If you’re interested in Portugal, you’ve come to the right place.
I’m a serial expat who’s been exploring Portugal since I moved here in 2007 and blogging about my experiences and discoveries since 2011.
By sharing stories about the food, art, culture and off-the-beaten-track highlights of this diverse country, I hope to inspire you to visit Portugal one day, or simply get to know it better.
I also want you to benefit from my research and experiences of living and travelling in Portugal so you can make the most of your time here.
On this blog, you’ll find:
Port boat, River Douro, Porto
practical information about travel in Portugal
ideas for trips in Portugal
Chouriço assado com aguardente / flame grilled red pepper sausage
a taste of Portuguese food and drink
snippets of Portuguese culture and history
São Gonçalo bridge and church, Amarante, Portugal
interesting images of Portugal
glimpses into my expat life
links to other useful sites for living and travelling in Portugal
A little bit more about me
Originally from the UK, I’ve lived in several countries including Spain, Tanzania and Venezuela and I’ve travelled to over 30 others. When I moved to Coimbra for work, I felt at ease straight away and quickly fell in love in more ways than one. I met Mike, who is now my husband, adopted Daisy the dog and put down roots in Moura Morta, a tiny village in central Portugal.
For more about my expat and travel experiences, you can read some of the interviews I’ve done.
For more details about my freelance writing and other examples of my work, please visit my writer site.
If you have any suggestions for this blog or questions about living and travelling in Portugal, please get in touch. I’ll be happy to help if I can.
I clicked here from the wordpress blog regarding about pages. This one looks nice, I think you have one a good job with it.
Thanks for taking the time to check it out and comment
Oh boy, I’m happy to find another Portugal blog since I hope to travel there next summer!
I hope you find this blog of some use, then! Just let me know if you have any questions – I’ll see if I can help
Thank you, Julie! Once I start reading and planning, I’m sure I’ll have some questions.
I´m loving the new look of your blog, Julie. Very professional
Thanks, Marianne. I’m trying to make it more obvious that I’m available for hire for professional writing services. I was a bit worried that it looked too boring though.
It´s always hard to reach a compromise with certain things, isn´t it?
I´d hire you in a heartbeat!
Thank you!
I’m talking about you again! hope you are ok – and busy as ever I am sure!
thought you might enjoy this one http://algarveblog.net/2012/08/13/cbbh-photo-challenge-looking-up/
Hi Aly, thanks for the link and the compliments. I’ll look into it when i get back from Vietnam next week.
Hi Julie — Just found your blog. We (self + partner) are planning to sell up in the UK and move to central Portugal next year, so your blog is definitely of interest. We are looking at the Tomar area provisionally, but will be renting initially and having a good look around. We’ve visited a few times, staying in Lisbon, Miranda do Corvo (I could definitely settle there!) and Coimbra. Coming again in October this year for a few weeks, and probably having a provisional look at what’s for sale and what you get for your money.
Anyway, thanks for what looks like a very useful blog.
Hi Mick, Thanks for getting in touch and glad to be of some use to you. Let me know if there’s anything specific you think I might be able to shed some light on for you, although I’m no expert!
As you already know, there are some fantastic places in and around the areas you’ve mentioned so I’m sure you’ll find something you like. I really like Miranda do Corvo too – it’s pretty and got everything you need for the day to day and not too far from Coimbra.
Best of luck with your move
I guess it’s only human to fall in love with settings and aterspheoms which are radically different from our own or to not fully appreciate what is ours. I live in Lisbon and quite often friends from abroad tell me I should appreciate my city, rather than criticising what I think is wrong but in all honesty, I just lived one year abroad and I didn’t have any nostalgic feelings about returning home. Personal thing, I guess, but I just do not feel this city [and country] as many others do.Oh well, cheers to your page, it’s much better at promoting my city than me.
Hello Julie. This is a very nice blog you have here.
Your name rings a bell for some reason and not in an X-Files Fox Mulder way either. It’s a kind of heroic name, something I would expect a sidekick of GI Joe to have.
Do you work for the CIA?
Thanks, Michael. No, happily I don’t work for the CIA. I prefer a quiet life these days.
Good Morning busy person!
It’s hard to write in a post a huge THANK YOU! for all that you have done setting up the Personal A to Z Challenge – but please know that it is REALLY appreciated – and it is looking so exciting!
Please accept two blog awards as a thank you from me …. you really deserve them! One is the Candle Lighter Award and the second is the HUG award…
click here to find out more…
http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/2012/02/01/its-award-time/
sent with lots of love xxx
ALy
Hi Julie – thanks for your reply….I feel better already! I am fluent in Portuguese (my parents actually live in Porto), but Ian isn’t – he says he will improve once he lives there!…(he understands a bit but cannot hold a conversation). Our architect was here a few weeks ago (his first time in Africa!…he was amazed to see what South Africa had to offer!) to finalize design etc., and we plan to start building in Jan 2012, and move Jan 2013!…We are building as “green” as possible – very modern…stunning views over vineyards..
It sounds fabulous! I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible for you. Let me know if there’s anything else you think I might be able to help you with.
Hi – we will also be relocating to Portugal in 2013 – start to build next year (Beautiful Penela, 25km from Coimbra). We presently live in Johannesburg, South Africa. Im a city girl, my husband – country (although he has always lived in a city!)…I am starting to feel nervous about the relocation. My roots are Portuguese and my husbands’ English. Any advice/suggetsions about living in Portugal? thanks!
Luiza.
Hi Luzia,
I understand your concerns – it’s always scary starting somewhere new but I love the area around Penela, it’s beautiful so you’ve made a good choice there.
I’d say the most important thing is to be able to speak Portuguese so even if you are already able to, it will really help both of you if your husband can learn it too before you get there. Otherwise, you’ll be the one dealing with the builders and some of them don’t take instructions from women all that seriously.
And both of you need to be able to drive so that you can get to a city if you need a culture or shopping fix. Coimbra’s quite small and doesn’t really feel like a city but it’s got enough to keep you entertained and Lisbon is fairly easy to get to from Penela – you can catch a train from Pombal. I found it strange when I moved to our village after years of city living but I have to say I love it here. I suppose I’m a country girl at heart though. Both my husband and I love cities and we make a point of getting a city fix every so often for a spot of nightlife or art / music.
Will your house be finished by the time you move or is it going to be a gradual process?
Julie
Julie
You registered on our site but I think you left the wrong e-mail address so we can’t send you newsletters and enter you in the prize draw. I have found you through google but cannot find the right e-mail address for you.
Can you let me know your correct address please.
By the way, really love the blog. If you afncy doing anything on our website articles, please let ,me know.
Thanks
Paul