Learning fun new skills in Portugal

Pumping up an inflatable kayak. — Friends loaned me an inflatable kayak for a few weeks so here I am inflating it prior to trying it out on the lake created by the Barragem de Castelo de Bode, near where I live in Central Portugal.

It’s been two years since I left New Mexico and moved to Portugal. During this time I have learned some interesting new skills – standup paddle boarding, kayaking, vegetable gardening and using a chainsaw!

These are things that weren’t so easy to do in my previous life. New Mexico is such a dry state. The high desert has a few lakes – like Cochiti and Elephant Butte – but those were relatively far from where I lived. By contrast, Portugal has abundant rainfall which makes for plentiful rivers, lakes and greenery. Things grow so much more easily here than in sandy desert soil.

Last September, a friend let me try out her standup paddle board and I enjoyed the experience so much I thought about buying one. While I was still thinking about that, some other friends offered to loan me an inflatable kayak and an inflatable SUP board. So, I am now busy trying them out. It is such a joy to be able to access water so close by, especially when it gets hot.

Standup paddle boarding and kayaking are popular on the lakes in Portugal.

Veggie Garden Delight

Gardening has been another hobby I have stumbled my way into here. When the Covid19 lockdown hit last March, some people thought there might even be food shortages. Since the guests I was expecting had to cancel, and I couldn’t do the trips I had planned, I decided to try my hand at growing my own vegetables.

Last summer I had great crops of beans, potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes (zucchini) and a few huge cabbages. Building on that triumph, I turned over the soil again this spring – aided by the generous contributions of my neighbor’s well-rotted horse manure. Unfortunately, I had an unwelcome visitor one night in the form of a wild boar – “javeli” in Portuguese. This vandal wreaked minor havoc among my plants. However, their incursion revealed that I already had a good crop of potatoes. So, I decided to harvest them.

Potatoes from my small garden plot. Tomatoes will soon be ripening and I’m already enjoying courgettes and green beans.

Winter learning curve

In Portugal, rain typically falls in winter and spring. The winters in the central part of the country are mild compared to what I was used to, and the summers are not as hot. But I live in a stone house which stays beautifully cool in summer and is downright chilly in winter. A woodturning stove is my primary source of heat. I’ve learned a few things about managing that too. You need LOTS of kindling! That means scouring the forests to gather pine cones and dry sticks. A neighbor loaned me her small battery operated chainsaw and showed me how to use it. I’ve had a couple of injuries from sharp objects so I had to overcome a lot of fear to try it out. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have now begun to lay in a good supply of sticks, cut to appropriate length for my stove. When the weather changes in November, I should be ready.

The battery operated chainsaw my neighbor loaned me, with the first small pile of kindling in front of my woodshed.

Reporters never give up: I file my first freelance article in Portugal

When I heard about Portugal Living, the new online lifestyle magazine being launched in Portugal, I got very excited. I’d been hoping to do some freelance writing after I settled here nearly two years ago, but to be honest, I hadn’t made much effort to find any opportunities.

Thank goodness for Facebook groups. I have joined many of the different groups aimed at expatriates living in Portugal, or people still planning to move here. They are valuable sources of information from people who have practical knowledge of the pros and cons of daily life here.

Bruce Joffe, the publisher of Portugal Living, who has been living in Portugal for several years, is a pastor and former director of communications at Printing United Alliance. He lives near Castelo Branco in Central Portugal. He decided that the existing online and print publications aimed at English-speaking expatriates were too focused on the Algarve region in Southern Portugal. His goal was to have news and features from other parts of the country, especially Central Portugal.

The first issue of Portugal Living appeared online this week and it will continue to come out each quarter. My article (on p. 16) is about a young businessman based in Castelo Branco who specializes in installing solar PV and solar water heating for domestic and commercial clients. So, it hearkens back to my first six years at the Albuquerque Journal where I was on the business desk covering energy and communications, focusing a lot on renewable energy. June 6 marks the three year anniversary of my retirement from the ABQ Journal. It has been such fun to get back into reporting again!

What’s to love about spring in Portugal: flowers, flowers, flowers

April is known in Portugal as the month of a thousand rains. This year was no exception. While we enjoyed bright sunny weather almost the whole month of March, April arrived with a downpour and the weather remained unstable for several weeks. But the best part of all that rainy weather – you got it, flowers! Red, white, magenta, yellow, purple, lavender and blue, in a profusion everywhere you look.

Gorgeous flowers brighten the long days of lockdown in Portugal.

Gorgeous flowers brighten dark Covid times. — Gorgeous flowers brighten the long days of lockdown in Portugal.

I usually walk several kilometers a days with my energetic young dog, Divina. The past few months I have been able to venture further afield to explore trails in areas around the small town of Alvaiázere. This little town has a whole series of trails that fan out around it.

Closer to home, there is a Shangri-la type valley which has a tiny hamlet called Quebrado do Meio. If you walk between the few, mostly abandoned, stone houses of Quebrado, there is a path that leads to a Roman bridge. It is still in good condition. You can walk over it and on the far side is the ruin of an old mill. Although much overgrown, you can still see the old millstones, the size of truck tires, and a huge wooden beam which must have served as a sort of spindle to hold the millstones.

The sign showing the path to the Roman bridge near Quebrado do Meio and a millstone.

Now we are well into May and the weather has gradually warmed up. Grasses are nearly chest high, people are out clearing land, tiny star-shaped olive blossoms drift under the trees looking like a dusting of snow. And there are flowers everywhere: scarlet poppies, tiny orchids, wild lavender and thyme that gives off its pungent scent as you tread forest paths.

So much to love about this place.

Portugal makes vaccination process easy to use

Covid Vaccination center in Tomar — Pavilhão Jácome Ratton, the Covid vaccination center in Tomar, is a spacious sports facility,

Portugal was slow to get its vaccination program going, but now the process is swift, efficient and user friendly – even for expats! (But you do have to be registered in the Portuguese system with a numero de Utente.)

Back in December, I received a text message from the Direção-Geral da Saúde; DGS, an office in the Portuguese health department which is handling the vaccination response to the Covid19 virus. It outlined a multi-phase approach. Some essential workers and people in their eighties would be receiving the shots first, followed by those in their 70s and 60s and so on.

Unfortunately, as many news organizations reported, the European Union’s approach to ordering supplies of vaccines left a lot to be desired. While the US and UK were able to go full steam ahead with vaccinating their populations, EU counties were short of the needed doses. In addition, there were concerns about the AstraZenica vaccine, the one being most commonly used in Europe, over a few cases of dangerous blood clots among the millions who had received the shot.

Online appointments

I filled in my personal information on the health department website, but by spring I was still waiting to hear when I could get a shot. I thought I would get a text or phone call from my local health clinic. But in late April, I learned that I could request an appointment.

I was able to request a vaccination appointment online. Within a day, I received a text on my mobile phone offering me a time slot. Once I texted back confirming I would attend, I was all set.

On the appointed day, I drove to the vaccination center, a large sports facility in Tomar, my nearest town. Inside, numerous assistants were available to help with the paperwork. They were quick to offer help in English to anyone who appeared to be having trouble with the form written in Portuguese.

Next, we had to give the completed forms to one of the assistants seated at a row of socially distanced desks. Large dots on the floor kept everyone appropriately separated as we waited to hand in the paperwork. The assistants checked off our names against the list of appointments for the day.

A row of booths had been set up for the actual vaccinations. It took less than a minute. After the shot, we were directed to sit on a numbered chair while we waited 30 minutes to see if we had a reaction. Another assistant informed us when the half hour was up and we could leave.

The only downside is that authorities here have decided to space out the vaccinations by 12 weeks, so my next vaccination appointment isn’t until late July.

Looking good for the future

But, Portugal has emerged from the lockdown imposed in January in a good situation. Numbers of new infections and hospitalizations are well down. Portugal is now on the “green list” of countries that UK travelers can soon visit without having to quarantine upon their return. And, US tourists may soon be able to visit the country again, according to Ursula Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

Healthcare services great for expats in Portugal

Portugal has a good quality healthcare system. In fact, the World Health Organization has ranked the publicly funded national health system, Serviço Nacional de Saude, as 12th best in the world.

Expats moving to Portugal from another EU country can use the healthcare issued in their own country until they obtain a residency permit. For expats coming from the US it is a little more complicated. US citizens must obtain a D7 visa if they plan to move to Portugal. Having private health insurance coverage is one of the visa requirements. Among the companies that offer the necessary coverage are: Cigna Global Health and Allianz Care.

Services easily accessible to expatriates

There is a network of health clinics in towns and villages throughout the country where you can see a doctor or nurse. In small villages, clinics are usually only open a couple days a week. Hospitals are located in the larger towns. There are also numerous private doctors, clinics and hospitals.

Once you have a residency permit you can register with your local health center (Centro de Saude.) You can then book appointments (Marcação para consulta) by phone, in person or online. Many doctors speak excellent English, so you don’t have to worry about communicating.

Costs are low

Portugal’s health insurance system covers most costs. But you may have to pay a small charge for the consultation and tests. Services are free for those over 65 years old. It’s worth knowing that costs at private clinics are very affordable compared to the US. For example, a visit to a dermatologist to remove sun damage skin spots cost just 60 Euros, without insurance.

You typically need a doctor’s referral to visit a specialist. There are specialists at local hospitals and certain clinics. However, there can be long waiting times for some services.

It’s usually easy to get appointments at labs for medical tests. Staff are quick, efficient and polite.

Private health insurance widely available

Allianz and Cigna are some of the largest health insurance companies operating in Portugal. Be aware that some health insurance companies do not insure people over 55. For other companies, the limit may be 65 years or 70 years old. In that case, an international health insurance plan is probably the best option. Banks in Portugal also offer health insurance.

Some useful numbers

For an ambulance in case of a medical emergency, call 112.

SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saude) hotline: 808 242 424 available 24/7 also in English

Follow my blog to get useful information on living in Portugal!

Portugal’s great hiking, biking trails

Portugal has lots of cycling routes through the hilly countryside. — Portugal is a great place to cycle, even though the terrain can be challenging. The scenery is spectacular and there is little traffic on the country roads.

Portugal has a great system of bicycling trails that are part of the Eurovelo network. Whether you ride a mountain bike, a road bike or choose to do touring, there are plenty of cycling options.

The Eurovelo network extends throughout continental Europe. In Portugal, there is a well-marked trail going from North to South. Another goes through Spain and traverses the country. Or, you can ride along an Atlantic trail in the Algarve, on the southern coast.

Cycling is very popular in towns all over Portugal. Even on country roads where there are no shoulders, motorists are very considerate of cyclists. I used to be terrified riding on some back roads in New Mexico. Here in Portugal I haven’t had any problems. Drivers in the country are used to having to slow for tractors and animals. I also haven’t encountered the broken glass that was an unwelcome feature of roadsides all over New Mexico.

Small communities all over Portugal also have networks of way-marked trails that are suitable for walking or mountain biking.

There are also some great long-distance hiking trails in Portugal. One of the better known routes of the Camino de Santiago, starts in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, and extends northward to the Spanish border. Another popular long hiking trail is the Rota Vicentina from Sines to Sagres, in southwestern Portugal.

Hiking trail under a hill with wind turbines on top. — Hiking on a way-marked trail near Alvaiazere, in Central Portugal. The trail goes over two big hills and skirts a valley beneath a crest where several wind turbines turn gently in the breeze.

If you like this post, please follow my blog! And check out my website: WhynotPortugal.com

Oh the joy of easing Covid lockdown restrictions

Markets are open again in Portugal — The Sunday morning market was buzzing with life today in my local village of Chãos, near Tomar in Central Portugal.

One of the happiest signs as Portugal’s lockdown is gradually easing, is the return of the local market. On Sunday morning, my local village of Chãos, in Central Portugal, was buzzing with life as vendors spread their wares in the market square.

Normally, the second Sunday of the month is a major local market day with vendors of gardening supplies, tools, clothing, shoes, kitchen items, veggie seedlings and young trees and of course – live poultry! It’s also a major social occasion as many of the older people show up to chat to their neighbors as they get their weekly supplies. A lot of that has been missing for the last three months. During the lockdown, which took effect in mid-January, only food vendors could sell at the local markets. The market square looked almost deserted as only a few vegetable sellers would show up.

Another newly delightful experience is being able to go to a cafe or restaurant. As of April 5, restaurants could serve customers outside. Up to four people are allowed to sit at one table. Luckily the weather cooperated, at least for the early part of the week. Sitting outside in the sunshine enjoying a meal with a friend for the first time in months was such heaven!

Typical Portuguese meal, mixed grill with French fries, rice and salad. — A typical Portuguese meal: mixed grill with French fries, rice and salad. At my local restaurant this dish plus wine and dessert costs just 7.50 Euros at lunch time.

Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa announced a phased relaxation of the “confinamento” restrictions on March 11. He justified the reopening plan based on the improvement in numbers of people infected and hospitalized with the Covid19 virus. Numbers soared in January, averaging more than 12,000 new infections daily. The situation threatened to overwhelm the country’s healthcare system. Costa said the restrictions appeared to be working. As of April 10, the daily average of new cases recorded over previous seven days was 541 cases.

Portugal, like many other European Union countries, has been slower in its vaccine rollout than the United States. As of April 11, 21 percent of the US population had been fully vaccinated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Portugal that figure was 6.1 percent, with 15.2 percent of the population having received one dose.

Portugal busy with spring activity

One of my Portuguese neighbors is hard at work in the huge vegetable garden he has created in recent weeks.

Spring has definitely arrived in my part of Central Portugal. The air is full of pollen, which is the bane of people with allergies. It’s a season when the sounds of strimmers (aka weed wackers) and chainsaws ring across the valleys as people clear their land. Portuguese law requires property owners to remove undergrowth and brush from their land to reduce fire risk. Wildfires are unfortunately all too common in some parts of the country during the dry summer months.

Now though, all is lush and green. The sun has been shining and my neighbors are out early planting their gardens. Last year was the first year I tried my hand at growing vegetables. Thanks to abundant rain in April everything I planted shot up, I even outwitted the snails. It was such a satisfying experience I decided to do it again this year. We are still in lockdown so I can’t travel. So far, I have planted potatoes, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, radishes and green beans.

Flowers provide a riot of colors

Warm sunshine has brought out the flowers too. The Rua Principal through my village is lined with wisteria. Calla lilies and deep purple irises bloom alongside several houses. Fruit trees began blossoming at the beginning of March and the plum trees along my street are already bursting with leaves.

Looking like some kind of purple waterfall, wisteria lines the street that runs through my village in Central Portugal

One of the best signs is the emergence of tiny blossoms on the olive trees. This is a necessary indicator of what kind of olive harvest can be expected. Since olive oil is a key agricultural product in Central Portugal people are eager to see the flowers. Last year the olive harvest was very poor. Many people blamed it on wet and windy weather during the spring.

Tiny blossoms on olive trees — Tiny flowers have recently appeared on the olive trees indicating the likelihood of a good olive harvest in October or November. Last year the olive harvest was very poor, so this is a good sign.

Portugal to emerge from Covid lockdown: slow and steady

Forest path symbol of the way out of Covid lockdown — This shaded path through a cork oak forest makes me think of what it has felt like during the latest lockdown. Emerging from the lockdown will be a long and winding trail requiring more patience.

Portugal has been in a “state of emergency”, otherwise known as lockdown, since mid-January. Last week there was good news from Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa when he announced a timeline for reopening life as we would like it to be.

I should be thrilled that from tomorrow, 15 March, hairdressers will be allowed to reopen. It’s been nearly three months since I had a trim and my head looks pretty wild and woolly. I am not alone in that! At least from what I can seen of my fellow yoga class participants on Zoom.

As for meeting friends for a cup of coffee at a cafe, that will have to wait until 19 April at least. That is when cafes and restaurants will be allowed to open in a very limited capacity.

It will still be a long time until my yoga group can meet again on the open area outside my house. Since there are six of us, it will be 3 May before groups of that size can congregate.

Timeline for reopening in Portugal

15 March: Hairdressers, barbers, daycare centers, pre-schools, primary (elementary) schools, bookstores, car dealers and libraries
5 April: Museums, palaces, art galleries, shops up to 200 square meters (2,152 sq.ft). Fairs and non-food markets will be allowed to open based on the decision of the local authorities. Low-risk physical activities outdoors will be allowed for groups of up to four people, gyms can reopen but no group classes.
19 April: Secondary (high) schools and universities, restaurants and cafes with a maximum capacity of four people at a table inside and six at terrace tables, until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on weekends. Physical activities outside with groups of up to six people. Outdoor events such as weddings with limited capacity.
3 May: Restaurants and cafes can open with no time restrictions, maximum of six at a table inside, 10 on terrace tables. No restrictions on sports activities.

Travel and border restrictions

Even though some things will be reopening, life will still be restricted over the upcoming Easter period. Travel between municipalities is prohibited for the weekend of 20-21 March and from 26 March until 5 April. This is because Easter (4 April) is a big event in Portugal, a time when families typically get together.

The Border with Spain will remain closed until 5 April.

So, I am at least glad I can enjoy hiking with a friend and experiencing the glories of spring in Portugal.

On a walk through a forest near Ourem this morning I passed these gorgeous flowers. The colors brightened my day.

Happy signs of spring in Portugal after Covid crisis

Spring at last is appearing in my part of Central Portugal. I’ve seen daffodils, irises, blossoms on the fruit trees and all kinds of flowers I don’t even have names for.

For me, these welcome signs couldn’t come soon enough. Covid numbers skyrocketed in Portugal right after Christmas leading the government to impose a lockdown in mid-January. Restaurants, cafes, hairdressers and all but essential shops were closed. School closures followed on 22 January. At the same time, the unusually cold but bright weather we’d been experiencing turned to clouds, rain and more rain. Spirits drooped.

Covid numbers improving

The good news is that the lockdown seems to be having the desired effect. After a few weeks where Portugal had some of the highest rates of infection and mortality, numbers of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations are declining.

With the arrival of March, it feels like we are turning a corner. Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa said on 26 Feb. that he expects to make an announcement on 11 March about a plan for “deconfinement.”

““I am certainly the first to share the same anxiety so that we can quickly turn the page on this confinement and I am well aware of the cost to everyone’s life,” said the prime minister. “I am well aware of the cost for the companies, for those who have lost their jobs,” he added, ensuring that the Government has sought to “always maintain balance”.

March 2 was the anniversary of the first Covid cases identified in Portugal. As of March 1 this year there were 804,956 cases and 16,351 deaths recorded in Portugal, according to the statistics website Worldometers.in fo. Portugal has a population of around 10.2 million. Worldwide, the website showed 114 million cases, 29 million of those were in the United States

The weather has changed too. For the past few days, we have enjoyed sunshine and temperatures of around 16 to 18 degrees Celcius (in the mid-60s Fahrenheit.) Flowers are everywhere. The plum and peach trees I planted last year are bursting with blossoms. So I hope I will have plenty of fruit come summer.

It’s a joy to walk through the lanes and see the bright splashes of color. The sound of chain saws and brush clearing machines is another sign of spring in Portugal. People trim their olive trees to encourage fuller and more productive growth. Laws require people to clear their land of brush to deter forest fires.