Bits & Bites - Fall 2023
My summer sucked - but now I'm back.
This past summer for me quite frankly…sucked. With two long multi-week back-to-back trips to the United States to first, visit my ailing elderly father and then second, to attend his funeral, I was exhausted and emotionally drained. Not to mention that somewhere between Lisbon and Boston on the last trip for the funeral, I got Covid. I thought it was just a cold or allergies, and I didn’t even realize I had it until some of my family members told me they tested positive and suggested that perhaps they got it from me, so I did a test and sure enough I, too, was positive. Needless to say, I was not the most popular person in the family, but it is what it is.
Paul and I flew back to Portugal at the very end of August and decompressed. I also personally spent some time processing my father’s death, the stress of the funeral, and the normal family drama associated with these types of things. I’m trying to put it all behind me now although some days are better than others. This will pass and I know in time, I’ll be fine. The small group of close friends we still have in the U.S. were and continue to be, very loyal and supportive. And I came back to Portugal to friends who love me for who I am, and they, too have been generous listeners and supporters. I also have a wonderful husband who has given me the space to grieve and process my loss. I’m very grateful.
We moved here for something different.
Two years ago, we moved to Portugal to experience the country, research my ancestry, experience the culture, the people, the food, the wine, the lifestyle and to explore other parts of Europe. In other words, we moved here for something different than where we had been. But with elderly parents back in the U.S., we always felt a pull guilt to go back as often as possible as we knew time was getting short. And we didn’t want to make travel plans to other countries too far in advance in case we were called back to the U.S. for an emergency. But now that Paul and I are both (very old) orphans and feel no pressure to return to the States anytime soon, we feel we have some breathing room (and permission) to start enjoying our Portugal journey even more so.
Bits and Bites.
All the posts you’ve been reading on Our Portugal Journey for the last three months with the exception of my article on the NHR were written (in anticipation of the kind of summer that was coming), well before I left for the United States for my dad’s funeral. And since my return to Portugal, I haven’t had much motivation, desire, drive, focus, or the strength to write much of anything new. Over the last several weeks, Paul has been gently encouraging me to continue writing and to not give up (something I tend to do).
Sometimes, it’s hard to write.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep going when you write something you think will be really interesting and then a bunch of subscribers unsubscribe or I get the occasional off-topic snarky remark (FYI…this isn’t Facebook – this is my blog, so those remarks are removed). But then you get other readers who take the time to comment on the topic, and thank me for my writing, or I get a bunch of new subscribers. I don’t need tons of motivation, but a little is always nice, so muito obrigada (many thanks) to my loyal readers and supporters. It makes a difference.
I think I’m getting my mojo back (a little).
I’ve been told that when you’re in a funk, you should try to keep busy. So, this week’s post is a little bit of everything we’ve been doing (bits) or eating (bites) since our return to Portugal and I’m feeling like I’m finally getting a little of my mojo back. It’s a snippet of our lives here and the experiences we have had big or small – something many of you who participated in my subscriber feedback survey said they wanted to know more about.
I decided to put this in video format (it’s about 8 minutes long) since there are a lot of photos, but I also have included a list of everything in the video with links at the end of this post in case you want to check out some of the places we’ve been to, either because you already live here, are planning a scouting trip, you’re an armchair traveler, or planning a visit sometime in the future. There’s also a special message at the very end of the video.
I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Links to the Bits & Bites in the video.
FIARTIL – A craft fair in Estoril (near the Casino) showcasing artisans, food, and music. Several different themes throughout the summer, from June through August.
Taska Lusa – Restaurant in Estoril serving Mediterranean cuisine.
Taberna Anti Dantas – Eclectic Lisbon restaurant.
Quinta do Pisão – Nature Preserve in the Sintra Cascais Natural Park.
Tascascaria Tapas and Wine Bar – Small, café in Parede serving small bites and good wine.
Tre Bambu – Marques de Pombal – Vietnamese cuisine in Lisbon.
7 Seas Bistro – Light fare and tapas located in Parque Urbano do Outeiro da Vela in Cascais. The AnJoze Band occasionally plays at 7 Seas.
Mercado da Vila – The mercado in the heart of Cascais.
Boca do Inferno (The Mouth of Hell) – A coastal chasm located in Cascais.
Cascais Thrift Shop – Remar sells donated items to raise money for its charity.
Marina de Oeiras – Small marina with a boardwalk. Shops and restaurants.
Catalazete – Located in the Oeiras Marina. Craft beer, wines, and Portuguese food.
Sociedade – Located in Parede serving Mediterranean and Portuguese food.
Sacolinha Pastelaria and Padaria – Several locations throughout the greater Cascais area.
Sushi del Mar – Located on the second floor of the Mercado da Vila.
Lisbon Cantat Symphonic Choir – Part of a non-profit cultural association focusing on music.
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Until next time…
Obrigada!
Carol.
Thank you again for sharing such a deep and personal loss, along with other things that happened. That strange feeling of "freedom" in orphanhood for us, like with you and Paul, was eye-opening and liberating. It's a strange thing to say that after a death, but that felt about the same for us. I'm glad you got to enjoy some beautiful events and share them with us. Gratitude and appreciation of that which we have is important; it opens up the heart to experience others who are more alike than different. We can make a difference in the world we live in by just being kind.
Thank you, Carol, for all of your writing, especially now as you live through your grief and make your own life count as a well-lived adventure. Leaving my 88-year-old mom behind is probably the hardest part for me as my wife and I prepare for our immigration to Portugal (visa application submitted, target arrival date: Jan. 15, 2024, in Tavira). My dad passed in 2020. Sadly, like too many queer couples, we "lost" Sally's family years ago (we learned of her father's passing from a web search when my father was dying--the family never told us that he had died a few months prior). An important reminder to treasure the family we have, and the family we make!