Week 4 is December 6-12 aka the Big Chill. Clearly we packed for warmer weather.
We are used to the Santa Ana winds in Southern California that bring warmth and drop humidity to frighteningly low numbers. The wind that arrived to Tavira must be the Santa Claus winds because it has a bite to it that I imagine is a mainstay at the North Pole. Our humidity is at 60% and the temp is 7° but with the humidity and winds it feels like 4° (Celsius). Let’s put it this way: Tom bought a scarf. The apartment has heat in the common room and the master bedroom; still, we need those scarves and beanies to comfortably lounge around the house. Thank goodness for forced air heating. We’ve met other expats who are relying on little space heaters!
Boas Festas
Lots of Christmas festivities kicked off in Tavira on the weekend, December 8 & 9.
Santa’s Arrival
Starting it off was a parade announcing Santa’s arrival into Tavira. They approached over the new bridge and then paraded through town before coming down the main road of Rua da Liberdade and ending at Santa’a Village. Santa was accompanied by baton twirling reindeer, juggling elves, stilt walkers and an eight piece band that played “Jingle Bells” on repeat for the entire 45 minute circuit (YouTube Video). They finished with a rendition of “Last Christmas” (YouTube video).
Traditional Music
Later in the day, a singing group “Searas de Outono” which translates to “Autumn’s Harvest” performed at the Old Mercado. This band featured traditional portuguese guitar, accordion and percussion music.
Motorcycle Parade
On Sunday, we went to Mercadinho de Natal in the nearby village of Cacela Velha. Meeting up with folks we met a couple days earlier, we had lunch at a Thai restaurant before arriving back into Tavira. Here, we waited for the Motorcycle Parade which was due to start at 15:30. Well, I felt a bit like Linus telling everyone about the Great Pumpkin because all we saw was a small group of carolers. Until … vroom, vroom! A line up of motorcycles appeared!
Lights of the Town
Nossa Senhora do Carmo is one of the most magnificent looking churches in the Algarve region, mostly Baroque in style, took roughly 43 years to complete. For Christmas, is brightly lit up with a neon outline and can be seen clearly from the other side of the river where we reside.
Cacela Velha
This is a cute little village with amazing ocean views. We hope to ride our bikes to it when those bikes arrive and the weather accommodates. On December 9th, they held their Christmas Market. It was a tough day for it because the winds were pretty strong and vendors’s displays were getting blown over. What a surprise it was to see see our language tutor, Ana, at the market. She used to own a restaurant and is now also in the catering business, so she had a stall where she was selling freshly made goodies and homemade sauces.
Catio
The cats got their long awaited catio. Too bad it is too cold to go out on much on it. The cats are itching for more stimulation than our apartment can offer inside.
Food
Tasquinha da Paula
We finally got a chance to eat at Tasquinha da Paula, a small traditional Portuguese restaurant in our neighborhood. Wow, this was an amazing experience. There’s no real menu, it is based on what the chef (Paula) makes for the week. We started with these clams and they were the most delicious I have ever had. Our entries were pork chops marinated in a red wine and made into a stew that you eat with a spoon, as Paula rushed to our table to point out. We also had a bacalhau dish which was equally great. The owners, Luís and Paula, spent at least an hour chatting with us and we learned so much.
Homemade Gingerbread Cookies
Baking attempt #1 was Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies. Forgot that we didn’t have a mixer, a rolling pin, or parchment paper. Still, they came out pretty good for a first attempt.
Trip to Faro
On Wednesday, I played hooky from Pilates to take the train over to Faro (pronounced Far-oooh). We didn’t have a plan, so we hopped on a TukTuk driving by Ernesto who turned out to be an awesome guide. We ended up at the mall to do some shopping for swim gear for the both of us as we hope to start swimming at the nearby indoor pool soon. I also was in the market for knee length puffer jacket!
Photos of the Week
Lindo
We run into pretty things and views everywhere we turn.
Goodies Galore!
Spoiled by our landlord, homemade pão (bread) cooked in their fire oven. Then a splattering of produce; this time, cauliflower, avocado, oranges, and tomatoes. A couple snails made the journey on the cauliflower too.
It’s Cold
It’s cold inside the apartment. Homes are often constructed out of concrete blocks which means the insulation in the walls is non-existent. Think about old time ice boxes, same idea. So, we are doing what the locals do, and wearing layers. Maybe locals don’t look as goofy as this!
Christmas Came Early
Our D7 Visas were not ready before we traveled to Portugal so we traveled on A Second Passport until our first passports were ready. We are thrilled to announce that we received our passports with the temporary residency visa stamped inside. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Sue, for FedEx’ing them to San Francisco then DHL’ing them to us. Now we need to pop out of the EU and then re-enter with our Visa.
We also received one of our e-bikes today. These are pedal assist and now we can explore outside our current radius. The other bike is due to arrive on the 19th.
Follow for More
I am trying to capture life in Portugal with weekly posts, a bloopers post, pictures on instagram and information on how to stay in Portugal for more than 3 months.
- For our day-to-day, see our weekly blog posts.
- For the confusing & embarrassing experiences check out the Daily Life post.
- Read these posts to learn about the Long Stay Process.
- For more pictures, follow me on Instagram @pama.rammy
