Living in Portugal for One Month

Escalating war in the Middle East. Governmental discord and disfunction in the USA. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers calling in sick because they are not being paid. We are beyond fortunate to safely fly from the United States to Portugal. It is late at night when we finally jump into a rental car at the Lisbon airport and drive one and one-half hours to the coastal town of Nazare, Portugal.

Ah, this is more like it. Sit on the balcony of an 11^th floor Airbnb for one month and stare at the ocean. Not so fast. Surf’s up, baby!

Nazare is famous for world record waves on the North Shore, surfed by wild, professional “Big Wave” surfers. Time to take a walk down to the cliffs near the lighthouse during daylight hours and see it. This quickly becomes Marilynn’s “happy place.”

 

A 16,000 foot (4,900 meters) deep underwater canyon runs for 140 miles (225 km) and forces 100-foot-plus waves to the surface. Not the place for an amateur surfer. Jet skis tow all surfers beyond the breakers and trail them for pick-up after a successful wave ride or crash due to the extreme danger.

Sebastian Stendtner holds the official record of surfing an 86 ft (26.21 meter) wave ridden on October 29, 2020. His potential new world record, pending ratification, stands at 93.73 ft (28.57 meters) and he is currently awaiting verification of a ninety-five-foot (29 meters) wave he surfed.

Shops, restaurants, a church, and a Ferris wheel surround the square in Sitio, the historical Center of Nazare. Sitio sits up on the hill, near the Nazare Lighthouse. During our morning walks to the lighthouse the wind almost blows Marilynn off her feet.

We call Sitio “uptown” because the town of Nazare sits below on the Atlantic shore “downtown.” Both towns are connected by a steep set of stairs, as well as roads. A cable car is also in place, but it is currently closed for maintenance and technical upgrades.

My “happy place” is the grocery store. As the main family cook, I of course do the food shopping. Grocery stores reveal the intricacies of cultures around the world. When living in a different country for an entire month, food shopping is a wonderful way to experience understanding, respect, and cooperation. While people are friendly and helpful to this English-only speaker, I am grateful to supplement their kindness with my cell phone translator app, which is invaluable for reading labels. Also worth mentioning, grocery prices are less than half of those in the USA.

Restaurant prices are inexpensive as well. While we mostly enjoy homecooked meals on our balcony, the restaurants cook things I cannot, and provide us with delicious meat, seafood, and bakery options.

We love to share our travels through this blog, but it is extra special when we can share with friends in person. Welcome to our friend from the USA! So glad that he made it, considering all the airport and war chaos.

We spent the next week sharing our temporary home, the surfers, local cuisine, and the walled medieval town of Obidos, only a thirty-minute drive away.

About three hundred people live inside the historical part of Obidos, founded by the Celts about 2,000 years ago. Shops, restaurants, and residential dwellings line the cobblestone streets.

Until the 15^th century, Obidos lay on the coast, where ships would moor near its walls. Fierce storms and a tsunami dumped sandbars that moved the coastline five miles to the west.

We eat “Pasteis de Bacalhau” the deep-fried, spiced, oval shaped fritter made from shredded salt cod and in this case fresh melted sheep cheese in the middle.

Follow that with a glass of “Ginjinha” a sweet, intense Portuguese sour cherry liqueur served in a small, edible chocolate cup. Then burn off the calories by climbing the walls a bit.

We had a wonderful visit, but all visits must end.

Nazare sprawls along a massive beach full of frolickers, gamers, sunbathers, walkers, and a living museum intent on preserving the ancestral tradition of fish drying.

Marilynn and I walk down the steep staircase to downtown Nazare and sip small beers with the locals quite often. They do not have traditional bars here, where you cozy up on a stool and drink all day. Rather, some of the Cervecerias, which all serve meals, place a table on top of a permanently parked motorbike by the sidewalk for a stand-up bar.

We especially enjoy Sunday brunch on the beach with bikers, beers, and barnacles. Marilynn loves barnacles, but they are not my favorite food, resembling what an infant circumcision might look like. Not that I have ever seen one, just sayin.’

Time for another road trip. This time to two different UNESCO World Heritage site monasteries. “Mosteiro de Alcobaca” was built nine hundred years ago of Cistercian architecture. In the year 1223, it is believed that 999 monks moved in and masses continued without a break. Why not 1,000 monks? I have no idea.

The “Mosteiro da Batalha” sits a one-half hour drive away and is an absolute masterpiece of Gothic art. Reminds us of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Meanwhile, back at our apartment balcony (our main happy place), we sip beers, stare at the panoramic view, and reminisce about our one-month stay in Nazare. The weather stays cool, and intermingles between misty and sunny, with fresh wind blowing often. Perfect for us, as we avoid 100+ F degree temperatures in Arizona.

People we know in the USA talk about wanting to retire in Portugal. We can see why. The people here are gracious, open, and kind. And most speak English, which makes things easier for a couple of monolinguals like us. The cost of living is relatively low and the food is terrific. A lot to love here. However, Marilynn and I are not ready to retire from traveling and “living in different countries for a month.” Stay tuned, as we fly to Cyprus in a few days. War permitting of course.

Thank You, Abundant Universe!