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APPROVED
Just as I was publishing the December update earlier this week, an email from the Portuguese Consulate arrived: “We inform that your visa was approved and is now ready to be issued, you can send us your passport by mail so we can stamp the visa and mail it back to you as soon as…
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Unexpected Twists
Heartbreak. December arrived, and it was wonderful to be enjoying the season with my brother Bob, my sister-in-law Setsuko, and Pokey the black cat. We were excited about our upcoming drive to New York City for Christmas, where we would join all of Bob’s family in the Tribeca home of his eldest daughter, Sarah, her…
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Chasing the Visa
In exchange for a long-term visa, Portugal requires assurances that I can afford to live there and that I’m not a money launderer or similar undesirable rascal. As with any bureaucratic endeavor, it begins with a form, backed up with extensive proof. All in all, about 50 pages of documentation. I hired a professional from…
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Bolhao Market
The famous Bolhão Market is an open-air market that covers an entire city block. It’s an easy 5-minute walk from my apartment. Over 100 years old, it just reopened in September after a complete renovation. More than 600,000 visitors strolled through in September alone. I go here several times a week for the outstanding fresh…
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Esquires Coffee, Porto
The Best Way to Begin Your Day in Porto The day is quickly approaching for my return to the US to complete my long-term visa application. In this blog, I’m bidding “See you when I return” to the team at Esquires Coffee. I was surprised to learn that it’s a franchise, because it doesn’t feel…
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Ribeira: On the Edge of the Douro
The image above is a view from Ribeira across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the famous port wineries are located. Here’s another video attempt, from my walk down in the Ribeira district. Ribeira is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Happy Halloween
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October Update
Back to Porto, Moving In Wow, it’s almost a month since my last post from Figueira da Foz. A lot and not much has happened. I came back to Porto on Saturday, October 1, the day I was told I would be given keys to my apartment, even though the contract was not yet signed.…
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A Great Place for French Fries
Núcleo Museológico do Sal Both of the Airbnbs I’ve lived in provided a little jar of rough sea salt in the kitchen. It’s better than the store brands I’m used to, with a sweet tang that amps up the flavor of any dish. The Núcleo Museológico do Sal is a museum here in Figueira da…
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The Beach at Buarcos
It was a beautiful week and I repeatedly found myself asking how I got so lucky and blessed to be experiencing it. My Airbnb is in Buarcos, a civil parish in the Figueira da Foz Municipality, according to Wikipedia. As best I can tell, Buarcos was a small fishing village and Figueira da Foz has…
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Emigrants, Immigrants, Laundries, and Cornbread
This blog was written in August, in Porto, before I left for Figueira da Foz. The lavandeira, or laundromat, that I go to is clean and fully automated. You don’t even have to add soap. The touch screen commands are in Portuguese, French, English and Spanish. It happily consumes whatever size bill you insert and…
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Mamie Moves to Portugal 