I recently returned from a two-week vacation in Miami to visit my ancient stomping grounds, along with seeing old friends. When did they get so old?
After four years living in Portugal, the contrast between my old and new resident countries could not be greater. While I found myself waxing nostalgic for times long-gone and feeling a bit envious of the many choices available in the grocery stores, I would not trade the slow, peaceful pace of Portugal for the hyper-speed, and urgency, of Miami (except when lying on the beach).
On my first day in Miami, my friend and I were involved in a road-rage incident that could have ended badly. Fortunately, our left-turn came just before we would have been forced to stop, with him blocking the road waiting for us. And the satisfaction of being able to give him the middle finger while leaving him sitting there was more satisfying than I would like to admit. My friend is not a gun nut, but he does carry one under his seat, where we used to hide our stash. My, how things have changed. Both used to be illegal growing up.
In my four years in Portugal, I have not had to use my middle finger even once. Well, there was the one time I was encouraged to lift weights at the gym, resulting in a tendon sprain of my middle finger. That was my first and last visit to the gym, which is highly overrated, by the way.
Dipping in the cool waters of a South Florida beach was quite pleasant, though, as opposed to the cold Portuguese waters. However, people visiting Ericeira from Norway, Scotland and Holland find the water in Portugal delightful.
Funny, though, I couldn’t go in the Miami water one morning due to the hundreds of Portuguese Men-of-War littering the beach, which I recall often from my childhood. But I can only remember seeing Portuguese Men-of-War once in my entire time in Portugal.
One glaring contrast between Europe and the US is the tipping culture. I got a beer at the Miami Airport. I didn’t ask the price, because how much could a beer cost? When I received the bill, it was $14.50 after the 18% suggested gratuity. However, the “suggested gratuity” was part of the bill, with no way to alter. And under that was a line after “Tip”. I guess they were going after people who didn’t know that Gratuity and Tip meant the same thing. I was glad that I didn’t say Yes when the bartender asked if I wanted another beer. In practically all of Europe, 10% is considered quite generous, and there usually isn’t even a line to add a tip.
New Travel Experiences Last Year
2023 was a good year for travel for us. Never having gone on a cruise before, we booked two last year. The first was in June, from Amsterdam to Norway, with our friends Steven and Joy. That was wonderful. Norway summers are a bit like Portugal winters! But we loved Norway. It is such a reasonable country, with gorgeous views everywhere you turn.
Although the water melting from the glacier must have been icy cold, I was tempted to jump in. I had not thought to bring my bathing suit, though, and I was afraid of shrinkage if taking the plunge naked.
We visited many of the fjords, although I couldn’t tell you one from another. I could never live in Norway, because of the cold weather, but I would highly recommend it as a country that should be visited.
Our next cruise was in November, from Rome to Turkey, with our good friends Richard and Aleece and David and Sharie. And we met lots of new people who we felt became fast friends.
I think there are laws about smoking in Turkey. I am pretty sure that non-smokers are heavily fined. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much smoking everywhere, including at the tables sitting next to you while eating. I also think Turkish coffee is overrated, unless you are fond of coffee grinds. At least we were instructed not to drink it down to the last drop. It does pack a punch, though.
The cruise was supposed to be from Rome to Jerusalem and Haifa, but the war circumvented those plans. It was going to be an opportunity to visit my brother Larry, in his country of residence. We were also going to meet my five grand-nieces and nephews, ages from under one to eight-years-old, for the first time. So, Israel remains on our bucket list for either this year or next.
We also had stops in Mykonos, Santorini, Pompeii, Cyprus, Istanbul and Athens. Everything was so ancient, even the Beware of Dog mosaic that we saw in a home’s entryway in Pompeii!
There wasn’t a bad stop anywhere along the way. Although, we would have loved to spend more time in each place. We did stay a few extra days in beautiful Athens, where the people were friendly and the food was amazing.
Aleece, Richard, Cathy and I visited the Jewish Museum of Athens, where I think we all learned a lot. Hard to imagine that the Nazis even infiltrated the Greek islands in search of Jews to kill. After the museum, Aleece and Cathy went shopping to cheer up a bit while Richard and I went to the War Museum, also to cheer up a bit. A little dark humor there.
At one place we stopped, we were sitting at lunch talking about the communal toilets in Pompeii, and how people sat there wiping their butts with corncobs in full view of each other. The people at the table next to us piped in and said, “Do you mind? We’re eating here.” Not sure whether they were joking, but we laughed anyway.
Judging a Country by its Shoe Salespeople
I found the contrast between Turkey and Portugal to be even more pronounced than Miami and Portugal. I formed a new philosophy on how to judge a country by its shoe salespeople. I think it is fairly accurate and should be used more often when comparing countries when looking for a new place to live.
In Miami, you would go to a shoe warehouse with a million pairs of shoes and one or two salespeople, English speaking if you’re lucky, and open until midnight. In Portugal, you will go to a small shoe store, with a lot more salespeople than customers. If you are there when lunchtime begins, even if you are in the middle of trying on shoes, which I was, you will be asked to leave and come back after lunch.
But nothing compares to buying shoes in Turkey. If you are walking outside the store, which I was, and even glance at a pair of shoes, which I did, you will be dragged in and held prisoner. After they took off my shoes and started fitting me with shoes that were either too big or too small, they insisted vehemently that they were the perfect fit. I almost began to believe them. But common sense prevailed when I saw my wife, who didn’t know where I was, walk toward the tour bus without me.
I told the owner about my predicament, the fear of being left behind, which he couldn’t have cared less about, as I hobbled out of the store with one shoe on and one shoe off with the owner claiming that I was breaking his heart. I sat on a bench putting on my other shoe when the owner and his wife ran out carrying about a dozen boxes of shoes. So, I did finally break down and bought a pair of sandals for half his original price, probably twice the local price. He begged for more money after I paid him the agreed upon price, but I was already running to the bus in my new “half-price” sandals with the probably fake ECCO logo.
My Biggest Disappointment
My biggest disappointment in Portugal? I would have to say that it is my inability to learn another language. I have tried, but apparently not hard enough. Cathy is learning and doing quite well. Teachers are like that, I think. An abundance of patience, a quality I may be lacking.
Almost everyone speaks some degree of English in Ericeira. One tourist who I was talking with complimented me on how well I spoke English. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was the only language I knew. I thanked her and might have even blushed a little.
Little things about the language amuse me. The Portuguese seem to have a hard time pronouncing Bob, until I say Sponge Bob. Everyone knows Sponge Bob. I was in a pharmacy and the pharmacist asked my name to pick up a prescription. When I said Bob, she asked, Like Bob the Constructor? Ah, yes, of course, Bob the Builder. Bob the Constructor doesn’t have quite the same ring to it even though the meaning is the same.
On a serious note, please send prayers to our dear friend, Betsy, who is recovering from a nasty fall in her home, and to her devoted husband, Jim, who has been spending hours by her hospital bedside. Recovery has been slow, but steady, and all of her friends (which are many) pray earnestly to have our beloved Betsy back among us, enjoying meals and games in Ericeira, as before.
This is my last blog. Blogging was something I wanted to do, I did it, I’m done, so that’s all he wrote. I am done promoting Ericeira because I don’t want to be blamed for the influx of tourists and rising real estate prices. It must have been my thousands of followers that created this boom. Did I say thousands? I meant dozens.
It has been fun, and I hope that I made you think, or laugh, or want to visit Portugal (briefly). I am painting now, which is a nice creative outlet. I’m glad that I don’t have to earn a living with it and can just have fun with it. Thank you, Gary Ackerman and Jim Steere, my artist friends who have inspired me.
Happy travels to all, with lots of joy and contentment in your life.
Your last?
All things must pass, but the humor of your blogs will be greatly missed.
Thank you, Larry. Hope to see you soon!
Excellent, as usual Sponge Bobby.
Too bad you’re stopping…but great that you’re painting.
Thank you, my friend. Sorry I didn’t see you in Miami. Before I knew it, I was out of time. Next time, for sure!
Another great job Bob. And Sharie and I are so glad we got to be part of the amazing cruise, but, as you, so disappointed that we never made it to Israel. But, as you said, it remains on our “Bucket List”. Welcome back to Nirvana.
Thank you, David. And, yes, it is always good to come back to the peaceful pace of Portugal!
Thank you Bob I really enjoyed reading this one in particular. I was in Greece and visited the Jewish museum and synagogue in September. Traveled with my friend from Croatia quite the experience sharing cultures.
I am sure Foxy is glad you are home!
Glad that you got a chance to visit those places. Yes, Foxy was happy to see me. Although, maybe she thought that I was just in the garage for five minutes. You never know what dogs are thinking.
Bob, you are an excellent Blogger! I enjoyed your sanguine sense of humor!!
My girlfriend and I( Yes at 77 I have a girlfriend) We have talked often if Trump is re-elected we just might move to Portugal! She has traveled the world and absolutely loves the lifestyle there.
Please do not stop blogging as you are a terrific writer!
Roy Katz……Normans shorter, older and funnier brother…..
I’m glad you enjoyed the blog! Say hi to your girlfriend for me, you lucky dog!
Bob, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to share your experiences. Thank you! Can’t wait to see you.
We are looking forward to your visit! And so is Foxy!
Bob,
I’m sad to see these posts go. They made me feel closer even when you’re so far away. Looking forward to seeing you in March!
That is a nice thing to say, Dustin. Looking forward to spending time with you and Danielle in Malaga!
Bob, I am sitting here with Betsy in the hospital. Important to recovery from a TBI is personal interaction; reading stories and poems, recounting memories, music, touching, holding, squeezing, etc.
When I saw your blog post I was delighted to start reading it to Betsy, she always enjoyed your storytelling. I then unexpectedly got to the part about Betsy; your kind words were so uplifting and appreciated.
Our community of friends that Betsy and I are so very fortunate to be part of has be been a godsend during these very trying days.
I am glad that you are painting again and beyond humbled that I have in any way inspired you. I am really glad that we share discussions of art and football and I hope even more about baseball!
Thank you for your friendship.
Jimmy
PS – you really have a novel in you.
Jimmy, your words touched my heart. I didn’t even think that you would see it because of all that you have on your plate. Cathy and I can’t wait until we are all together again in good health!
Bob. I have really enjoyed reading your blogs about your time in Portugal. It has been inspiring, funny and inviting. i was also in Miami recently and felt the same way about the contrast to the wonderful nature-filled slower pace of Oregon where I live. I wish you and Cathy continued enjoyment and maybe I will see you in Ericeira at some point.
Yes, the contrast is real. I am so sorry that I missed you there, but I am eagerly awaiting having you visit us in Portugal. I am too old for another Norland reunion. The names on the nametags were too small for me to read and people tend to change a bit in 50 years. But you didn’t!
I’ve been enjoying your blogs, Bob! Makes me want to visit Portugal someday.
Aloha!!
You should come visit!
Please dont stop Bob!! This is amazing!! You are mega funny, on par with that american guy that writes about travel… whats his name? Cant remember anything, but he is well known.
Your blogs are delightful and hilarious! Thank you for writing them.
Sofia
Oh, Sofia, that is so kind of you. And now you’ve got me curious because I don’t know who that might be. I know it isn’t Rick Steves! 😆
A fun read, Bob! I’m glad to have stumbled upon this. Aleece and I are so glad to have met you, Cathy and Foxy, and to have shared time with you on that awesome Mediterranean cruise. Looking forward to catching up with you soon!
You and Aleece are so much to be with, it is no wonder you have so many friends! 🥰
As always, beautiful prose and beautiful photos, but as Robert Frost wrote, “Nothing gold can stay.” I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your perspective and know you’ll continue to experience adventures in this new chapter of life. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! 🇵🇹
Hmmm, I like that. Nothing gold can stay. Food for thought.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every single blog you have posted, so thanks for keeping me entertained with your great writing and beautiful photos. All I can say is you made a most excellent decision 4 years ago to move to Portugal and the frosting on the cake was picking Ericera to build your house and hunker in. We are very excited to return for our second visit in June. Lucky lucky us!
It turned out to be one of our better choices, and you Dave were among the few who didn’t call us crazy. Looking forward to seeing you here in June!
I will miss your blog since your writing is terrific and fun. You know that I will always be grateful for steering me to the American & Friends PT FB page. It was so valuable as we prepared to make our move. Two years later our lives in Braga are rich in every way. Best to you Bob.
I am so glad to hear that, Maria. And Braga is still a place that we have yet to visit. We hear only great things about Braga.
Enjoyed again reading about your travels and the photos you took. Your sense of humor and description of places and events are a gift. Your blog will be truly missed. All the best to you and Cathy.
Thank you. Gerry!
Bob,
We all will miss your posts.
The four years have flown by.
Live and Enjoy
Stay healthy and well.
Best always,
Robert Vigman
Thank you, Robert. Same to you!
I was happy to read this Bob. Your life sounds interesting and yes we hope to visit Portugal soon, I have to check out the place my DNA says I am 5% connected to. All the best for your future journeys.
Mike
5% is a good enough reason!
Really enjoyed your post. Very relatable to our experience a year-and-a-half into our move to PT. Our meeting with you and Cathy on our scouting trip was integral to our decision to make the move. Hope we run into you guys again along the way. Take care, and enjoy beautiful Ericeira!
Thank you, Terry. Please let us know if you head our way!
I wonder if more people used stash #1 they wouldn’t feel the need for stash #2? Our trip back to the States in December also resulted in confusion on the new norms of life and we feel very grateful to live in Portugal.
Haha! Good point!
Great blog post Bob! I only read your first one and your last one, but they were both funny and thought provoking. If you guys come back to the Vancouver /Portland area, let’s get together for a visit! We’d love to see you again. Hugs to all.
Good to hear from you, Janet. Please say hi to David from us.
I was excited to see a new blog post in my inbox and left disappointed at the end. I guess all good things come to an end after all. I’ll ask around for Sponge Bob next time I visit Ericeira… maybe this summer. Take care.
Either Sponge Bob or Bob the Constructor will do! 🙂
Wow! It’s been 4 years already. Thanks for your parting words. Sending you both well wishes in Ericeira.
Good to hear from you, Sandy! Time flies, right?
I’ll miss your blogs. Always good for a laugh. 😂
Thank you, Shiloh! See you in June! 🥰