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.

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

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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. 

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.

1. Dawn. My house faces southeast so when I look out my kitchen window in the morning I can see the sun peeping over the horizon on the other side of the valley in the direction of Spain. In this time of Covid, with all its challenges, I welcome the sight of the sun at dawn as a sign of hope.

2. The bread lady. Five years ago, when I walked the Camino de Santiago, I noticed a van would drive through the villages, honking its horn and delivering bread to the houses that had a bag hanging on their door handles. Here in my village, I have the same experience. A van from the Pecado Divino padaria (bakery) in Rio de Couros comes barreling though the village to deliver bread rolls. I hang my bag with change in it on the gate post and the lady van driver, the padeira, stops and leaves me my fresh rolls. I even named my dog Divina, after the bakery, it means divine sin.

3. My neighbors. I live in a tiny village atop a hill in Central Portugal. Many of the houses are empty. Like elsewhere, people here have left the villages for the cities and better employment opportunities. Several of the homes are owned by expats – Belgians, British, Dutch, Italian. But everyone I have met has been outgoing and welcoming and I feel very much at home here. I especially like my near daily chats with my old Portuguese neighbor. She is a widow in her late 70s or early 80s. We chat frequently. I understand about 10 to 15 percent of what she says and I try my best as my language skills improve. But I love the contact.

4. My local hardware store. Manuel and Erminda, the couple that run the hardware store located about 4 km (2.5 miles) from my house, are always kind, patient and helpful. This is a trait I have found in almost all my dealings with Portuguese people. They are always willing to be helpful and they will give you time. You may have to wait for service because everyone gets the time.

5. My local restaurant. Saavedra’s. During the time that people have been allowed to go to restaurants in this dire era of Covid, I have so enjoyed eating lunch there. Fernando and his wife who run the restaurant and serve meals are the sweetest kindest people. You can see the smile even behind a mask. A wonderful three-course lunch with wine costs about 10 euros or less. I love the Doce de Casa dessert.

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I’ve been living in Portugal for 18 months now, long enough to sample a variety of the wonderful food that the Portuguese are so proud of. It’s too hard to list them all but here a three of my favorites.

Bacalhau á Bràs: it’s found in almost any local restaurant, one of the innumerable recipes made from dried salted cod. The cod is rehydrated and mixed with egg, potato sticks and olives. Sound odd? No doubt, but I love the simplicity of it, like a Portuguese version of one of those comfort food recipes like shepherd’s pie or meat loaf.

This Bacalhau á Bràs recipe is from Maura at Hostel 33, a place I was fortunate enough to stay a couple of nights on my research trip to Portugal in 2018.

Pastry

In my mind, nothing says Portugal like a pastel (plural pasteis) de nata. These wonderful concoctions of creamy custard encased in crispy flaky pastry are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of espresso coffee as you sit at a cafe and contemplate the world.

The recipe was developed about 300 years ago by monks at the Mosteirio dos Jerónimos in Belem. Although cafes all over Portugal serve these delightful pastries, the most famous is Pastéis de Belém, located at Rua de Belém 84, near Lisbon. The cafe has been making them since 1837.

Olives

Olives were never part of my food repertoire growing up. But 18 months in Portugal, where they grace the table at every restaurant as soon as you sit down, has made me an enthusiast.

I now live in an area surrounded by olive trees and I have spent hours helping neighbors with the annual olive harvest. Last year, one of my neighbors offered me the opportunity to pick some for eating. You can’t eat olives straight off the tree, you have to pickle them in brine first. It is a lengthy process but worth it if you have the time and the inclination.

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As soon as I spotted the red roofs of Lisbon from the airplane window, I felt elated to be home.

I’ve been living in Central Portugal for nearly 18 months now and each day in my rural community gives me a sense of joy that I just didn’t feel when I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (I have to add USA as, believe it or not, a lot of people don’t realize that New Mexico is actually one of the 50 states.)

Even though people in my local town of Tomar are wearing masks on the street and in shops, I don’t feel the atmosphere of fear here that I noticed in the US. Yes, the number of Covid cases has soared in recent months. As of Dec. 21 Portugal, with a population of about 10.2 million, had about 374,000 cases and 6,000 deaths from the illness, compared to more than 18 million cases and more than 324,000 deaths in the USA.

But in the conversations I’ve had with friends and acquaintances since returning to Portugal, I’ve noticed that the subject matter isn’t all about the Coronavirus and being afraid so much of the time.

Still, I was utterly delighted to spend time with my little granddaughter Annika, who turns one year old today. Hearing her laugh or feeling her little body asleep on my chest after singing her a lullaby was one of the greatest joys I have ever felt. Being a grandmother is great.

So now I am back in Portugal, where it has been raining heavily. The Christmas lights are out in Tomar. The Lidl supermarket is full of cod and cabbages, the traditional Portuguese Christmas fare, and the trees are heavy with oranges.

Boa Natal!

When I moved to Portugal in 2019, I knew it would rain. I thought I was prepared. After all, I’d lived in Ireland, England and southwestern Norway.

But rain in Portugal is different. It reminded me of a holiday in Bali. The travel agent had warned that it was the rainy season, but I wasn’t prepared for four days and nights of something that felt like standing under the shower and needing gills. Portuguese rain isn’t quite like that, but you get the picture.

I moved into my lovely, newly renovated stone cottage in July last year. For several months it was dry, dry, dry. The grass was dead, the hillsides were brownish, and did I mention, it was dry – and hot. However, despite, the heat a cooling breeze was always blowing over my hilltop village. And the stone walls of my cottage meant I never missed air-conditioning.

Come November, it started to rain, and rain, and rain. Stone walls are great for keeping out the heat. But guess what? Not great for cold temperatures. The house gradually felt damper and damper. The Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad even started to malfunction. Rooms started to smell of mildew.

A friend had planned to visit from the US. “I’m going to pack light, but you have a washer and dryer, don’t you?“ she said before arriving.

No, I don’t have a dryer. Electricity in Portugal is very expensive and most people I know depend on hanging out their clothes. Panic set in after days of rain, wondering if I would run out of clean underwear. The old Irish saying “It’s a great drying day” came to mind each time my phone indicated the possibility of some sunshine.

Fast forward a year and I am better prepared. I have a better rain jacket and a better wood-burning stove. It’s made of iron instead of steel. It radiates and holds the heat better so I can always depend on it if I need to dry some clothes. I also invested in a dehumidifier to combat damp rooms and mildew.

So, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain. There’s always a rainbow to brighten up the darkest day!

I first visited Portugal in 2011, exploring in and around Lisbon, with a short excursion to the Algarve village of Salema. I was so struck by the welcoming attitude of the Portuguese people I met, the charm of Lisbon and the laid-back atmosphere, that I began dreaming of retiring here. After a lot of hard work and planning, that dream became a reality for me in 2019. It hasn’t disappointed. Here are some of the things that have, and continue, to brighten my daily life.

1. Portuguese People

 I have found so much kindness and such helpful attitudes. Like the MEO internet technician who spent an hour helping me set up my computer and re-wiring my power strip even though he knew that the MEO service the sales people proposed wouldn’t work for me and I wasn’t going to buy it. Another time, a Millennium bank manager phoned me in the US, before I moved, to tell me how I could set up a savings account to AVOID paying bank fees. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes.

2. Coffee

I have become accustomed to the rich bitter taste of a “Bica” – what they call an espresso in Lisbon. A tiny thimbleful of dark high-octane coffee is just right mid-morning. 

3. Natas

Of course you can’t have a coffee without a pastel de nata (plural pasteis de nata), the flaky pastry custard cream cakes that are synonymous in my mind with a Portuguese cafe.

4. Living in the country 

 I love walking out my door each morning with my dog. I have so many choices of where I can walk without having to drive somewhere and possibly pay for parking. I can walk past olive groves and vineyards and happily hail those I see with a “Bom Dia.”

5. Harvests

I’ve been so delighted to help neighbors with their grape harvest “Vendima” and to assist in picking “Azeitonas” (olives.) This is such a key part of rural life here in central Portugal and I am glad to join in and learn new skills.

6. Festas

Before the Corona virus changed all our lives, there were so many fun country festivals. Every weekend during the summer a different village would hold a festival with food, music and general jolliness.

7. Markets

I love going to the weekly markets in my area.Whether it’s the small Sunday market in the local village or the larger Monday or Friday markets in the towns of Tomar, Ferreira de Zezere or Freixanda. You wander around, shopping bag in hand, browsing the vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, olives, meat, fish, baked goods, clothing, tools, household goods and gardening supplies. I love listening to the shouts of the vendors and breathing in the scent of grilling chicken at the “Frango” stand.

8. Country stores

I love shopping at the little shops 3 kilometers from my house. The Amenhecer grocery has all the daily supplies I need. The hardware shop and gas/diesel station next door completes the list. And even though the stores are out in the country, the prices they charge are the same as the bigger supermarkets.

9. Poppies

Although I am not a big fan of rainy days, the old saying about April showers is true. The wet spring we had this year brought an explosion of wild flowers in myriad colors. Every morning was a visual feast.

10. Stars

Living out in the country there is little light pollution. On the many clear nights, I can look out my bedroom window and see a sky filled with stars infinitely brighter than I ever saw when I lived in the city.