Posted inPortugal Daily Life
The Alentejo is Calling
The Alentejo had been calling, so we answered with a lunch plan. Mértola would be the destination. Everything else was negotiable.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
Mais Maio
May in the Algarve brings traditions tucked into village streets and small discoveries waiting just around the bend.
Posted inPortugal Culture
You Say Batata
That time when buying potatoes became a Portuguese verb pop quiz: batata cozer vs batata assar. Standing there, feeling like I’m being tested on two different subjects at once — vocabulary and cooking. Freezing momentarily, because this isn’t just labeling. This is a commitment.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
Taking Turns
This past week was all about turns: a turn on the trail, a turn around town, and then a turn in the weather — from a bike ride on recently dried paths to a community walk and, finally, a museum visit to escape the rain.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
What Grows Here
Walking around southern Portugal, it’s hard not to notice the plants. What grows here?
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
A Weekend Emerges
Being retired, every day is the weekend. With weekdays freely intermingling with the weekend days, a Bom Dia seems the most reliable greeting. Over time, though, something funny happens. The days begin to earn their own identities
Posted inPortugal Culture
Cultural Tastes
Cultural memory plays a quiet but lasting role in how food and drink are understood in Portugal.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
Artfully Adventurous
Usually, we start with an idea of an idea, and the day reveals itself into something cohesive. This time, art led the way.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
Super Streaming
This year’s theme at Carnaval de Loulé was superheroes: a steady flow of capes, streamers, satire, and spectacle moving down the street.
Posted inPortugal Daily Life
Body by Menu 2
Menu 2 is where things get personal. Sometimes you’re offered a choice in how you want your jitters delivered—coffee or juice.