Lisbon is awesome. It’s beautiful, it’s safe, it has culture and it is tons of fun. When friends say they are coming, I usually recommend that they come for a minimum of 14 days. However, I know most people only get 1-2 week vacations and that they want to get the most out of it …
We recently adopted a puppy named Santino (Yell the name like SANTINO from Godfather) from a great rescue up near Coimbra called Pegadas & Bigodes (they are wonderful – highly recommended – Natasha really cares). He was abandoned by locals and thrown over the fence of the farm. We took him in and he’s getting …
You’ve probably been hearing tons of great things about Portugal and Lisbon in particular. You’ve heard about the great weather, prices, and if you have been following Madonna’s Instagram account (or mine), you know that it’s “the” place to live. Now you’re starting to research how to get your Portuguese residency and you’re really starting to …
Do I Need to Speak Portuguese When I Come to Lisbon? Read More »
Portugal means long lines. Portugal means slow walkers who don’t move out of the way. People speak quickly, but take their time in their conversation with the cashier when you’re in a rush and waiting on line. As a New Yorker, (this is who this blog is meant for…did you not know?) this is going to …
If you were to ask me if you should bring anything with you when you relocate to Portugal, my answer would be just to bring those things that have emotional value. Everything else – furniture, electronics, kitchenware…just sell all that crap and buy new when you arrive in Portugal. The moving process is not the …
Moving to a new country can be hard, confusing and scary. I went through those feelings in that exact order multiple times when I officially moved to Lisboa earlier this year. It had been 6 years in the making and I am finally beginning to get a foothold here in Portugal. Blanca has been asking …
No…not really. Maybe a little bit. There is a history of colonialism. The Portuguese were one of the biggest slave traders in the world (move over you Dutch and British slave traders). But is Portugal racist now? I would say…a touch, but it’s different than countries like the US or Italy. Most people in Portugal …
Getting a Portuguese bank account is not the hardest thing in the world, but there can be good amount of bureaucracy and paperwork involved. If you are planning to spend a long amount of time here, or if you are relocating, you will NEED to have a Portuguese bank account. It’s quite hard to navigate without one. Why? …
How to get a Portuguese Bank Account as a US Citizen Read More »
I’ve made art my entire life. As I got older, life (work) got in the way. That’s why I began taking art courses, it made it so I had to create. In NYC I took classes at the Art Students League, those were some of the best courses I took and I am so lucky …
There are tons of reasons to love Lisbon. It offers some of the most beautiful panoramic views, incredible street art, wonderful museums, great food, and wine. There is one other thing that you will absolutely love about the city, its parks. Lisbon has some gorgeous public spaces to offer. These are places to sit back …
As a tech geek-ified family getting modern electronics in Portugal is a horror and a nightmare. Get stuff shipped, charged 10x VAT, bring it yourself the electrical setup in apartments break everything. We moved to Lisbon, we brought over our stuff (not something I recommend – just sell your crap and buy new here). We …
Tipping in Portugal is quite different than in the United States where 15% is standard for average service and 20% is standard for good service (and where servers will give you lip if you don’t tip because their service was crap). In Lisbon, tipping is not mandatory and it is not seen as rude not …
Lisbon is a great city for food. If you know where to go. Lisbon is on an uptick and so is its restaurant culture, so if you’re willing to explore and be adventurous you will enjoy some amazing meals. I am not going to cover the fancy or expensive restaurants like Eleven, 100 Maneiras, or …
I wanted to put together my impression of the Top 10 neighborhoods in one of the best cities of the world; Lisbon, Portugal! I have had the pleasure of staying in most of these neighborhoods in Lisbon. For the ones I have not lived in for more than a month, I have asked …
This is one of many repeat visits to Lisbon, Portugal. Since Antonio and I had already stayed in Castelo, Principe Real, Amoreiras and Alfama; we figured this time we’d try out a different neighborhood. Since we liked Mercado Da Ribeira so much, we decided we’d stay nearby and chose Santos-o-Velho. There are tons of things …