Blanca Valbuena

Travel

Tips on traveling smart and on a budget

Where to Go on a Day Trip from Lisbon

5 Quick Day Trips from Lisbon Portugal

It’s true that Lisbon is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and you can’t leave Portugal without checking it out. However, don’t think for a moment that the country ends abruptly at Lisbon’s doorstep. Beyond the city limits, there are many day trips worth taking! Today we’re going to explore five such possibilities …

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Schedule coronavirus vaccine rollout portugal

COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout In Portugal

It has been officially more than one year since the state of emergency was announced in Portugal due to the Coronavirus pandemic. On March 11, a year after it was first announced, the Portuguese government announced that the confinement measures would slowly be lifted in hopes of re-opening the country in the middle of April. …

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List of main political parties in Portugal

A Concise Breakdown of Portugal’s Political Parties

I have to admit, I moved to Portugal without educating myself about its politics. I had visited plenty of times and loved so many things about the country. Now that I am getting better at speaking Portuguese, I have been watching the news and trying to learn as much as possible about Portugal’s politics. I …

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Christmas in Lisboa Covid

State of Affairs in Lisbon for the December 2020 Holidays

If you love the holidays as much as I do, you may not be feeling as merry as you normally would. There’s a pandemic, economic unrest, and now…restrictions on the holidays. It’s sad, it’s true, but it is necessary. There was already an update on Covid-19 restrictions on Nov 24th for at-risk regions in Portugal …

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Measures Implemented in Portugal to Curtail Covid 19 during the holiday season

November 24 Covid Regulations in Portugal

Apparently, “we” have not been listening to the rules, which has resulted in a huge spike in Covid-19 cases in Portugal. Lisbon is considered to be “Very High & Extremely High Risk”, so instead of enjoying the holidays, we are being subjected to more restrictions during the holiday season starting the 24th of November. If …

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The November 8 Covid decree in Portugal

November 8 Covid Regulations in Portugal

As of yesterday, there was a new decree put out by the Portuguese government, that made the laws and regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Portugal a lot stricter than the Covid rules passed on November 4th. I’ll be cleaning this up throughout the day, but this comes exactly from the Portuguese decree. …

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Useful tips on purchasing property in portugal

Interview with Ylvi & Koen of Casa René on Purchasing Property, Renovating a Historic Property & Running an Alojamento Local in Portugal.

When Antonio and I first moved to Portugal, we were thinking of opening up an Airbnb here in Lisbon. We did all the research on how to start an Alojamento Local in Portugal and how to buy a house in Portugal. However, after speaking with my friends Ylvi & Koen, the owners of Casa René, …

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Portugal's beaches to open with restrictions after covid-19

When Will Portugal’s Beaches Open After COVID-19

One of Portugal’s main tourist draws (besides the wine, food, and culture) is its beaches. So far, the beaches in Portugal have been closed. The country recently announced that water sports are allowed (surfing and the like) but that people won’t be able to hang out on the sand. This is painful for locals and …

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Laws for tenant protection in portugal

New Tenant Rights in Portugal

There were some interesting changes to rental and tenant laws in Portugal on February of 2020 that allow tenants more protections. The law states that tenants will have legal tools available “designed to correct imbalance situations between tenants and landlords, to reinforce the security and stability of the urban lease. and to protect tenants in …

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