Yes, I’m ready! Last week, I received an email from my ex-doctor back in Washington that I could come in for my vaccination. Some people actually did fly from Portugal to the US for the shot. I wasn’t going to be among them, even though I didn’t know when we would be getting them here. But a week later I got the call.
Europe has fallen behind the US in rolling out the COVID vaccine, but we finally got called on April 8th to come in the next day for our jab. The woman calling didn’t speak much English and my Portuguese is even worse, but I did understand vacinação.
The grand Hokey Pokey event was held in the gymnasium at the large park in Mafra, and we were met at the gate with an oversized golf cart filled with a half-dozen old people. Could this possibly be our group? Apparently so.
We arrived at the door and waited for our number to be called. It was all quite orderly and efficient. After being poked, we were asked to wait for a half-hour to make sure we didn’t die.
With vaccinations picking up steam in the US and Portugal, I expect restrictions to be lifted soon and the floodgates to open to family, friends as well as new “immigrants” and “expats”. Those two terms are debated fiercely on Facebook. I have not seen a convincing argument as to why I should change Portugal Expat Life to Portugal Immigrant Life, but some people apparently take the distinction quite seriously.
Facebook Topics Post Election
The hotly debated election between two old geezers, who fit the demographic among our golf cart passengers, dominated my Facebook news feeds for, oh, about three and a half years. But after the election and the insurrection that followed, where is all the displaced anger to go? Well, Facebook has no shortage of hot topics.
One hot topic of general discontent in Ericeira, and Portugal in general, is about dogs on leashes. The use of leashes, or lack thereof, became heated recently. There is a leash law here, but it is not strictly enforced. As far as I can tell, there aren’t many laws strictly enforced in Portugal, except for using the left lane for anything other than passing slowpokes in the right lane. Slowpokes in the left lane will not be tolerated. And using an outer left lane in the roundabout to escape an exit on the right is also taboo. I sometimes have to circle the drain a few times to make sure we don’t take the wrong exit and end up on an inescapable toll road. Once you take that exit, there is no way out.
Back to the dog debate, there is also the question of dog poop. Well, not so much a question, but a reality when you have dogs roaming free. And it is not just unleashed dogs, but dogs on leashes whose owners don’t bother to clean up their dog’s mess. That is a particular pet peeve of mine. Hey, pet peeve, get it?
Anyway, about the leashes, one person actually argued that enforcing leash laws was akin to Nazi Germany. I have no idea what the leash laws were in Nazi Germany, and I doubt that this armchair Facebook historian did either, but I think that issue was far down on the list of Germany’s problems in the 30s and 40s. Dogs were treated much better than non-Aryans, though.
We did have our own leash incident the other day. We drove up to Lourinhã with friends to see a potential home for them under construction. As we were leaving to drive to Óbidos to introduce them to our good friends up there, there was more than the usual amount of horn-honking and finger pointing, although not the middle one.
I mentioned that I think someone might be trying to tell us something other than circling a roundabout in the inappropriate lane. I looked out the window to see ten feet of leash flapping in the breeze (yes, Skywalker has a very long leash). But our dog was not at the end of it. I quickly looked back to see that she was safely in the back seat, but we pulled over to reel in the leash so that it wouldn’t get caught in a wheel or be the cause of some other unfortunate mishap.
Skywalker Update
While on the subject of Skywalker, who has become the predominant focus in our house lately, I think her name should be changed to Chewbacca (Chewie for short). So far, she has chewed up my stylus pen for my Samsung phone, my laptop power cord, Cathy’s glasses, along with her Fitbit, a vacuum cleaner attachment from our new vacuum cleaner and miscellaneous unidentifiable objects that may or may not be of some importance in the future.
We have plenty of chew toys for her, enough to open a Toys R Us franchise, but how does she know what is a toy and what might be a life-saving pacemaker device? Fortunately, she is getting better and there might be hope for her, and us, at some future date.
Skywalker (on her leash) made a friend with this ceramic dog in the doorway of a local business.
Anyway, after the heated discussion about Nazis walking their dogs on leashes, I became curious to see what other life or death issues Facebook users in the expat/immigrant community were calmly debating. Maybe it’s the frequent doses of espresso that get the adrenaline pumping. Switching one or two cups of espresso with Chamomile or Peppermint tea might lower the intensity on some of the discussions.
One of my favorite debates, just the other day, was whether to fill a container and ship your stuff here or sell your stuff and just replace everything here. (Sky is sitting comfortably on a couch next to an antique sideboard. Dog, couch and sideboard all gotten in Portugal.)
One person insinuated that people who sell and give away all their stuff never owned good stuff in the first place and do not know how to do math when calculating replacement costs. The debate raged, insults were tossed, feelings were hurt and, well, when is the next election? Anyway, my mind immediately went to a George Carlin classic rant on the subject about Too Much Stuff. In case you need to be refreshed, you can click here: George Carlin talks about “Stuff”.
Fortunately, most of the subjects broached on the expat sites are helpful and informative. I urge everyone who is contemplating a move across the pond to join one of the groups and do your research thoroughly. You will find where to find the best health insurance, how to navigate the residency requirements, which towns best check all the boxes in your wish list and where to buy Hellman’s mayonnaise (a popular topic that got over a hundred responses).
Business Opportunities
All of our friends here are retirees. We did meet a lovely young couple who were planning to move here but decided to move back to the US because of lack of opportunities. There is a community of digital nomads living here who could pretty much live anywhere they want, but it’s not always easy. Other than retirees and digital nomads, I could see where it would be a challenge to live here as an expat if you needed to work. Wages are low and in most scenarios you would need to be able to speak Portuguese.
It is not as if there aren’t opportunities here, though. I see many and I am often tempted to dip my toe into the entrepreneurial pool one more time. But then I come to my senses after analyzing the cost of doing business, mainly heavy bureaucracy and taxation, not to mention how it might disrupt my peace of mind.
I spoke with an entrepreneurial-minded Portuguese woman who suggested that Portuguese people tend to be more cautious than Americans when it comes to business. Generally speaking, if they think of a promising idea, but don’t see it being done, they just assume that it can’t be done. Whereas, an American will see it in a positive light as being a wide-open field with no competition.
Also, it appears that Portuguese women are more adventurous in that department than Portuguese men. I do see more businesses started by women here than men. Although Portugal is a somewhat patriarchal society, it is generally acknowledged that women hold the real power here. Maybe that is true everywhere, though.
Decisions to Make When Moving to Portugal
Among the first major decision that Americans moving to Portugal are faced with is where to live. There are many factors to consider:
Real Estate Costs in Portugal
Portugal is not a big country, only ten million people (think North Carolina) and 35,000 square miles (like Indiana). But prices vary significantly across the country. You can find many places under 100,000 as well as many over a million. As always, it is location, location, location.
Weather in Different Parts of Portugal
As you get further north, you will experience colder, wetter winters. Porto, for example, is one of my favorite cities, but you want to make sure that the building you live in has been renovated since Napoleon Bonaparte seized Porto over 200 years ago (had to slip in a bit of history). The point being, living in a poorly insulated, stone building in January is not pleasant, and energy costs are high in Portugal. As you venture south or inland away from the ocean, you will experience hotter summers and cheaper real estate. Fires have been a recurring problem in some interior locations due to the highly inflammable nature of eucalyptus trees.
Language Barriers
If you don’t speak Portuguese, you will find it difficult to communicate in the smaller villages. The silver lining, though, is that real estate is very cheap and immersion in the language will help you learn much faster.
Portuguese Medical facilities
If you are nervous about being far away from medical facilities, then you will need to live in a larger community to be near a hospital. There are good services everywhere but if minutes count, then this is something you need to consider. Personally, I think I will tattoo DO NO RESUSCITATE across my chest, like Frank Gallagher did in Shameless (oops, spoiler alert).
Restaurants (Lots of Seafood)
Portugal has great restaurants but if you want an international cuisine, you will need to be near a bigger city or a tourist town. There are many coastal towns, though, where you can get great seafood. We have an excellent fish market here in Ericeira and as soon as we get our outdoor grill set up, I will be experimenting.
Beautiful Beaches
A beach is important to us. It’s not like we necessarily like to hang out at the beach, but I like having it nearby. I find it soothing. Skywalker used to love the beach but then something freaked her out and now we need to ease her back. Her friend, NiKa, helps because she loves the beach and Sky loves to play with NiKa. She is a super-chill, chocolate lab who can chase a ball on the beach for hours and is very patient with Sky. They remind me a little bit of Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier, but you might be too young to get the reference.
Is a Town Square Important to You?
A vibrant town square was important to me. I feel that it helps transform a town into a community. And it a great place to sit and eat and drink and schmooze with friends and strangers. Or just sit by oneself and watch people, or watch the surf and the surfers.
Transportation (Buses, Trains and Automobiles)
The train system across Portugal is not as good as some of the other European countries, like France or Germany, unless you live in Lisbon and Porto. But the highways are right up there with the best in Europe. If you don’t want to own a car, however, the bus system is quite good throughout the country. Taxis are also relatively cheap and fares are similar to Uber. Sometimes it’s cheaper than owning a car, depending on your travel habits.
Checking All of the Boxes
That’s it for April’s edition of Portugal Expat Life. I know that some of you found this blog by searching topics about moving to Portugal. I hope that I have addressed some boxes to check when deciding where to move.
I have placed a link below to contribute to the blog. I have checked the box marked “Recurring monthly payments” for your convenience. Just kidding! That was a belated April Fools joke, of course. Portugal Expat Life blogs will remain free, and they are worth every penny!
I will leave you with this shot of the sunset from the other night. It was the best I could do with my phone, but it looked like a bubble formed on top of the sun, which was quickly extinguished by the ocean.
I am also an entrepreneur and I am looking to retire in Portugal in a few years. I have an online business that I could continue over there if I can find someone to ship from the US. That is my biggest concern. If I can solve that, maybe I can come over sooner.
Shipping is a definite obstacle when you are fulfilling orders. If you can sell on Amazon, they have the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program which will do all the warehousing and shipping for you. The paperwork is a bit cumbersome and they will take some of your profits, of course, but many people do well with it. Good luck!
As one who is now back in the US for vaccinations (and other reasons…) it’s good to hear that our demo is hitting the sweet spot. Flying back to dear Portugal day after tomorrow, vaccinated, and cafés are now open, we’re psyched, as we said in the olden days. Enjoying your blog, as always, and looking forward to having Jack (our Chewie) meet Sky!
Please let us know if you are down this way. We will definitely make it up to Porto again, but might have to leave Sky with a sitter. I am looking forward to seeing your Porto renovation!
Hey Bobby,
Another good article!
But when I clicked on George Carlin, Sarah Palin showed up with a gibberish lesson. Was that done kind of a Portuguese April Fools joke?🙃
Keep em comin,
Ricky
Oops! No, not another April Fool’s joke. I’ll have to take a look at that when I get back from the beach. 😃
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the blog. Very informative as always. Love the things to consider when moving. Also love the old George Carlin routine about your stuff. Luckily, I didn’t have to click the link to remember it. It was that good.
Hi Jayne. For a small country, Portugal is quite diverse from north to south. Carlin was one of a kind and has left us with many memorable rants, humorous as well as philosophical.
Yes, indeed.
I’ve been in Porto and the Algarve and they were verrrry different! One of our favorite Carlin routines was the difference between baseball and football…
Bob,
I felt like I was reading the story of our move top Medellin. Except for the beaches the Facebook conversations are the same. Transportation is very inexpensive, and medical care is very good. Just got my first shot as well. Slow role out here as well. They are down to age 65 and above. Your blog is great.
Thanks, Sandy. I think all expats go through the same process of checking the boxes that matter to them.
Sounds like you and Cathy are settling in well…new house, new dog, new experiences!
Regarding dogs on leashes and picking up poop, dog owners here are just as bad…and its always the big dogs with big poop that don’t pick it up.
My mother is stretching out her final days, but she is on her way out.
Stay well and enjoy Portugal!
Glad you got your shot…makes life a little easier…can hang around with other old, shot up folks.
Yes, we have settled in rather nicely. Skywalker is a handful, though! But she’s still an adolescent. Your mom has lived a long life. She was always my favorite aunt.
Wow Sky racked up quite a hit list. If only she weren’t so darn cute!
I had to read the Sky and NiKa section aloud to NiKa. Living the hermit life since Betsy’s been gone is elevating the level of conversation between NiKa and me to entirely new levels.
Well… see you in the funny papers.
That’s funny! NiKa is pretty good company but Betsy better come home soon!
I think it’s great you are a respected resource for others that are contemplating a move to Portugal. You did your own research very well and now you share with others what you have learned. Such a useful member of society, Bob!!! Let us know when you both get your second shot. We are actually hugging again and playing card games indoors since everyone around us is fully vaccinated. It feels divine!
I don’t want to be too respected. Too much pressure to be right on stuff! I urge everyone to get second and third opinions. Besides, things change a lot. Anyway, we get our second shots on May 5th. Europe has been a step behind the US on vaccines but the pace is starting to pick up now. So, now you are beating everyone at high-stake poker games again? 🙂