Moving brings opportunities, challenges

The view from my front door in my new home in Tomar, Portugal. The Convento de Cristo is in the background.

You live in the prettiest street in Tomar. That´s what friends have been saying to me all week. It is just seven days since I moved from my cute little house in a small village into the historic district of Tomar. The town is famous for its connection to the medieval Order of the Knights Templar and the organization which succeeded it, the Order of Christ.

My street is now called Rua Doutor Joaquim Jacinto, but all the locals call it Rua da Sinagoga, the street of the synagogue. That is because the old synagogue, which is now a museum, is just a few doors away from my new place.

One of the reasons I told people I wanted to move from the US was because I didn’t want to have to drive everywhere. Guess what? Living in a small village I had to drive everywhere.

In my new place I can walk everywhere. Cafes, restaurants, parks, stores. All within a few minutes on foot.

Challenges

The downside of this move is that I now have to deal with the dreaded world of Portuguese bureaucracy. I am trying to change the official record of my address. I went to the “Financas” office. This is the place that deals with property, taxes and a world of officialdom. The said official referred me to the Junta De Frequesia, the parish office. That is where I had to get an “Attestado” a document that proves I live in the said parish. I had to have two witnesses. Easy. No. The two witnesses had to be Portuguese citizens resident in the same parish.

I managed to co-opt my Portuguese teacher and a neighbor to accompany me to the Junta office to sign for me. One hurdle down.

Next I was supposed to go to the “Camara Municipal”, city hall, to get a resident’s permit. In my case, because I have an Irish passport, (European Union), I had obtained a Certificado de Registo de Cidadão União Europeo when I moved to Portugal five years ago.

Unfortunately it expired in June and I have not been able to renew it because of the unholy mess at AIMA the government agency which handles such issues. The stony faced woman at the Camara refused to give me a new resident permit and referred me to the dreaded AIMA.

This was a huge blow because I have been trying unsuccessfully since March to get an appointment with AIMA to renew the document. But hundreds of thousands of people are in the same position.

Keep trying was her suggestion.

Picking grapes during the annual ‘vindima’.

Joys of the season

Despite these setbacks, I have been enjoying activities typical of this season in Portugal. A couple of weeks ago, I spend a Saturday helping with the “vindima” or grape harvest, at a winery north of Tomar.

Last weekend, I attended one of many medieval festivals. In the small town of Assiceira, south of Tomar, there were groups performing dances in medieval costume to the music of bagpipes and drums.

Kids played games, one of which looked like a medieval version of air hockey. A couple of wenches wandered around in character as the town’s “working ladies”. Other women joked around the old wash fountain and dunked each other amidst much laughter.

Of course there were the usual craft stalls selling jewelry, soap, candles etc. The most impressive was the potter who demonstrated the making of large terra cotta style pots used for storing olive oil.

This large pots have traditionally been used for olive oil and other products.

Follow my blog for more information about daily life in Portugal. And check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to read all about my mystery novels.

Move to the city to bring new lifestyle

View of Tomar from the old bridge over the Rio Nabao with the Templar castle and Convento de Cristo in the background.

Within two weeks I will be moving into the historic town of Tomar in central Portugal. I relocated from New Mexico to Portugal five years ago and settled in a small village about fifteen minutes drive from the town. I have loved the country life, but during the wet winter months I crave more activity. If I am totally honest, I want to be able to walk to a cafe, meet friends and indulge my love of a daily pastel de nata. (Those delectable custard cream cakes with the flaky pastry shell.)

The move will bring a lot more changes than just the extra calories.

Tomar is a bustling community of around 23,000 residents, straddling the scenic Rio Nabão. Although this article, which cites famous American travel writer Rick Steves, claims Tomar is a quiet ‘untouristy’ place. I would disagree. During the summer months the narrow streets of the historic center are a magnet for visitors from the US, the UK, France, Spain and Holland, to name a few countries.

A town with a colorful past

Tourists are drawn there by the town’s fascinating history. It was founded in 1157 by Gualdim Pais, the first Grand Master of the Order of the Templars. This organization of military monks were active in protecting pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, the wealth they accumulated alarmed the French King Phillip IV who prevailed upon Pope Clement V to dissolve the Order in 1314.

In Portugal, the organization was turned into the Order of Christ. The immense Convento de Cristo sits upon the hill above the town, surrounded by the walls of the Templar castle.

Almost every year the town holds a multi-day festival, the Festa dos Templarios, which celebrates its connection to the ancient order.

Stairs lead up to an entrance to the Convento de Cristo in Tomar.

Parades held during annual Festa dos Templarios

Historic street

Not only will I be living in a town with a rich history. I will be living on a street that has its own unique history. The narrow cobbled street is now called Rua Doutor Joaquim Jacinto. However, colloquially it is know as the Rua da Sinagoga. That is because several doors away from my new dwelling is the old synagogue of Tomar.

Built in 1460 when the town had a thriving Jewish community. It was active until 1496 when Portugal, like Spain, expelled the Jews. The synagogue building saw different uses over the succeeding centuries. It is now the Abraham Zacuto Portuguese Jewish Museum.

As if that weren’t history enough. A house on my street was the birthplace of the well-known Portuguese composer Fernando Lopes-Graça.

I am looking forward to my new life, where I will be able to walk out my front door, turn left and find a patisserie. Or walk a few steps in the other direction and find a little place that specializes in petiscos, the Portuguese version of tapas.

Maybe I can even add to the street´s history if my Digger Doyle mystery novels become best sellers!

The 6 kilometer-long aqueduct was built to bring water to the Convento de Cristo

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August is a sleepy month in Portugal

Lighted street decorations at a “festa” in central Portugal.

Everyone says it. It´s August, you need to realize that nothing much happens during this month in Portugal. Stores and restaurants close for a couple of weeks, families go on vacation, and hordes of French tourists arrive.

The French tourists are not really normal tourists. Many of them are the children or grandchildren of Portuguese who went to France years ago to find work. They return to their ancestral villages to see family members and enjoy the summer festivals.

August is a popular month for “Festas”. Towns and villages all over the country erect lighted decorations, bandstands and mobilize volunteers to provide meals for the hundreds of festival goers who show up to enjoy the good vibes. Believe me! I volunteered to wash dishes for one of the dinners during the festival in my village this year. In three hours from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. I think I washed about 400 plates and dozens of serving dishes. It was exhausting work!

A river beach on the Rio Mondego near Coimbra. These beaches on Portugal´s rivers are hugely popular in the summer months.

Many normal business operations slow down in August as well. By law, employees in Portugal have a minimum of 22 days of paid leave. The law also prohibits employers from offering employees extra pay forgoing paid leave days. (Wouldn’t it be nice if employees in the US had the same benefits.)

Of course the general somnolence of life in August in Portugal does make for some frustration if you are trying to accomplish important life changes, like moving house for example. That is the situation I find myself in. I should have chosen a different time of year. However, it is a life lesson in patience. Take a deep breath and trust that everything will happen as it should. The electricity, water and internet will all be switched on when I move into my new place and everything will be hunky dory. (I hope.)

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to buy one of my mystery novels.

Enjoying a beach in the Alentejo south of Lisbon.

How a Portuguese dog found a home, love and a bread roll every morning

Divina, the little podengo dog who was abandoned in my village and adopted me as her new owner.

A while ago I made a post about my dog Divina. In it, I mentioned that she had been abandoned in my village in central Portugal. I thought I would let her “tell” her own story.

Divina: “I don’t remember much about where I was born or lived when I was a puppy. The only thing I do recall is that some ugly brute had his way with me when I was a teenager and I had a litter of puppies. I had just weaned them when they were taken away from me. I never saw them again because I was put in a van, taken to another village, and dumped out on the street.”

“I spent several days wandering the village, trying to find food around the big green rubbish bin and sleeping on doorsteps. One day I followed another dog and his owners when they went to visit a new neighbor. As soon as the door of the house opened, I ran in. Unfortunately, the woman of the house didn’t let me stay. But the next day, I was out looking for food when the woman whose house I had visited, called me and invited me to come for some bread and milk. That was how I found my new home!”

Divina waits while the bread lady “padeira” gets rolls from the back of the van.

Rosalie: “When I moved to Portugal in 2019, I had no plans to have a dog. It had been many years since my last dog passed away. In the meantime, I had become a cat convert. Sadly, I couldn’t bring my two cat ladies, Chatsie and Bodie because they were aged 12 and 13 and never traveled. A twice-yearly trip just three miles to the vet really upset them. Putting them through a 20-plus-hour trip on several airplanes would have been too traumatic. I found a very comfy home for them with a neighbor and they were just fine!”

The Universe provides its own surprises

Rosalie: “After traveling for two months I finally moved into my own house in July and immediately thought about getting a cat. However, the universe had other ideas for me. In the five years since the day I first welcomed Divina into my home, I have become very fond of her. She has me well-trained. I take her for several walks a day, give her treats, and –against my better judgment–let her sleep on the sofa.”

Morning delights

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my village is lucky enough to have not one, but TWO bakery vans go through it each morning. You just put change in a bag and hang it on your gate or door and the bread lady (Padeira) will deliver the bread rolls of your choice!

Several months ago, Divina fell in love with one of the bread ladies, Paula, who now stops and gives her part of a roll each time we meet her on our morning walk. Divina recognizes Paula’s unmarked white van and pulls at the leash straining to go say hello and get her second breakfast. More recently, the other bread lady, Gracinda, started giving her bread as well. They have quite the relationship!

What can I say, it’s a dog’s life!

Follow my blog to hear more about daily life in Portugal. Check out my website for the latest on my new mystery novel, “Windswept”.

I have a new book in the works: Windswept, a murder mystery

Me in my reporter days at the base of a wind turbine in eastern New Mexico. A wind turbine figures in the plot of my new book.

I want to blow my own horn a little here. I recently finished the manuscript of my third mystery novel. The series features the intrepid young reporter Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle, the scourge of shady politicians. This time she is tracking down a series of mysterious deaths. Here is a little taste of the plot

“Twenty-five years is a long time to keep silent. But telling the truth can be deadly. A state representative who wants to ban new oil and gas activity is found dead at the base of a wind turbine.

Reporter Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle suspects it’s not an accident. Digger gets a tip that links the dead woman to a group of high school friends who were the last to see a young woman who disappeared in a remote volcanic wilderness in 1998.”

I was lucky enough to find a wonderful editor, Gemma Skelton to edit the manuscript. She has done a wonderful job. Any writers out there who are looking for someone responsive, accurate, creative, and very affordable, I highly recommend her. She is British but is very comfortable working with US writers.

She edited my manuscript swiftly and provided a report with thoughtful suggestions to improve aspects of the story. I am now going through her recommendations. Next, I plan to work with the excellent book and cover designer, Sara DeHaan as I have for my first two books. I hope ‘Windswept’ will see the light of day sometime this autumn.

My second novel gaining traction

My first fiction novel, THE POWER OF RAIN, came out in mid-2022. This book started as a stand-alone political mystery with Digger chasing down corrupt politicians in the fictional New Mexico city of Las Vistas. Readers expressed so much interest in the main character and her relationship with the activist/artist Maria Ortiz that I continued their story.

My second book, THE SUNSHINE SOLUTION was published in November 2023. I have just learned the novel is a finalist in the Southwest Writers contest! This was the message I received just a few days ago. ‘CONGRATULATIONS! I am pleased to inform you that your entry is a finalist in the 2024 SouthWest Writers Contest! There were over 400 entries this year in twenty-five categories.’

Why the environmental theme?

Each of my books has had an ‘element’ in the title: Rain, sun, wind. Why? It goes back to the years I spent as a reporter in New Mexico. A lot of my work focused on developments in the renewable energy field; especially solar and wind. It remains a passion of mine!

Follow my blog to learn more about life in Portugal and check out my website RosalieRayburn.com to learn more about my books!

Portugal: safe, affordable and friendly

These “Rabelo” boats were formerly used to transport Port wine on the Douro River. Behind them is the Dom Luis I Bridge.

Political developments in recent years have many Americans considering expat life. Portugal’s low cost of living, friendly people, and pleasant climate have made it a much sought-after destination. Portugal is also a very safe country. The 2023 Global Peace Index ranked it the seventh safest country worldwide.

I moved to Portugal five years ago seeking an affordable European lifestyle for my retirement. I wanted to walk to cafes, wander the streets of ancient towns, and travel. One of the most wonderful things about Portugal has been interacting with individual Portuguese people. You will find so much kindness and charm.

However, being an expat involves a steep learning curve. When you move to a new country you face a lot of bureaucratic hurdles within a short time. Think: opening a bank account, buying or renting a house, driving licence requirements, health insurance etc etc. Even the little details like the shopping hours, measuring distances in kilometers, and temperatures in Celsius, take getting used to.

Americans who want to move to Portugal must obtain a D7 visa. Information on the steps required to get the visa is available at: Globalsolutions.com. Or you can watch a video describing the process step-by-step at: StartAbroad.com.

Language

Language is another major factor. Many Portuguese speak excellent English, and are usually willing to help. Nevertheless, handling everything in a foreign language is still challenging. Expats also help each other. There are Facebook groups for every conceivable niche interest and region. These Facebook group pages are a valuable resource because you can post questions and seek advice. A couple of the groups useful for general information are: Americans Moving to Portugal and Americans Living in Portugal.

Accommodation

House prices and rents in Portugal have risen steeply in the past few years. The website Idealista is a useful way to find a property. Prices are highest in the greater Lisbon area, Porto and the southern region known as the Algarve. It is still possible to find a place for under 100,000 euros in country areas, but it may require extensive renovation to make it livable. Many people complain about problems getting reliable builders.

Older Portuguese houses are often made of stone which keeps them cool in summer and downright cold in the winter. Even newer houses may lack good quality insulation. I frequently hear people complain about dampness and mold.

Climate-wise, the area from Lisbon south is warmer and dryer. The center and north of the country get more rain and occasional snow and ice. Rain in Portugal is often a tropical downpour. The website, www.expatica.com has useful information on weather and all kinds of other aspects of life in Portugal.

Do your research and visit the country

You can learn a lot from online research. Websites like numbeo.com or internationalliving.com/ show good comparisons of the cost of living. I always advise making a reconnaissance trip to the country. Online research is useful, but nothing beats an in-person experience.

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How to decide where to settle in Portugal

One of the iconic electric trams popular with visitors to Lisbon.

Many people are interested in moving to Portugal. At least that’s how it looks when I scan the multiple Facebook groups I’ve joined because they are aimed at expats living in, or interested in, Portugal. There are more than a hundred such groups; catering to every possible taste. The question I see over and over, is “I’m planning to move to Portugal in XX many years, what’s the best place to go?”

This is the kind of question that drives those of us who have made the move absolutely crazy. How can anyone else know where that person would like to live? It depends on so many things.

My response to this kind of question is to suggest people look at their lifestyle and ask themselves the following:

Are you used to living in a city or the country? Which do you prefer?
How much do you like to shop? Do you want to have a big choice of stores nearby or are you okay with small local stores and visiting shopping centers only now and again?
Do you eat out a lot? How important is it for you to have restaurants nearby?
Do you want to have a car? Or are you comfortable with using public transportation?
How often do you want to travel? Is it important for you to be near an airport?
What is your income and budget? Prices in Lisbon and Porto have risen steeply in recent years.

These are just a few of the questions people who are “thinking” about moving to Portugal should ask themselves. Facebook groups such as Pure Portugal – Living the Good Life, Moving to Portugal, Expats in Portugal Q&A and many, many more, can provide much valuable information. People can pose questions and get answers from those who have already made the move and settled here. Internet research is invaluable, but a trip to the country is the best way to get a real feel for the place. You get to meet the people face-to-face, taste the food, see the landscape and the architecture.

Discovering the country

Portugal is still quite a poor country by comparison with others in western European. Outside the bigger cities, the countryside is depopulated and many villages have a lot of houses that have been sitting empty for years. You can buy them cheaply, but they also take a lot of time and effort to renovate. Still, life in a Portuguese village can be very fulfilling. People are welcoming and willing to help you. Lunch in a small family-run restaurant will cost you as little as 10 euros for a three-course meal with wine and coffee. Cars and gasoline/diesel are expensive, but if you live in the country you will almost certainly need to drive. Most Portuguese roads are narrow and winding, but luckily there is little traffic. The highways are superb but you usually have to pay tolls.

Portuguese houses

Portuguese houses are usually made of stone. They keep out the heat in the summer but can be awfully cold and damp in the winter. The Alentejo and Algarve regions are the hottest in the summer and mildest in the winter. Areas in the far north and closer to the Spanish border are typically the coldest in the winter.

These are just a few thoughts I decided to share about life in Portugal. I moved here more than three years ago after extensive research and a two-month trip during which I did volunteer work and traveled around the country.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal and check out my website: RosalieRayburn.com

Gorgeous turquoise water beneath the cliffs near Carvoeiro in the Algarve region of Portugal.

The thrills of selling property in Portugal

A restored old house in one of central Portugal’s “Shist” villages

I’ve been living in Portugal for five years now. I arrived in May 2019 and bought a beautifully restored old cottage in a small village outside the historic town of Tomar. I love the house –two bedrooms, two bathrooms, cosy living room, modern kitchen and half an acre. I also love the village. But after five years I realize that I want more company, especially during the long wet autumn and winter months. (There was a reason I didn’t want to move to Ireland or England.)

Buying and selling property in Portugal is a very different experience than in the US. They don’t have the same multiple listing service (MLS) and they don’t have lockboxes on properties. In my recent experience, this made scheduling viewings much more difficult. Time and again I was given an appointment, only to have it changed because it wasn’t convenient for the home-owner/occupant.

That also was a huge difference. In the US the homeowner would NEVER be present for the showing! I appreciated the reason for the US practice when I put my Portuguese house on the market and had a couple traipse through making critical comments. Grr! Still, it is the norm here to have the owner/occupier present.

Contracts

If you use a realtor in Portugal, they will typically charge a fee of 3 percent to 5 percent of the selling price. The percentage is lower if you sign an “exclusive” agreement for a fixed period, say six months. You sign a “Mediation Agreement”. When I signed my Mediation agreement it contained a sub-clause that allowed them to charge four percent if a realtor from another agency brought them a client who ended up buying the property. Apparently the two agencies split the commission. It increases the number of potential showings and buyers, but the seller pays more.

When you make an offer in Portugal and it is accepted, the next step is the “Promessa”. The buyer usually puts down a deposit of 10 percent of the agreed purchase price. The “Contrato de promessa de compra e venda” spells out the terms and the projected date for closing. Often this is 60 days or more.

More differences

When I sold a house in the US I had to fill out a long list of “disclosures” explaining details about the foundation of the property, the water supply, roof, air-conditioning etc etc. Then a home inspector came and snooped around to see if he (it was always a he) could find any picky details to complain about. One inspector even cited a loose screw on an outside electrical socket.

Here in Portugal it is caveat emptor. Anecdotally I heard of a woman who knew her house had woodworm problems in the roof beams but said nothing to the buyers –– because she didn’t have to!

Prices rising

I made a research trip to Portugal the year before I moved. I traveled from just south of Lisbon to several places in the center and north of the country. When I returned to the US I told a friend that buying property in Lisbon would be a great investment. I was right.

When I looked at some houses in central Portugal in 2018 and 2019, it was possible to find livable places for around 100,000 euros. Now places for less than 100k typically need a lot of renovation. Prices in the countryside in central Portugal are now closer to 200k. Higher in other parts of the country, lower in the far north.

Property prices have risen steadily in the past ten years. The increases have been steepest in the greater Lisbon area and the Algarve, along the south coast. Cities in other parts of the country have also experienced soaring prices. Press reports attribute the increases to the greater numbers of foreigners looking to buy property in Portugal.

The beautiful coastline of the Algarve attracts many tourists and foreigners seeking to buy property in Portugal.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Check my website RosalieRayburn.com to buy one of my mystery novels.

Relief as Portugal extends resident permit deadline

Castelo São Jorge overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Lisbon

I for one am heaving a huge sigh of relief after learning that the Portuguese government has extended the deadline to renew residency documents. Based on a decision issued June 28, document-holders now have until June 30, 2025 to renew residency permit documents that expired this year. Whew!

The government was spurred to take action because of thousands of complaints and a massive backlog of cases–around 400,000!!

Huge backlog of cases

The situation has developed over a long period. Late last year, SEF, the struggling Foreigners and Border Service, was reorganized into the Agency for Integration Migrations and Asylum. This step was supposed to solve the backlog of 350,000 cases at SEF. Not. So. The number of unresolved cases continued to mount.

This situation affected me because I moved to Portugal five years ago, in mid-2019. I used my Irish passport as my identification document. (Thank you Irish grandparents.) Ireland is a European Union country so I did not have to obtain the D7 visa required of non-EU passport holders.

I received a Certificado de Registo da Cidadão Europeo from my local county authority, the Camara Municipal. That document was due to expire June 17.

I thought I had plenty of time to tackle the issue. In February I went to the Camara Municipal but they said I had to go through AIMA.

I immediately started trying to contact AIMA by phone or online. No success. I just got a busy signal or was kept on hold for two hours then my call dropped. The online appointment booking system was no help either. Panic ensued!

Friends from the US and other countries who have lived here several years, said they have had to cancel travel plans because their documents expired. They were afraid they would be stopped at passport control when returning to Portugal. This deadline extension will give us all a reprieve.

Deja vu

The Portuguese government has had to take similar action before because of problems in handling immigration cases. The country has seen a surge in immigration in recent years. The majority of those moving here are from Brazil, the UK and, more recently, the United States.

Rabelo boats that used to carry Port wine on the Douro river, lie at anchor near the Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto, Portugal.

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

Portugal’s EU election bucks trend

Rayburn/Lisbon skyline — The red tiled roofs of Lisbon’s Alfama district look out over the Tejo river.

Voters throughout the European Union turned out early this month to cast ballots for the European Parliament. These elections take place every five years, giving citizens in each of the EU’s 27 member countries the opportunity to choose a representative.

What does the European Parliament do? Here is the quick explanation laid out in the Europarl.europa.eu website:

The Parliament acts as a co-legislator, sharing with the Council the power to adopt and amend legislative proposals and to decide on the EU budget. It also supervises the work of the Commission and other EU bodies and cooperates with national parliaments of EU countries to get their input.

Portugal’s turnout among the lowest

Countries throughout the EU cast ballots on different days. Portugal’s election day was Sunday, June 9. Turnout was 36. 4 percent, putting Portugal on the lower end of the spectrum. Belgium had the highest turnout with 89.82 percent of voters participating. Croatia, with 21.35 percent, was the lowest, according to provisional results reported on June 14.

Far-right parties came first in five of the countries. Germany’s Alternative for Deutchland (AfD) and France’s National Rally (RN) were big winners in those two countries. The results alarmed French president Emmanuel Macron who has called for a national election three years ahead of schedule. There have been large street demonstrations in Paris against the far right party in the recent days.

A different outcome from March

Portugal bucked the trend seen elsewhere in Europe. The country’s center-left Partito Socialista (PS) was the big winner with 32 percent of the votes. This gave them eight of Portugal’s 21 seats in the EU Parliament. Chega, the far-right party, won 9.8 percent of votes cast and has just two seats.

This is a huge change from March when Chega had a strong showing in Portugal’s national election. At that time, the party received 18 percent of the votes, up from 7.2 percent in 2022 and around 2 percent in 2019, the year the party was founded.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Check out my website: RosalieRayburn.com for news about my Digger Doyle Mystery series.