Things We Find Challenging and Things We Like

We've been here for just over four months so I thought it might be good to provide an overall perspective on challenges and things we particularly enjoy.

First: the challenges. There really aren't that many. The main one is that dogs bark all the time. We have asked about it and people just tell us that's the way it is. Luckily, Chili has not decided to adopt this cultural phenomenon. She ignores the dog barking opera and only barks when someone is coming into our garden. The overall dampness and lack of insulation has also caused some problems. We have had to toss some items that were covered with mold. Everything in our apartment usually smells slightly musty to me. The language barrier continues to slow things down, but either we are getting used to it or we are getting better about figuring things out. I can pick out more and more written words but understanding it spoken is impossible. In our defense, we know some other expats who have been here for two years and have studied Portuguese and they still can't understand the spoken language. Grocery shopping, while getting better, is still a bit of a challenge. I spent some quality time yesterday trying to figure out the fresh fish section with the giant fish heads and octopi staring at me. The smell of the salted cod in that section is especially unpleasant. The lack of storage in our kitchen continues to be a bother but we have done what we can to make it work. We miss having a dryer but have found that the dehumidifier does the job of drying a load of laundry in about 24 hours.

At the top of the list of things we enjoy is living close to the sea and the beautiful Portuguese cliffs. We like to sit outside to eat and drink, especially at a place with a view. We went out for breakfast last weekend and the waves were really pounding the cliffs. We didn't go too close to the edge because: 1) the spray from the waves threatened to get us wet, and 2) the sign (which I also thought would be an excellent band name).

The European café culture is just fine with us. Will loves croissants and pastel de nata (egg custard tarts). He has also developed a taste for Super Bock beer. I enjoy the $5 or $6 bottles of red wine. The fresh vegetables are a treat. You would not believe the berries -- blue, black, and rasp. So fresh and tasty. I love that every grocery store, even the little local ones, have machines for fresh squeezed orange juice. I bought a liter yesterday for under $2. One of the local stores (Lidl) has a great fresh bakery (mainly bread) department with a DIY bread slicer. I watched a lady work it so I could figure it out. I think she thought I was stalking her. I also like that almost everything comes in small containers. It's like the anti-Costco. This makes everything easier to transport and store, which is important, because we have almost nowhere to put anything. But it also means that we run out before stuff goes bad.

Having convenient public transportation is wonderful. We love the BusCas (pronounced Bush Kahsh) that runs in a loop around Cascais (pronounced Kahsh Keyesh). Even though we have the car now, we still take the bus. Speaking of the car (Big Bidness), we now have a slightly different perspective that comes from driving rather than walking. There are roundabouts every tenth of a mile or so, sometimes less. At first it was a little daunting, especially if the BusCas or one of its cousins is bearing down. But now that we're used to it, we have discovered that roundabouts are our friends. They keep traffic moving and you very rarely have to make a tricky left turn. Sometimes if I am alone in the car, I actually say, "Weeeeee" when I go around one. I also like driving with a manual transmission again, too.

Now that spring has sprung, the greenery and flowers everywhere are beautiful. Hydrangeas everywhere will be blooming in the next few weeks and they will be spectacular.

In closing, the very best part is that we learn something new almost every day. We experience little adventures and pleasures to savor every day.

Coming attractions: We hope to head down to the Algarve (southern coast of Portugal) next week for a few days. Also, we have secured a new apartment and will be moving in June or July. More on that later. But here's a hint: it is spectacular and we are really excited about it!