Greetings again from Porto,
I hope this email finds you all doing well and staying healthy. We enjoyed a very pleasant September weatherwise, until the last few days, when we had another heatwave. Yesterday, September 30, it hit 89 here, which is definitely not normal.
Ron, from whom we bought our flat, was back in Porto for a visit and came by to see what we've done to the place. We had a lovely visit with him, followed by lunch at the little cafe around the corner from our place. It was our lucky day because they were serving Duck Rice as the special that day and, in the seven years Ron lived in Portugal, he had never had it, nor even heard of it. It's definitely a Portuguese specialty and, when you find a place that makes it well, it's heaven. Lucky for us, our little neighborhood cafe knocked it out of the park! The following week, before Ron headed off to Lisbon, we again got together for lunch, this time in the arts district. While there, Ron introduced us to his friend Bruno, who runs a restaurant and is also an artist. Small world, Bruno lives in the building next to ours. We exchanged contact information and he invited us to attend his upcoming art show, which we did yesterday. Bruno also told me about an art support group he belongs to which meets monthly. Once I get a little more confident with the language, I would like to attend.
Our good friends Debra and Larry came to Porto for a visit, and we had a grand time playing tour guide. In the four days they were here we had great food, showed them as many sites as we could, and finished with another Douro Valley tour, which was, by far, the best one yet. Our tour guide, Violete, was a hoot. She had us laughing all day and taught us a Portuguese saying about women ... These are her words: "Portuguese women are called small sardines because we are small, juicy, and we can be eaten from top to bottom with no bones". 😂 The first winery we visited was organic, and it was fascinating to learn the process they had to go through to become certified organic. It takes years of clearing the fields, not to mention money, while your fields sit idle. The winery, Quinta Dos Castelares, not only makes very good wines, they also make great organic olive oil and honey. Our tour guide at the winery was a 22 year old young man, originally from Morocco, who has lived in many countries and speaks seven languages. He was living in Ukraine when the war broke out and made his way to Portugal, where our government helped him find work. The owner of the winery took him in and taught him everything about the business, and now he is teaching tour groups like ours about the winery and their products.
We started language school ... real school, not online, two days a week, running through early June 2024. We get the same holidays and vacations as regular school kids get. I'm in the beginning level A1 class along with friends Nicole, Andrew and Chala. Nick is the next level, A1/A2 class, because he's further along in his speaking abilities. He's already buried in homework tonight. I've mentioned before how difficult this language is but let me just say, there are five different ways to pronounce the letter x; each verb is conjugated based upon the pronoun; there are six different conjugations for each verb tense; and, don't forget accent marks: á, à , ê, ç, and ã (there are many more). And then we have sounds, some of which are very nasal. Not to say there aren't other difficult languages one could learn, just sayin'.
FYI, If you are planning to travel to Europe in 2024, there is apparently a new process that applies for anyone, so be sure to check out the ETIAS website: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en to learn more. Once your application is approved (and that can take up to 30 days from what I've read) it will be valid for three years. Don't wait until the last minute to apply.
Good news ... the Portuguese government is starting to discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana. From what I've read, the real discussions will begin next year, but there is hope!
I finally got around to applying for my driver's license exchange. After completing my application online and submitting copies of a number of documents, including verification from my doctor and opthamologist that I'm healthy and can see to drive, I attended my appointment a few days ago. The clerk took my AZ driver's license and gave me a document that I must carry with me if I intend to drive in Portugal (it's apparently not useful anywhere other than here). He informed me that I should receive my Portuguese driver's license within the next six months (no guarantee). Nothing in government happens quickly here, we just have to be patient. We still have no plans to own a car here but, when traveling elsewhere I will need one sooner or later.
Remember the new radar on the highways that I mentioned in my last email? Well, in the first 24 hours after installation, 6,000 speeders were caught. Tickets are a minimum of 60 euros so, do the math. I'm not sure I would want to drive in Portugal!
I wish you all a very happy October. This year we will be better prepared with candy, as we don't want any more toilet paper hanging on our doorknob.
Adeus, abraços e beijos,
MaryLou
Pictured below are some shots from Debra and Larry's visit, including lunch at a winery, a shot of a terraced vineyard, and one from our short cruise on the Douro River.
