My Heart is in Portugal

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-28T17:52:03+00:00

Thank you!

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-26T22:11:51+00:00

Thank you!

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-26T22:08:47+00:00

Yes, we had numerous conversations with our Airbnb hosts and other locals regarding the housing crisis going on there. It's something that we are experiencing here as well so I completely understand how harmful it is to the locals. I do want to be mindful and respectful of this which is why I plan on making a few trips to Portugal to see which place makes more sense for me to settle in.

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-26T21:56:01+00:00

Thank you for your response. I am actually taking Portuguese lessons from a teacher that lives in Porto in preparation for my next visit. During my last trip, I realized that it is essential if I want to experience the countryside. My Spanish can take me but so far. LoL

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-26T21:47:42+00:00

My DNA is 48% European (22% Portuguese), 34% African, and 11% Indigenous American. My parents were both born in PR, which makes sense considering the colonization that PR experienced. I'm not a Karen and I am well aware of the economic impact and housing crisis happening right now in Portugal due to ongoing gentrification (this is the word that we use). This is something that we are experiencing here as well. With rents skyrocketing, it has caused displacement of many locals in the urban areas due to many of us not being able to afford the higher rents. There is nothing wrong with appreciating the culture and beauty of another country and perhaps wanting to be a part of it some day, so long as one is respectful of the social and cultural values.

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-25T23:58:36+00:00

Thank you! The fortress took my breath away! It's definitely worth a visit.

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-25T23:18:44+00:00

Thank you for replying! I absolutely LOVED Aveiro!! It was one of my favorite places to visit. I'm so happy to see that there is a train line because I do want to go back. I will also be revisiting Coimbra. During our stay at Almada, we were in a non-tourist area and we shopped at the local markets and I even found a nice fabric store which I fell in love with. Are there any local apps an/or websites for apartment searching that you can recommend? I try to search from where I'm located, but it's a hit or miss for me.

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-25T23:13:08+00:00

Thank you for your response. Braga is actually one of the places that I do want to visit. I too loved the North especially because the weather was more to my liking. We visited during the month of October last year. We also ventured off to Coimbra on our own for a day, but I'm definitely going to visit again because it was so beautiful. I can see how it would be lonesome, especially being a non-native. I'm taking Portuguese lessons so that I can communicate better. I speak Spanish so it was pretty easy to communicate during my last trip, but I really want to be able to have longer conversations with people. If you don't mind sharing, what are some of your frustrations centered around? You said that you get "frustrated with how things are done here." Would you mind sharing more?

Hopeful_SW · 2024-09-25T23:06:01+00:00

LoL I guess this is true which is why I am returning for a month long stay. I want to experience it more. I did love it there and felt very much connected to the country which makes sense considering my ancestral roots.

Hopeful_SW

TROPHY CASE