Tomorrow will mark the end of our second month in Setubal. It’s gratifying to look back and see what we’ve accomplished in that time. We know our way around this delightful city, able to find just about everything we set out to find. The nice thing is, that even with the comfort of no longer feeling like novices, we are still happily discovering little gems; small shops we’ll go back to after we move, perfect little cafes in the midst of the old town; more murals, sculptures, fountains, and artifacts that add grace, whimsy, and character to public spaces.
We’re progressing, slowly, in our language lessons. Although we recognize a growing number of words and phrases in our text book, we’re still shy about saying more than “bom dia” and “obrigada” to shop clerks. We’re getting pretty good about reading menus and knowing what to expect when we order. We are pathetic in our complete lack of comprehension when locals speak to us in their native tongue.
We’re learning about Portuguese history and culture. Reading good histories and tour books, we’ve gained an appreciation of this little country and her people. Come spring, we’ll be striking out on day trips to explore more of what our new land has to show us.
We stand in awe of the weather. Although we supposedly arrived in the worst season of the calendar, Portugal has been kind to us. The “rainy season” has yielded about two days with off and on showers, and another day with rain in the afternoon. One week, we had four or five days of overcast skies which was a true disappointment after weeks of brilliant blue, cloudless days. We muddled through. The forecast for this week is less rain and warmer temps. (Daily high temperatures to date have ranged from about 57 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit.) The downside of this nearly perfect winter is that the shortage of rain heralds a probable drought this summer.
We’ve made friends. Lots of warm, kind, interesting friends. I’m glad to report that our social circles are not composed exclusively of American expats. We’ve become friendly with a number of native Portuguese, and English-speaking immigrants from other countries, too. This week we met a great guy named Wim. He is Dutch by birth, spent 36 years in Australia, and has recently retired to Portugal. Just today, a group of expats – some of whom I don’t yet know – have been arranging a meet-up for an American couple who will be checking out Setubal in a couple of weeks. The US couple made a request on a Facebook page for Americans interested in Portugal for anyone in the Setubal area to meet with them and talk about our city as a potential place to open a B&B. A few local expats responded, including me. Pretty soon, one woman was inviting everyone to her house for a dinner party and a chance to welcome the potential new neighbors! No strangers here!
Tim stumbled into a part-time temp “job” this week when our friends Helene and Mike asked if he would oversee their new laundromat while they’re out of the country for two weeks. He’ll open the place up each morning via an iPad, saunter over after breakfast to clean the lint traps in the dryers, sweep the floor and make sure everything is running smoothly. At night, he’ll log on to check the video cameras, making sure the customers have all left and the machines are empty. Then he closes the door, turns out the lights, and activates the alarms with a couple of clicks on the iPad.
I helped my friend Barbara with an online store she’s opened recently. She has designed a variety of pop-up greeting cards and placed the templates and instructions online for people to buy. I downloaded a couple and she offered to help me assemble them. It gave me a chance to be guided by an expert, and her a chance to check whether a novice like me could follow her written instructions. A win-win for both of us, I think, plus a lot of fun.
On several occasions in recent days, Tim and I have found ourselves in the company of great folks in one cozy little restaurant or another. As conversation cascades its way through myriad topics, and laughter bubbles up enthusiastically, I’ve found myself sitting back to appreciate the moment. If I had any preconceived hopes of what our life overseas would be like, they would have been for occasions exactly like these!
We look eagerly toward the next two months, which will include a brief trip to Paris and our move into our own place. The real fun comes in discovering what unknown opportunities will present themselves.