Portugal: Year 3

Fall to Spring, 2024 - 2025 

The vagabonds return to Salema from their sojourn in France and Spain, and are delighted to be back in far-southwestern Portugal. This is a time for some maintenance of our townhouse, visits from friends and family, meeting new friends, and relaxing into our daily routines.

Projects

We have a series of improvements in mind for the townhouse. The challenge, as always in a foreign land, is finding reliable, skilled workers with whom we can communicate. Luckily, our next door neighbor, Sibeli, knows her way around, is generous with sharing her time and knowledge, and is a native Portuguese speaker to boot. She helps us tremendously with lining up the people we need for the tasks. During the fall we replace our tired old bathtub with a stylish, new tiled shower, install and seal new tiles on our two upper terraces, paint the exterior of the house, add some needed shelving, update some of our artwork, and make various other small enhancements.

Government Documents

Another time consuming activity is managing our Portuguese government documents. Our temporary residency permit in Portugal is due for renewal at the end of October. After considerable research, we find that the Portuguese Immigration Agency has been disbanded by the government due to inefficiencies and backlogs. Its various duties have been assigned among several other government agencies. However, renewal of residency permits is not yet up and running at the designated new agency. So, the government has extended the renewal date for permits like ours to June, 2025 (later this date will be extended again to October, then again to the following April). Governments at work.

Our attorney informs us that the replacement immigration agency seems ready to process our updated visa application (now two years in the queue) but due to their delays they insist that some of our application documentation is out of date and needs to be refreshed. Most of this is fairly easy, however, one document they want requires sending our physical fingerprints to the FBI in the States, then sending that result to the Department of State for authentication, then receiving that back here in Portugal. The process takes 2 ½ months with regular follow-ups to assure that the various steps are proceeding properly.

Golf

We miss golf as we were only able to play a few times while away in France. So we renew our membership at Penina Golf Club and play two or three times per week for fun and exercise. The course is not in good condition when we arrive due to lack of rain; by the end of October, though, it significantly improves as the rains return. We enjoy matching with and meeting new playing partners from various parts of Europe, including: England, Germany, Wales, Switzerland and Finland. The club pro, Lorenzo, holds a monthly clinic for members; his advice tunes up our swings. Rick decides that he can use some new woods.

Yoga and Hiking

Mary finds two studios that she likes in Burgue for in-person classes, and participates several time per week. She also attends on-line classes in the States. She hikes the cliffs around Salema several times per week too.

Food

We are also glad to be back where we can obtain delicious fresh fish and vegetables. Every Saturday morning the vagabonds head into Lagos for their weekly fix at the fishmonger market and farmers market.

Mary dives back into baking; soup-making including: split pea, savory sausage with lentils, and duck gumbo; and trying new recipies, such as pork cheeks. We also learn how to grill polvo (octopus) and squid.

Other Activities

Our days fill up with various other activities as well, such as staying in touch with friends through periodic calls; keeping on top of the news through on-line newspapers; tracking our mail; and managing our finances.

In preparation for Christmas we attend a concert at the Lagos Culture Center. A trio of violin, cello and piano play lovely classical music. We also visit the Christmas market in Lagos. And we attend the Penina members’ Christmas dinner party. It is a lovely affair. We stay over at the hotel for the first time since we have a tee time early the next day. Although the hotel is older, we find that it is still eligant and an enjoyable experience.

Illness

In mid-December Rick develops pneumonia with coughing, difficulty breathing, a tightness in the chest and general fatigue. He is treated at a local clinic but after several weeks improves only marginally. We seek out a pulmonary specialist who, after extensive testing, concludes that  Rick has an underlying infection that pre-dates the pneumonia; he terms it “interstitial lung disease”.  This is an umbrella term for a group of issues that cause scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs making them stiffer and harder to get oxygen into the bloodstream.

Dr. Martins, the pulmonary specialist, discusses these results with some other specialists in order to gain a communal opinion of how to proceed. Unfortunately, the pattern of distress as shown in the tests does not correspond to known conditions or causes. In order to better pin-point what is causing the problems and identify treatment he recommends a lung biopsy. After three months of trying, though, he is unable to obtain a hospital appointment for the biopsy. We learn through this experience that the Portuguese health care system prioritizes patients with minor illnesses that can be treated easily, and patients with serious, urgent needs. Those of us in-between these extremes queue for resources.

While waiting we arrange a video consultation with a US-based physician who specializes in interstitial lung disease. He is very thorough, carefully explains his obervations from the test results we sent to him, and confirms the diagnosis. He also refers us to a lung specialist in Boston with whom we make an appointment for early June. 

Friends and Family

Jayne

At the end of October, Mary’s long-time friend Jayne visits with her niece Jocelyn. They are with us for a week, then spend two days in Lisbon before returning to Wisconsin. We do the normal Algarve tour things: Sagres, Cape St. Vincent, Lagos, Luz and Penina. Then we take a two day road-trip to Sevilla. Each night at Salema we have a great meal and wines. After, we have a tournament of Rummikube and Yatzee. They are pleasant guests and the time passes quickly.

Annie

It is our sister Annie’s 85^th birthday!  Her children and their spouses join her for the big day, and we share a video call to celebrate with all of them. We learn that they are taking Annie to Columbus for Christmas with friends and family there.

Tina

In January, our sister Tina comes over for a week to see us. This is her first trip to Europe. She flies solo for an 18 hour trip (with layovers). Tina is an easy  guest. She loves the views, is comfortable just relaxing, and is happy doing whatever occurs. She and Mary hike each day on various trails and cliffs. Mary cooks hardy meals at night, and is glad for the company. Tina quickly learns to play Rummikube and is good at it.

Holly and Michael

On the same day that Tina departs, Holly and Michael, our friends from Californina, arrive for four days. They fly into Lisbon and see the sights there  before driving  down to the Algarve. Like Tina, they are easy guests. We take them to the usual nearby spots and in the evenings we eat well, drink well, and have a Yatzee tournament. Unfortunately, it rains heavily on their third and fourth days; they leave early on day four to visit Evora on their way back to Lisbon.

Ben

At the beginning of February, nephew Ben comes for a week for a change of scenary. He works during the day but is free in the evening. He enjoys sitting in the sun on the terrace viewing the ocean. He also goes down to the beach for some sun and a cold (60 degrees) swim in the ocean, which he says makes him feel great. We go to the fishmarket, farmers market, and wine store in Lagos, and (of course) eat and drink well.

Janel

Janel comes for a long-weekend visit in February. She enjoys sitting in the sun on the terrace, taking walks with Mary, and chilling out. While she is here we journey to Porches to a pottery-making shop where a half-dozen women are hand-painting the pieces.

While in Porches we have lunch at the Vila Vita German Biergarten and pick up some beautiful veal at their butcher shop. Another day we drive to Loule’ to watch the Carnival parade. 

Vickey and Dave

Rick’s twin sister Vickey, and Dave her husband, come for their first trip to Portugal at the end of March to celebrate our birthday! Their plan was to fly to London for the weekend to see Ben and celebrate Janel’s birthday. But while they are over the Atlantic a fire at Heathrow airport forces their flight to turn back! It takes three days to reschedule the trip. They are finally able to fly to Lisbon (scrapping the London stopover) and take a train south to Lagos where we pick them up and begin the birthday week celebration with a homemade pork cheek dinner and ample wine!

On our actual birthday the weather turns sunny and we go for lunch to the Laundry Lounge in Sagres where the waiters bring Vickey pastel de natel with a candle and sing to her. That night, we have dinner at O Artista which we think is the best restaurant in Lagos. The meal was and service is excellent. 

Road trip: We take an hour’s drive to Silves which has been occurpied since Roman times and became prosperous during the Moors’ occupation; by the 1000’s it was the capital of the Algarve with a large castle on the town’s hilltop. The castle is built of dark red stones and is of impressive size. Nearby is Sao Bartolomeu, the Se built in the 1500’s and an important church in its time. The current town has a small, indoor farmers market, and lots of small, winding streets with shops and sidewalk restaurants.

We also visit the nearby villages - Selema, Burgue, and Luz. We walk along the prominades, have drinks along Burgue beach, and lunch along Luz beach. At night we return to Sagres and the Laundry Lounge for dinner and live Brazilian Regea music!

On their last evening with us, Rick seeks consensus on whether or not to shave his beard. He has had it since New Zealand in 2019, but is tired of it and thinks he may look younger without it. Vickey and Mary agree. So, after Vickey and Dave leave he shaves. It is the most consequencial shaving decision since, 41 years ago, he shaved off his moustache on the day Claire was born.

Vickey and Dave take the train back to Lisbon on the 29^th where they spend a day touring. They also take a day-trip to Fatima.  

Ben and Janel

In mid-April Ben returns for a week and Janel joins him for a long weekend. As before, Ben works during the day and joins us for dinner and conversation in the evening. He also returns to swimming in the ocean most days.

The View Neighbors

The townhouse Owners Association sends out a proposed budget for 2025 for review and approval prior to the annual meeting in April. Some of the neighbors begin talking about questions related to the financial condition of The View and a lack of transparency into the Association’s business matters. They call a meeting at our next door neighbor’s, Nigel and Sibeli, who invite us. At the meeting we meet Phil and Sharon, who are from Australia and Indonesia, respectively. He was an oil geologist and has traveled the world. Also, we meet Ziggy and Georg from Switzerland (she is a physician). Through these conections we meet a number of other residents of The View, as well as learn a lot about the way the complex operates.

Winter Rain

Just like last spring in France, we have a LOT of rain in the Algarve in January, February and March. And it is windy so therefore chilly. It rains perhaps 5 days a week, usually in the morning. Since our woodburner isn’t  working, we don’t even have that to keep us cozy. At the last week in March it finally turns sunny for a few days. Then in mid-April the weather breaks to being beautiful and warm. On the Dia da Liberdade (Freedom Day) holiday (25 April) we attend a big band concert in the town square in Lagos.

Summer Plans

We usually have our plans for the rest of the year made by mid-winter. This year, though, we have been slow on the draw both because of the uncertainties surrounding Rick’s illness and because we don’t have a specific destination from the priority list in mind. We speak with the Malley’s about meeting  them in Europe and they are eager, but in December their beloved dog, Barney, dies. Now they are arranging to acquire a new  puppy in June which will limit their travel ability for a while.

We finally decide to go to the States at the end of May through the mid- Sepember. This will allow us to see friends and family, as well as seek additional medical treatment as needed.

John and Terry

Before we depart, our good friends from Vermont come to visit for ten days; this is their first time in Portugal. We pick them up in Lisbon and head north for a road trip. The first stop is Obidos, about an hour northeast of Lisbon. It is a quaint, historic village surrounded by an ancient, Moorish protective wall with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Inside the wall is a labyrinth of cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses giving it a lost-in-time quality.

The next day we drive to Alcobaca with its impressive monastery Mosteiro de Santa Maria founded in 1153 by the first king of Portugal. It grew to be richest and most powerful in the country, housing up to 1,000 monks and prospering for 700 years. The nearby village of Batalha also has a magnificent gothic monastery, also called Mosteiro de Santa Maria, founded in 1387.

We conclude the day in the university city of Coimbra seeing the elaborate, baroque Biblioteca Joanina (King’s Library), walking the narrow back streets, and listening to fado music.

Now it is further north to Galicia, the westernmost district of Spain, directly above Portugal. The main city is Santiago de Compostela which boasts the huge Romanesque Cathedral de Santiago, the traditional burial site of the Apostle Santiago (James the Greater) the patron saint of Spain, concecrated in 899. It is the end-point of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, a network of walking routes, some up to 1,000 km long. As many as 250,000 people make the pilgrimage during each year since the middle ages. That evening we dine at a very local restaurant along a side street, St. Lucia’s, where friendly, middle-age Lucia serves as chef and host.   

A Coruna is the northwesternmost city in Galicia. It is a port city and hugs the Atlantic coastline. From here the ill-fated Spanish Armada set out for Britian in 1588. We stroll along the pleasing avenues that line the marina. The houses here are made of stone block and feature extensions from the building that serve as enclosed porches. On the western edge is the Torre de Hercules, the oldest functioning lighthouse in Spain, dating to the 2^nd century.

Meandering down the fjord-like coastline we reach Cambados in Rias Baixas. We walk along the harbor, then retire to our rooms for local wine and Rummikube. Nearby are several seaside villages: Illa da A Toxa has a resort hotel with a chapel covered with sea shells and golf course. Acuario O Grove has a working fishing fleet; we enjoy a leisurely lunch of barnacles, oysters, mussels and scallops accompanied by a great Albarino wine. Combarro has a variety of antique horreos – small above ground grain storage bins attached to residences. Puntavedra is a lovely town for walking with lots of large piazas, few vehicles, and stately three-sorty stone houses. Vigois another port town set above a scenic harbor. Baiona is a seaside resort with a castle, beach, and a large bay surrounded by mountains; calm and peaceful.

Leaving Galicia, we drive south to Porto. We spend two days touring the city, its magnificent cathedrals, blue tile buildings, markets, and port cellars; and have a spectacular dinner along the River Douro waterfront.

On the way back to Lisbon we stop at Caves Sao Joao in Bairrada. John wants to visit the winery as he did business with it when he was a wine merchant. He really liked the wine and the people with whom he interacted there. We just dropped in; no appointment. But with John’s explanation of why we are there the lady in charge of the sales room takes excellent care of us. She takes us on an extensive tour of the facilities and caves, tells about the history (the winery was founded in 1920), and let’s us taste many of her wines. We buy several older wines to take with us. The day and the road trip are a success!