Every time I go to the doctor I am SHOCKED at how much better healthcare is in Portugal compared to the USA. SHOCKED. The healthcare prices in Portugal are significantly lower. I have not tested out the public healthcare...
How to Get Glasses & Contact Lenses in Portugal
I’ve worn glasses since I was about 11. Contacts since I was about 13. Before I moved to Lisbon I went to the optometrist and ordered a year’s worth of contacts since I knew I would not speak the...
What is a Tia de Cascais?
I moved to Portugal last year and I have learned a phase which will sum up every time you were cut in line by the woman with the big hair. In Portugal, she is called “Tia de Cascais”. What...
Is Portugal Safe?
在 2012 I began visiting Portugal. I began to learn the language, meet the people, and eat all the best Portuguese food. I was filling in the gaps of my junior high school history/geography teacher with “What did the...
How to Buy a Car in Portugal
My days of renting cars for pennies (€45 – €85 per month) are over sadly. The price for rentals has recently skyrocketed in the last few months. For the past year, I had a great system for renting cars...
How to Build a House in Portugal
Blanca and I have always dreamt of getting our perfect Frank Lloyd Wright style home. Somewhere near the beach, not too far from the city (Lisboa) and near the mountains. It’s a dream we have been researching like crazy...
Lisbon’s Flea Market, the Feira da Ladra
If you’re coming to visit Lisbon and want to take home your not-so-average souvenirs, then you need to visit the Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s Flea Market. Most people think it’s named after thieves, but it’s actually named after the ladro a...
How to Stand Firm in Portugal
Firm bodied. Smart. You are a Portuguese’s avó’s first son. I love you, but please let people pass. People are trying to walk by you but we cannot because your in the middle of the street, road, or beco....
Lisbon Day Trip to Obidos
Now that we have residency in Portugal, we’re trying to get to know as much of Portugal as we can. That means we’re taking tons of day trips from Lisbon. Our latest was a day trip to Obidos. If...
Best Portuguese Classes in Lisbon
I’ve learned plenty of languages. I am fluent in English and Spanish. I speak French quite well and I will never go hungry in Italy. I’ve also learned enough Croatian, Mandarin, and Hungarian to at least order a glass...
Where to Buy Affordable Furniture in Portugal
If you’re making the move to become an expat in Portugal, you may think of shipping your furniture over. Our advice, don’t. It’s a wasteful stress of time that I have not yet written about because I still get angry...
How to Rent an Apartment in Lisbon
If you want to find an apartment in Lisbon, prepare to be frustrated…and to shell out some dough. Lisbon is no longer the cheap place to live. Due to its gorgeous climate and everyone gushing about how amazing it...
Do People Curse in Lisbon?
I am from NYC. I grew up in the city. I curse like I am the step-mother of a Disney princess. It is in the blood of every New Yorker (and everyone who is bridge & tunnel) but doesn’t in...
Lisbon Day Trip: Mafra
Mafra is one of my favorite day trips from Lisbon. Besides having a fantastic Palace, the city has gorgeous nature, a basilica, a library that Belle would die for, great places to eat AND bats (yeah…you heard me right,...
How to Use the Portuguese Complaint Book
As an American expat/immigrant living in Portugal, I am continually rating the services I receive in Lisboa by the level I would receive in New York City. It’s not fair. 我知道. 但, it’s hard not to compare the...
Best Beaches Near Lisbon Portugal
One of the best things about Lisbon besides its beautiful parks, incredible museums, and delicious restaurants is the city’s proximity to amazing beaches. 如果你在里斯本, you can be on a beach in under 30 minutes – and...
