenever possible.

Buses throughout the country are plentiful. Although slower than driving in a car, they are a practical mode of transportation.

The train system is not as good as some of the other European countries. If you happen to be on a good train route, then you are in luck and there is nothing to complain about. In Ericeira, for example, there is no train station. Some people would like to see a route extend to Ericeira but not everyone is onboard with that idea. The argument is that train stations tend to bring crime to a neighborhood. Portugal is considered one of the safest countries in the world and everyone wants to keep it that way.

I wrote in an earlier blog post that on our first trip to Portugal, when we arrived at the Faro airport, the trains were on strike so we couldn’t take it to Lagos. We also couldn’t get on the next bus because it was filled due to the train strike. So we ended up taking an Uber because we had already been flying for 17 hours and didn’t want to hang out in the train station for hours.

Flights in and out of Portugal are plentiful and relatively affordable. Faro, Porto and Lisbon all have good airports. Faro is a bit more expensive and with longer flight times, generally speaking.

To sum it up, transportation is adequate but doesn’t crack the top 15 in the Quality of Life Index.

Health & Well-Being

Portugal ranks seventh in this category, down just one notch from 2018. USA does not crack the top 15 in this category. The biggest health risk that I witnessed in Portugal was smoking. It seems that many Portuguese, and Europeans in general, have not gotten the memo that smoking is bad for your health.

Healthcare is good, though. And health insurance is cheap. My wife and I pay $200 a month for both of us together. It would be cheaper if we were younger but we are 68 so we pay a premium. This does not include dental or vision but we will explore those options once we settle in.

Safety & Security

Portugal ranks 7^th here, up from 11^th in 2018. One feels quite safe walking at night. That is a good thing because you will be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that opens before seven o’clock. And nobody there rushes through a meal. There are some drunks or young people high on testosterone that tend to get a bit rowdy in public after hours but that is the exception rather than the rule.

This ranking is from a survey taken from interviewing thousands of expats around the world. There is another list based on a set of statistics that shows Portugal as the third safest country in the world. Whether it is the third or the seventh safest country, I am reassured either way.

Digital Life

Portugal doesn’t rank in the top 15 in Digital Life (USA ranks 7^th). I didn’t have any problems in this area while my brief experience there. GPS and phone service were good and I didn’t experience a problem using the internet, either.

Portugal is a World Leader in Renewable Energy

This isn’t an actual category but it is worth noting that over 70 percent of Portugal’s energy comes from renewable sources such as wind, hydro and solar power. Portugal has one of the world’s largest photovoltaic farms and has many innovative projects. These include a floating wind farm and WaveRoller, which converts the movement of ocean waves to energy and electricity.

Although renewable energy isn’t a category on the Quality of Life Index, I believe that it contributes, at least indirectly, to overall happiness. If you can provide all of your energy needs within your own boundaries, there will be more jobs and fewer wars. Anyway, that’s the way I see it!

And We’re Off!

Next blog will be from Portugal! I am staring at a room full of bags and I need to weed out some more non-essentials, like vitamins and shaving cream, to make our weight restrictions. Oh, and I guess there is that bronze fish that will have to stay behind.

We are down to carry-ons, and two check-in bags each and one box with my computer. The first bags are free. The second bags are $100 each and my box is $285. Not cheap but when you figure this is what we’ve narrowed our worldly possessions down to, that ain’t too bad!

See you in Portugal!