A Year in Portugal - Part 1

One year ago, to the day yesterday, I walked off a plane with my family, cat and ferret (who we lost to old age back in February) in tow. Once again I was in a new country, but this time it was across a vast blue ocean instead of an imaginary line.  I was in what is known as the "Old World", but it was completely new to me. A new life had begun for all of us that day.

Portugal is beautiful. Hills dot the country covered by usually fluffy white clouds that look as if they were plucked from a painting and thrown into the sky. Architecture brought here by the ancient Romans, Moors and Celts. They remind you of how much history of this world they have seen and you never will.

I love the food and wine, the culture and the history behind the oldest country in Europe. People in the small villages, particularly in the middle of the country, have been warm and welcoming even when they notice I'm a silly foreigner that is all too eager to greet them with a "Bom Dia!" (Good day/morning), "Boa tarde!" (good after noon) or "Boa Noite!"(good night/evening).

Now, I can't say it's always peaches and cream living here, it's the same as many places in the world. There are nasty people who are just bent on being miserable, but you'll find that anywhere in the world. It's just magnified when you're the outsider and they are few and far between. The governing offices do things that make you want to scream at somebody, anybody, to fix it. And of course there is the vast amount of crazy drivers that will talk/text on their cell phones, drive drunk or just do stupid stuff (I saw one person somehow lodge her car onto a 2 1/2 feet pole).

I find, though, that the good outweighs the bad.

I take a deep breath, and before I exhale, I swear I smell and taste home. And that's enough for me.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out A Year in Portugal - Part 2.