Portugal Celebrates its freedom

A carnation decorates the civic building in Grandola — A carnation decorates the municipal building in Grandola. The flower was the symbol of the 1974 peaceful revolution that ended 42 years of dictatorship.

Today, April 25, is a historic date in Portugal. Fifty-one years ago, the ‘Carnation Revolution’ ended the decades long dictatorship under António de Oliveira Salazar. Last year, when Portugal commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the revolution, tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate in Lisbon’s Avenida de Liberdade. This year will be a quieter affair, but it is still a public holiday. The main square in my town of Tomar will be filled with stands selling food and drinks, there will be music and song.

Flower power

The revolution was plotted and carried out by a group of young army captains. Disenchanted by having to fight in bloody wars in Portugal’s colonies of Angola and Mozambique and the repression at home, the captains plotted in secret. The signal to start the coup was the song “Grandola Vila Morena”, played on the radio.

A few hours after the tanks rolled into Lisbon streets, Salazar’s successor, Marcelo Caetano, peacefully relinquished power. Out on the streets, women from a flower shop placed carnations in the barrels of the soldier’s guns. Hence the name, Carnation Revolution.

What did the revolution achieve? The ‘Estado Novo’ that Salazar created in 1932 was a time of secret police and political prisons. A time when neighbors informed on neighbors. People were forbidden to gather in public. Women were not allowed to work outside the home, travel, or even open their own mail without their husband’s permission. Salazar discouraged modernization. Instead, he encouraged the people to uphold the old ways. Thus, the Portugal of 1974 was a desperately poor, backward country.

Historic photo of crowds in Lisbon on April 25, 1974, celebrating the end of the dictatorship.

Facismo Nunca Mais

People who packed the streets last year shouted the slogan, “Fascismo Nunca Mais”, no more fascism. Although historians say Salazar was not a fascist, he was an ultra-rightwing authoritarian who used his secret police (PIDE) against political opponents.

The poet Sophia de Mello Andresen, wrote a poem that captured the elation of the first days of freedom. “Esta e a madrugada que eu esperava”. Roughly translated, it means, this is the dawn that I longed for. She continues, saying that it was like emerging to a brand new day free from night and silence.

Shifting winds

Fifty years later, the political climate in Portugal is changing. The far-right “Chega” party has gained ground since it was founded in 2019. Many were stunned when Chega won 18 percent of the votes cast in a national election held in March 2024. In this, Portugal was like several other countries in Europe, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, which have seen a surge in support for right-wing parties.

However, Chega did not perform as well in the European parliament elections in June 2024. Polls in advance of a snap election called for May 18, show Chega’s support has continued to slip. So the future is unclear.

A band plays the song “Grandola Vila Morena” in Grandola, Portugal, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. The song, played on the radio was the signal for the troops to begin the coup to overthrow the dictatorship.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to read about my Digger Doyle Mystery novels.

What, no Portuguese wine for US?

shows huge warehouse full of port wine — Barrels of Port wine at the famous Taylor & Fladgate port house on the Douro river in Porto.

Portuguese people are proud of their wines and they export them internationally. The United States is the largest market, followed by the UK, France, Brazil and the Netherlands. Wine exports totaled more than $1 billion in 2023.

Well, guess what! The US isn’t going to be buying any more wine from Portugal –– at least for the time being.

That is the word from Paulo Amorim, president of the National Association of Traders & Exporters of Wines & Spirits. The Portugal News quoted Amorim saying, “The USA has stopped orders for Portuguese wines and wines from Europe.”

Amorim blamed the present climate of business uncertainty following the US administration’s actions to slap tariffs of 20 percent onto goods from European Union countries.

This could be a significant blow to Portuguese wine growers. Hillsides all over the country are covered with vines. The Douro River Valley is famous for the grapes used to make Port, a style of wine fortified with a type of distilled spirit known as “aguadente”.

Other Portuguese wines that have gained a following in the US are the lightly sparkling, low alcohol, white wines known as “Vinho Verde.”

And who can forget Mateus Rosé. I remember that as one of the first wines I ever experienced as a college student in the 1970s. Well, it’s still being made.

Harvesting grapes in September at a vineyard near Penela, central Portugal.

DEI letters to businesses

Another disturbing situation arose recently. Portuguese businesses that supply goods and services under US government contracts received letters telling them, essentially, to end diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Similar letters were sent to businesses in other European countries.

Companies that have such contracts are reported to include, Vodaphone Portugal, Fidelidade, GALP and Allianz Portugal.

So, far there has been ‘muted’ reaction from the businesses and the Portuguese government, according to a story in Newsweek.

University programs canceled

Back in March, the US canceled programs at six universities in Portugal. The “American Corners” programs are “information and culture centers” financed by the US State Department, according to a story in Portugal News.

The schools were also questioned about whether they were involved in ‘investigations involving terrorist associations, cartels, human and drug trafficking, or organizations that promote mass immigration.”

The president of one school, Instituto Superior Técnico, Rogério Colaço, reportedly called the questions, “quite inappropriate.” The other universities are: Azores, Aveiro, Porto (faculty of arts), Lisbon (faculty of Arts) and Nova de Lisboa (faculty of Science and Technology). Colaço and heads of the other universities refused to answer any of the questions.

The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel this week told reporters he welcomed “the position of Portuguese universities.”

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Check out my website RosalieRayburn.com for news of my Digger Doyle mystery novels.

Portuguese concerns about US

Hands Off posters in Lisbon — People gathered with “Hands Off” posters in Lisbon’s Praça do Comercio, on April 5.

Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, was one of several European cities that saw people waving “Hands Off” banners on Saturday, April 5. Similar public gatherings were taking place in Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, and in France, the UK and Germany.

According to NPR (National Public Radio), more than 1,000 gatherings took place across the US, protesting the Trump administrations “plans and policies” such as “mass firing of federal workers”, “immigration raids” and the “involvement of billionaire Elon Musk in federal government activities.

In Portugal, local sources reported that about 700 people, mostly Americans, took part in the gathering at the Praça do Comercio in Lisbon.

Barrels of Port wine age at the famous Taylor’s Port house by the Douro river that flows through Portugal’s second largest city, Porto. Portuguese merchants fear tariffs could harm their exports to the US.

Tariffs bring worries

The possibility of tariffs on goods the US imports from Europe has the Portuguese worried. Probably the best known commodity Portugal exports is wine, especially the high-dollar Port wines. The country also exports pharmaceuticals, textiles, cork and leather products.

So far, the situation appears unclear as the possibility of a 10 percent tariff on European goods, with retaliatory tariffs on US exports to the EU, is paused.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. And check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to read about my Digger Doyle mystery series.

Portugal sees influx of Americans

A headline in the Portuguese newspaper Publico on Saturday, March 22, caught my eye. It said “Emigração americana para Portugal dispara: mais 50% em 2024”. Roughly translated, it means American emigration to Portugal rose more than 50 percent in 2024.

The first sentence in the article said that Portugal, in recent years, has become an exile destination for Americans fleeing the political climate in their country. It said there are now nearly 21,000 US citizens living in Portugal, according to official figures from AIMA, SEF (Portuguese agencies that handle immigration), the US Embassy, and the Bank of Portugal.

The multipage feature article included interviews with several US citizens, couples and singles ranging from 39 to 68, who told their own stories about why they chose to move to Portugal.

The website of Madeira Corporate Services, a company that helps people relocate, lists five key reasons. Those reasons include, Portugal being a safe country, access to low-cost healthcare through the Portuguese system, political uncertainty in the US, and opportunities for digital nomads in Portugal. Plenty of articles and social media posts reinforce this information.

Article in Portuguese newspaper on Saturday, March 22, says American emigration to Portugal increased more than 50 percent in 2024.

How are the Portuguese reacting?

I moved to Portugal in 2019 and lived in a small village for five years. I found the Portuguese friendly, welcoming and kind. I rarely encountered any rudeness or witnessed arguments in public. The pace of life is slower than the US and it is vital to accept that if you want to live here. Since 2019, I have witnessed property prices soar. Lisbon continues to be the most expensive area.

There are concerns that foreign buyers have caused this price escalation. It has made it increasingly difficult for Portuguese people to afford rents or buy houses or apartments. So far though, I have not heard or read about a backlash against foreigners, including Americans, moving to Portugal.

Travel Concerns

While an increasing number of Americans are traveling to Portugal, several European countries, including Germany and the UK, have warned about travel to the United States. This is after reports of people with visas or Green Cards being stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering the US or even being detained. Just yesterday, a Dutch friend said she received a government alert from Holland warning her about travel to the US.

Dom Luis Bridge in Porto — The double-decker Dom Luis bridge over the River Douro in Porto.

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Portugal headed to the polls again in May: third time in three years

Stormy skies above the rain engorged Rio Nabão in Tomar, central Portugal.

Spring in Portugal has been wet and stormy. This includes the political climate as well as the weather. A tempest arose a few weeks ago when the Portuguese press reported a potential conflict of interest involving the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.

According to Politico.eu the issue was the data consultancy firm Spinumviva which Montenegro founded in 2021, before entering politics. Montenegro had transferred ownership of the company before the national election in March 2024, when he became prime minister. But questions arose as to whether he was personally benefitting from Spinumviva’s government contracts.

Long story short, Montenegro lost a vote of confidence and a snap election has been called for early May. It will be the third election in Portugal in three years.

Rinse and Repeat?

The last election was the result of the resignation, in late 2023, of the previous prime minister, António Costa, in connection with an influence-peddling investigation.

Costa and his Socialist Party, won an unexpected majority in an election in January 2022. That election was called after the budget proposed in October 2021, was rejected. Costa is now president of the European Council.

The 2024 election saw a big increase in the number of seats won by the right-wing Chega party headed by André Ventura. Chega didn’t perform as well in the European Parliamentary elections held in June 2024, so it will be interested to see how they fare in May.

Clothes hanging out to dry on a windy day in the historic center of Tomar. The iconic Templar castle and Convento de Cristo is in the background.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Visit my website, RosalieRayburn.com to read about my Digger Doyle mystery series.

Tomar: small town charm in Portugal

Tomar’s historic Templar castle is lit up at night

I see a lot of social media posts by Americans saying they want to move to Portugal. What are they looking for? Well, at the moment, it seems like they are looking to escape an increasingly scary political situation in the US.

Every time I hear this, I ask them: what kind of life are you looking for?

Me? I was looking for community. Moving to a small town in Portugal gave me the opportunity to make connections with my neighbors, with the people in the tiny stores and restaurants, with the familiar faces I see on the streets each day. I see them on the street because I am walking. In the US, I was always driving in my car.

I moved to Portugal in 2019, lived in a tiny village for five years and now live in the historic town of Tomar, founded 1160. Every day, I run into people I have come to know during my time here. Exchanging a “bom dia”, “boa tarde” or “boa noite”, depending on the time of day, gives me a great sense of belonging.

City girl visits Tomar

This weekend, a British friend who lives in the Lisbon area, came to visit. She had never been to Tomar before. The train journey from the Santa Apolonia station in Lisbon to Tomar takes about two hours. It is a regional train which stops every 10 kilometers. About 30 minutes before the end of the journey, in a town called “Entroncamento”, the line branches off. The main line continues north, the branch line goes to Tomar, the final stop.

If you get in the wrong car (carriage) in Lisbon, you can find yourself stranded in Entroncamento, because only the first three cars of the train continue to Tomar. One friend who visited in 2022 actually got stranded in Entroncamento, because she was in the wrong carriage.

What’s in a town?

Coming from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon, my friend found Tomar very quiet. But that is its charm. The old part of town, where I live, is a network of tiny, cobbled streets where people chat in doorways. It has dozens of cafes and restaurants where people enjoy coffee morning, afternoon and evening.

Mostly it is known for its stunning Templar castle and the associated Convento de Cristo, a UNESCO world heritage site which draw tens of thousands of tourists each year.

Rosalie (left) and friend Ginny, pose with a man dressed as a Templar knight at the gate of the castle in Tomar.

Unfortunately, this being March, the weather did not cooperate for my friend’s visit. A major depression called “Jana” was predicted to affect the country over the weekend, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds and dangerous waves. We saw everything but the waves. Luckily, we had umbrellas!

However, one thing my friend enjoyed during her stay, was my supply of British PT Tips tea bags. Knowing how hard it is to get good quality tea here in Portugal, an English friend brought me a bag of 1,100 tea bags last year. Despite my daily cuppa habit, I still have several hundred left.

Hallelujah! It’s raining tea bags in Tomar.

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Portugal celebrates ‘Carnaval’

A little boy drummer leads his school friends in the carnival parade in Ferreira do Zezere, central Portugal.

It is “Carnaval” time again in Portugal this weekend. Yes, that is how they spell it here in Portugal, where every town and city around the country is celebrating with music, dancing and parades. The carnival tradition supposedly originated hundreds of years ago in Italy. Catholics were not supposed to eat meat during the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter Sunday. So, they began the custom of holding a lively costume party festival on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. They called the festival “carne vale” which means “put away the meat.”

Here in Portugal, the tradition goes back to the Middle Ages. The oldest known carnival celebration started in the thirteenth century in the city of Torres Vedras, about 43 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Lisbon.

Often groups in small villages all around a larger town will get together to create a float or parade group around a theme. Movies, popular bands and local sport clubs are frequent themes. Sometimes the floats have highly political messages, with signs or costumes satirizing current issues or poking fun at well-known government personalities.

Maybe Celtic origins?

The village of Podence in the Tras os Montes region of far northeastern Portugal is known for its unique colorful costumes and the bizarre antics of the revelers, called “Caretos.”

Men from the village and surrounding area are clad in home-made woolen costumes in red, green and yellow. They wear red masks made of wood or leather. They hang metal rattles and bells from their belts and often carry a wooden staff.

These “Caretos” go round the village shaking their rattles and bells at any women they find. Supposedly it’s all about spring, fertilization and new growth after the long winter. The festival in Podence and Macedo de Cavaleiros nearby, has been designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Some historians believe the festival is linked to ancient Celtic fertility rites.

The village where I used to live celebrated with a carnival dance “Baile Carnaval” in the local association hall. There was plenty of traditional Portuguese music, which sounds to me a lot like polka tunes or the kind of Mexican “rancheras” I was used to in New Mexico. A lot of local people showed up and danced enthusiastically or joined in the conga line if they couldn’t find a partner.

This year I will experience Carnaval in the town of Tomar where I moved late last year. In addition to the usual parades for children and adults with parades for children and night time concerts in the main square.

As is typical here in Portugal, the concerts will start around 10 p.m. Since I live in the historic center of town, I am sure I will hear the music. However, I am not a late night person, so I might not see the bands in person.

Local musicians bring a carnival spirit to the local market in Chãos, central Portugal.

In the US, the carnival tradition is observed in New Orleans as “Mardi Gras” or Fat Tuesday. The days-long festival in Rio de Janeiro is world famous for its samba bands. Tomar also spreads the festivities over several days..

Revelers crowd the streets of Tomar, central Portugal to watch the carnival parade.

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New US political scene driving some to think of moving

Shortly after the US election on Nov. 5, 2024, I gave a scheduled zoom talk to a group of women to talk about the experience of moving to Portugal. The women were all living in Albuquerque, the city I had moved from. They were concerned that changes the new president intended would make daily life increasingly difficult for them.

Fast forward to the end of January. The new president has been in office for less than two weeks and it is already clear that he is swiftly carrying out the radical agenda he signaled during his campaign. Actions to deport vast numbers of immigrants, actions to cancel “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” provisions in the workplace and other setting, an attempt to freeze funding for federal grants, and on and on. The speed of all these executive actions has alarmed many Americans.

I’ve seen a lot of social media posts and heard many people say they are thinking of leaving the US to escape an environment that is making them increasingly uneasy. I understand this. The level of mean-spiritedness that is currently prevalent in the US is depressing.

The expat experience

In the talk I gave, I advised everyone to think long and hard about their motivation to leave their home country. It is a huge decision. To make such a move requires determination, patience, persistence, flexibility, adaptability and courage. You will encounter innumerable unexpected challenges: coping with a foreign language, understanding the metric system, using a different currency and banking system, different business hours, food, customs etc etc.

It is important to remember that when you move to another country, you are not entitled to criticize the customs and culture of that country. I follow many Facebook groups created by and for expat groups in Portugal. Many of these groups have changed their names to reflect the reality that Americans, British, Canadians, or whatever, who relocate to live in Portugal, are immigrants.

Do your research

If you really want to move abroad. Do all the research you can online, then visit your target country. Spending time walking the streets of a different country, eating the food, experiencing the weather and the scenery and talking to the people, is critical for deciding what suits you and your personal lifestyle.

Some useful tools

I had lived in eight different countries before I moved to Portugal in 2019. Before I made the move I did extensive research. Here are some of the websites I found most useful:

Information on visas for Portugal: D7 for those with passive income, D8 primarily for digital nomads. Information for visas and relocation opportunities to other European countries.

Cost of Living comparison: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

Climate in Portugal: blog site with useful info about climate conditions for healthhttps://www.ourportugaljourney.com/p/the-weather-regions-of-portugal

Workaway opportunities that give you a place to stay and an opportunity to make useful contacts when you make your research trip: https://www.workaway.com

Property information: Rents in Lisbon

cost of living in Lisbon: https://housinganywhere.com/Lisbon–Portugal/cost-of-living-lisbon

Property listing websites: Idealista.com, https://pureportugal.co.uk

So, do your homework, follow your heart and seek adventure. Subscribe by following my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. For the latest on my Digger Doyle mystery novels go to RosalieRayburn.com

Cristo Rei statue overlooks city of Lisbon — The Cristo Rei statue overlooks the Tejo river in Lisbon. The statue is similar to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

US visit brings memories, successes

View of Sandia Mountains — The majestic sweep of the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque.

A visit to Albuquerque always brings back memories. I lived here for 22 years and was a reporter at the Albuquerque Journal for 18 of those years.

One of the things I miss most since I moved to Portugal in 2019 is the high desert scenery of New Mexico. Yes, it is arid, but oh is it majestic! I love the enormous blue sky and being able to see for 60, 70, or more miles across to the different mountain ranges.

One of the other things I miss in Portugal is the very special cuisine of New Mexico. It is different from anything you get in other states that have “Mexican” influence. Residents of New Mexico are proud of their chile. And by the way, in New Mexico, the long thin spicy vegetable is always spelled “chile” like the country, NEVER “chili”. That’s for Texans. Some of my favorite dishes are: green chile stew, green chile chicken enchiladas, posole (with red chile) and breakfast burritos with green chile, potatoes, scrambled egg and bacon. Yum!

A bowl of green chile stew with tortilla — A bowl of delicious green chile stew with a tortilla at Garcia’s Kitchen in Albuquerque.

Food is a character in my books

One of the main reasons I came to Albuquerque this time was to promote my latest “Digger Doyle” mystery book, Windswept. Readers of my first two books, The Power of Rain, and The Sunshine Solution, have mentioned how scenery figures prominently in each of the stories. Some have said the landscape is almost a character. Food is also a key component of my Digger Doyle stories. She knows the best places to get a good breakfast burrito. Digger’s wife, Maria Ortiz, makes a mouth-watering green chile chicken enchilada, and Maria’s lovable grandmother, Abuela, specializes in posole.

Interestingly, the editor who worked on my latest book was British. I found her through a Facebook group for writers. She assured me she was comfortable working with a US author and I was impressed by her work. However, she did comment that every time my characters sat down to a meal they were always eating chile. Well, it is a New Mexico thing.

Book events

Since arriving in Albuquerque on Jan. 8 I have done three book reading/signing events and sold many copies of the new book and a few copies of The Power of Rain and The Sunshine Solution. I am also delighted with the response I have had from local book stores. Albuquerque book stores that will now carry my books are: Organic Books in Nob Hill, Page 1 Books and Treasure House Books & Gifts in Old Town. Bookworks and Books on the Bosque have also committed to buying copies. All three books are now available at Collected Works book store in Santa Fe.

I have one more book reading/signing event: Saturday, January 25, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Treasure House Books & Gifts, 2012 S. Plaza NW in Old Town Albuquerque.

Holding a copy of my new book, Windswept. In the background is a picture from the 1940s of Central Avenue in downtown Albuquerque.

Follow my blog to learn more about my books and life in Portugal, and check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to buy a copy of my books.

Rain, sun and wind, make a trio of mysteries

There is nothing quite so exciting for a writer as the moment when you get a printed copy of your book in your hands for the first time!

That moment happened again for me today when I was finally able to pick up a copy of “Windswept”, my third “Digger Doyle” mystery. Although the book was officially published at the end of November, logistical and geographical complications hindered me from obtaining my own copy.

Windswept continues the story of plucky reporter Elizabeth Doyle, who has earned the nickname Digger for her dogged determination in exposing corrupt and shady politicians.

Each of the three books contains a theme related to concerns about climate change, whether it is the damage caused by torrential rains, or efforts to generate power from the sun or wind.

The mystery in the first two books is related to political skullduggery and revenge. Windswept is my first murder mystery!

It begins when Digger finds the body of a controversial state politician at the base of a wind turbine. Did she fall? Jump? Or was she pushed?

A great read

The new book has had a great reception so far. One reader commented “I read Windswept in two days. It was great. I couldn’t put it down”

Another said “I finished Windswept last night. I carried the book around all day because I couldn’t put it down, literally and figuratively!”

Albuquerque Journal book reviewer David Steinberg had this to say, ““Windswept” is a satisfying airport read.

David Steinberg’s review, Jan. 5, 2025 in the Albuquerque Journal

Book events this month

All three of these novels are set in New Mexico where I lived for 22 years. I arrived back in Albuquerque this week and have three book events scheduled:

January 16, at 3 p.m. at the San Pedro Branch Library, 5600 Trumbull SE

January 18, at 10 a.m. at Martha Liebert Library, 124 Calle Malinche, Bernalillo

January 25, at 1:30 p.m. at Treasure House Books, 2012 S. Plaza in Old Town, Albuquerque.

Hope to see you at one of these events!