The Portugal Papers

(Good Afternoon!)

This morning, I looked at Lisa and said, can you believe we did it? We’re here! The cats are here! Here is Braga, Portugal, and more specifically, I am writing this from our mattress on the floor of the guest room, currently our only furniture! (Note: I have told Lisa that this is as close to camping as I ever need to get.)

 The trip details aren’t super-interesting, suffice it to say it was a long journey, and we were excited/exhausted when we got here. We stayed at a beautiful hotel for two nights before moving into our flat. We love our flat! Three bedrooms, one of which we will use as an office, and two baths. A lovely kitchen with a pantry, induction stove, and a small oven. Will my American pots and pans fit? Stay tuned. 

Some “firsts” for me this week:

First trip to a Portuguese grocery store. I visited Mercadona, which is a little like Aldi, it’s a big store with its own branded items. The fish section takes up a third of the store and has more fresh and frozen seafood than I’ve ever seen, along with bacalhau (salted cod). The “deli section” includes an amazing array of cured/hanging hams that are sliced to order. Gorgeous, fresh bread. So much wine. I expect shopping will be more fun next time, when I’m not buying every staple item that we needed, and I don’t have to stop every two seconds to use Google Translate. I also can’t wait to check out the local produce markets!

First (of many) local coffees! If you know me, you know I’m an avid coffee-consumer. I have found my people here. I may never sleep again. Also, the little custard tarts called pastel de nata are delightful. Did I mention there is a local bakery/cafe/coffeehouse that is a 3 minute walk from our flat? 

First (daily) walks. Lisa and I are learning to be “people who walk places”. We are close to the city center, so most shops are within a 10-12 minute walk. The streets here are uneven, cobblestone, and hilly, so I’m definitely being more careful and getting my steps in! Think good thoughts as I work to up my cardiovascular game.

Early next week, we are taking the train to Porto for some much-needed furniture shopping! Until then, we love and miss you all!