9 Comments

Shanna, I am very curious as to what you discover during your adventure in Porto. I originally thought Porto as my retirement destination, then Lisbon, then after your blog about Setubal, I changed my mind again! After reading your previous blog and now today’s, I’m re-thinking Porto and will be glued to your life:examined! Enjoy a coffee on me this week! 💓

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That's so funny - I read your post after writing mine - they could have almost been written by the same person!

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Please check out Richard Zimler. A NYC born Jewish American now Portuguese citizen, writer and professor at Porto University. He is a real nice guy, author of "The last Kabblist of Lisbon". He know Porto inside and out!

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I spent January and February of this year in Porto under the tight lockdown. It soon became my favorite city in Portugal (I've only seen Lisbon and a few cities in Algarve though) even though I couldn't do a lot with the tight restrictions. It's walkable, charming and cozy. The weather was wintery and it rained almost every day, but I could always take an umbrella and go for a walk. After six months in Portugal, I decided that it is not the country I want to move to. But if I ever did move to Portugal, Porto would be the place. Enjoy your stay!

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April 16, 2021
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I really enjoyed my stay in Portugal--it's a beautiful country and has a lot to offer. I got the impression however that I would have to make a huge effort and go out of my way to make friends and create a community. People were nice but seemed to be reserved and not very open to outsiders. Being reserved myself and not knowing a single person in the country, I'm not sure if I'm up to the task. Also, cost of living wasn't as inexpensive as I had heard. Finally, Portugal is far away from other countries in Europe and traveling by train is impractical and expensive so to get anywhere one would have to fly every time. All together, it didn't have enough draw for me. I'm going to try Italy next. We'll see how that goes. :)

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Porto is a feast. Enjoy!

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Squalor, dirt, apartment disappointment. That’s my fear. I have been dutifully searching apartment websites in Porto. A Portuguese adventure without leaving home. I’ve started memorizing street names and neighborhoods. It’s getting down to the wire - less about where we want to live, and more about trying to reserve anything that will be acceptable to the consulate. But I’m praying that we don’t end up spending money on squalor...

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Please check out Richard Zimler. A NYC born Jewish American now Portuguese citizen, writer and professor at Porto University. He is a real nice guy, author of "The last Kabblist of Lisbon". He know Porto inside and out!

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We really enjoyed Porto as well, so colorful and compact. One of the special things for me is the incredible street art. So nice to see your photo of piece by SJRA. Took many photos of the poignant pieces by that artist scattered through the Porto streets. Porto has a similar feel to my home city of Portland, Oregon. Not just the grey skies and rain but the art, personality, pride of citizens, grit and beauty all juxtaposed. Have you found the mannequin street? There is a street that we walked many times lined with retail clothing shops with hilarious and scary mannequins (some look like wolves and many just have crazed looking smiling faces and wild hair). It is quite entertaining! My husband is a coffee roaster and his favorite coffee shop in Portugal is located in Porto. It is called Combi and is operated by two brothers. Delicious coffee! Have fun, look forward to more Porto posts.(:

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