Cold Weeks and Warm Neighbors

Our return to Portugal near the end of January (1) was chilly. Literally, it was cold. Locals claim it was the coldest month they could remember.

Luisa, our kind landlady, turned on our 2 little space heaters before our arrival, bringing the house temperature up to 45°F. (Yes, we had left keys with her.) It took a week to bring the house up to 55°F. We donned wool base layers, sweaters, down jackets, hats, and gloves inside the house all day! We purchased a mattress warmer, which provides luxurious warmth all night.

Our neighbors warmed our hearts with baskets of enormous lemons and scrumptious oranges picked from their own trees. I made candied rinds as thank-you gifts. They turned out more gooey than the crunch I had hoped for. Today I will try hot lemonade tea.

By the third week, the house warmed and the weather normalized. We installed a mini-split heater/air conditioner. Now warm, we have energy to focus on other activities. We started taking Portuguese classes, and classmates are introducing us to restaurants. We take a yoga class twice a week. We joined a gym.

We continue to develop our garden. Digging, shoveling, and planting lifts my heart. The climate is like San Francisco East Bay,(2) ideal for flowers and vegetables year around. Of course, weeds thrive in this beautiful climate as well.

Patricia and Rita, our landladys daughters, tackled some of the enormous weeds that grew during the wet winter months.

You know who you are!

I cannot say all of this has been easy. Your messages and calls continue to comfort us and ease the stress. One person has sent four real letters! We are grateful to each of you. You know who you are, and we thank you.

Next: Exploring More of Portugal

Tile art promoting "Culture for Life" in the Buddha Eden Peace Garden.

(1) For some mysterious reason, our visa applications were stuck in an unknown abyss with Portugal’s office of immigration services. A few pleading emails finally resulted in the processing of our application packets.

(2) Union City, CA in Alameda County is a “climate twin” to Alcobaça.