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These 'Heels Are Wandering
Expat Life in Portugal
"Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship
My senses have been stripped
My hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it"
Bob Dylan
Home: Welcome
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Back in the USA
After completing all of my tasks to leave Portugal, I arrived back home in late July 2023. WIth the help of several neighbors, I was able...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 23, 2024


I Got By With a Lot of Help (& Support) From My Friends
During our time in Portugal, we enjoyed the company of so many people who made our life a joy. All of these people were a huge comfort...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 21, 2024


Leaving Portugal
Making the decision to leave Portugal and return home to Chapel Hill was not difficult. As much as I loved living there, I knew that I...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 17, 2024


Meagan's Tribute to Her Father
It seems appropriate to me, on this Father's Day a year later, to include the tribute to Will that Meagan posted after he died in 2023. ...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 16, 2024


And in the end....
This post is a tough one -- to write and to read. It is perfectly fine to skip it if you wish. But the last few weeks of Will's life are...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 12, 2024


The Pleasure of Their Company
In May os 2023, we were graced with visits from good friends. In between doctor visits and more tests, we enjoyed spending time with...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 12, 2024


Health Care in Portugal
This blog was designed to share our experiences as expats in Portugal. It turns out that health care became a significant part of that...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 10, 2024


River Cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium and Some DIfficult News
In mid-April, just after Meagan departed, we went to Amersterdam for two days on our own before we departed on a tulip time river...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 4, 2024


Interlude with More Testing and a Visit from Meagan
After returning from Spain in mid-March of 2023, Will had more tests and doctor visits. First, he had a PET Scan, which is a test to...
Winnie Graybard
Jun 4, 2024


Back to Spain for More Distraction
On our first visit to Spain, in late 2021, both of us decided that we wanted to return to Madrid to visit the Prado and also return to...
Winnie Graybard
May 23, 2024


More Tests -- The Waiting Was the Hardest Part
After returning from Bilboa and San Sebastian, Will had more tests and doctor visits. First he had an bronchoscopy/biopsy. which was done...
Winnie Graybard
May 23, 2024


Distraction Tour to Northern Spain -- Early February 2023
In early January, Will had his first meeting with a pulmonologist and a lung scan was scheduled. A few days later, he reviewed results...
Winnie Graybard
May 21, 2024


It's Time for the Rest of the Story
Back in 2020, I started this blog to tell the story of our lives as expats in Portugal. Over the course of over two years, I shared our...
Winnie Graybard
May 20, 2024


Expat Life Two Years In
We have been here in Portugal for just over 25 months. Most of my blog posts have focused on our travels. I thought it was about time to...
Winnie Graybard
Feb 4, 2023


Farewell to the International Dog of Mystery & Intrigue
Many of you are Facebook friends of ours so you have already heard that news that our beloved Chili died a week ago. We miss her terribly...
Winnie Graybard
Jan 25, 2023


December in Madeira
Way back in mid-December, we made a quick trip to Madeira, a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco. Its main city, Funchal, is...
Winnie Graybard
Jan 25, 2023


Travels with Chili -- A Little Family Road Trip
Back in mid-November we decided to take a short road trip down to the Algarve -- the southern coast of Portugal. We took Chili with us....
Winnie Graybard
Dec 15, 2022


Last Really Big Trip of 2022
We actually got home from this trip in mid-October. But then we had some more guests and I needed some quality sitting around time. So,...
Winnie Graybard
Dec 2, 2022


Summer Visitors and a River Cruise on the Douro
We have been so fortunate to be able to share our expat lives with friends this year. In early September, Normal and Juan Rengel stayed...
Winnie Graybard
Sep 28, 2022


Summer Fortnight in Scandinavia
We booked this trip early this year thinking that Scandinavia would be nice and cool in August. However, the big heat wave even got as...
Winnie Graybard
Aug 26, 2022

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Thanks for your interest in our expat life in Portugal. Let us know if you have any questions or topic suggestions for our blog.
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