I made my first new friend in an unusual way. Or maybe, the gods of Porto did it for me.

In all the online apartment hunting last week, I cast a post out on Facebook group pages for Porto expats. A lady responded that she has an apartment that will be available in October. We began to message, and the link to her apartment listing revealed a small but very attractive little T1. (One bedroom.) She went on to state that she is a lawyer and could work directly with me to arrange the contract – no need for go-between realtors or other parties. Here in Portugal, long term rentals have legalities somewhat like buying a house in that lawyers are necessary. I was intrigued, but cautious, since A.), I don’t know Portuguese rules and processes, and B.) It’s a crazy market here, just like the US, and any kind of scams could be out there for vulnerable foreigners. I told her I would talk to the consultant I’ve hired to help me with the visa process, as they are also helping me investigate apartments. We ended on a friendly note, with my promise to be in touch next week.

Sundays are quieter here. Many shops close, a nice tradition. I embarked on one of my meandering walks and found myself strolling along the granite embankment high above the Douro. It was a beautiful view, with a bright blue sky. I wound into streets that seldom see tourists and had fun discovering intimate small things like little gardens, a wild blackberry bush, and local cats.

Coming back into the Bonfim community (an up and coming, desirable area in the east area of Porto), I was walking along a quiet street. Out of the blue I heard someone call “Mha-mee!” I ignored it at first, then they repeated louder, “MHA-MEE!” (In Spanish and Portuguese, “Mamie” is pronounced “Mha-mee”. I knew this already because my hair stylist in Greensboro is from the Dominican Republic and she always pronounced it that way.) Looking around, I saw an attractive lady across the street, waving and smiling at me. This was confusing, because only two people in Porto know that I’m here, and she was not one of them. She called out, “I’m Sarah, from the expats post!” Only then did I understand that this was the lady I had been messaging about an apartment. Porto is not a huge city, but still, what are the odds that after a couple of messages, she would recognize me from my picture, from across the street?

We went for coffee and our connection was immediate. She’s been a lawyer living in Porto for 13 years. She’s bored and seeks adventure in another country, in fact she’s considering an opportunity in Saudi Arabia, thus the plan to give up her apartment. “Also, the men here in Porto, not so much”, indicating that it’s hard to find an interesting man who appreciates a smart, independent female professional. Like I said, we hit it off. 🙂

We agreed I would come look at her apartment on Wednesday. I fear it’s a bit small and it’s on a fairly busy street, but the area is quite nice.

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