So Much Happening

Since my last post, we’ve been very busy, and loving every day in sunny (and not-so-sunny) Portugal.

Last week Mike and Helena took us for another exploration of our region of this little country. We drove through another stunning natural park and arrived at a place called Cabo Espichel, at the southern tip of the Setubal peninsula. The day was as perfect as days in paradise can be, with temps in the low 80s, low humidity, brilliant, cloudless skies, and a light breeze. As the car climbed to the top of a mountain, we were treated to a panorama of lush farmland, quaint towns, and rustic windmills. We passed groves of cork trees and acres of olive trees. Finally, we reached the flat top of the mountain which was covered with mounds of scruffy holly shrubs and patches of bare rock. At the edges of the mountaintop, the land dropped away to vertical cliffs with their feet stuck firmly into the sand of wild, secluded beaches, kissed by the deep turquoise sea. Sharing the breathtaking scene were a windswept ruin of a stone cottage, a large functioning lighthouse, the ancient remnants of a monastery, and a beautifully maintained old church. I took lots of pictures, some of which I’ll share below, but none of which do justice to reality. We spent at least 90 minutes up there, soaking up the sun and the silence of this oh, so peaceful place.

On Monday, Helena and I went to a nearby town to the home of a young woman named Cori. She’s an American, married to a Portuguese man, and the mother of three young boys. She and my Portuguese friend Milu hosted a brunch for seven women who have agreed to form the nucleus of a new social organization called Serendipity. We plan to meet monthly for fun and friendship, and to take on a couple of volunteer/social projects each year. It was a very nice day, and I agreed to host the June meeting at our apartment. I’m looking forward to getting to know the three women I met for the first time at Cori’s.

That night, I hosted another “dinner party” at our place, with Helena providing most of the food. She and Mike brought a lovely couple with them – guests in their Air B&B. John and Verna, from Seattle, have been on a tour of Portugal for several days, exploring the country for the ideal retirement spot. They had been impressed with nearly every city and village they’d seen, but when they came to Setubal, they knew they’d found their future home. The six of us shared stories and laughs late into the night. The next day, John and Verna opened a bank account and accomplished several other administrative tasks to make their transition to Portugal quick and easy. After a farewell dinner at one of our favorite restaurants yesterday, they left for Morocco, then back home to sell their house and pack their belongings. They plan to move here in October!

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be spending some time over the weekend with another couple who are scouting for their new home. I’ve been corresponding with Cathy and Dan through Facebook for several weeks, and we’re looking forward to showing them around town and introducing them to some friends. The day they leave, another Facebook contact is coming to Setubal with her sister to see if our city is right for her. Bethann plans to move to Portugal on a solo adventure this summer or fall, but is trying to find the perfect fit for her. After we’ve walked her around to see the highlights, she and her sister will join us at a Meet-up event with expats and locals at a little seafood restaurant near the beach. She’ll have a chance to meet our friends Ken and Jo, Helena and Mike, our tutor Helena, plus a few other welcoming folks. Let’s see if she can resist the charm of that bunch!

Amid all of this social activity, Tim and I have carved out some important projects of our own. First, we had our immigration interview on Tuesday, and were granted our residency cards for the coming year. That’s a big step, and one we’re excited to have completed. Additionally, armed with our newly-minted monthly transit pass, we decided to explore the far reaches of our city by starting to ride the many bus lines that weave across our flat city center and high into the surrounding hills. We’ve had minor adventures along the way, including on bus being forced off its appointed route by a road closure. As the driver wended his way through the steep and twisty roads of an “upland” neighborhood,” the streets got tinier and the parked cars more dense. Eventually, the bus reached a point where forward movement was impossible, side streets were impassable, and backing up was too treacherous to consider. The driver ordered all the passengers off the bus to find our own way down, while he pondered his predicament. I’ll wonder until I’m 106 how that poor man got that bus out of that pickle!

Anyway, we have many more bus lines to explore, but for a few dollars a month for all the bus, train, and metro rides we can squeeze in, you can bet we’ll be venturing further afield much more often in the future!

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