matthew

Will I or Won’t I Receive My Residency Card

2024 is drawing to an end.  It is sunny and warm in Porto.  And I have accomplished nothing.  Sure, I’ve found every good Craft Beer bar in the city, more than a few cocktail bars, and a reliable source of Port wine, but who hasn’t?  What I don’t have is residency.  In January, I applied

It’s been a minute since I last posted.  I guess I was waiting for something important to happen.  What is the old saying?  Life is what happens when you’re waiting for something else.  Well, in the internet age, SPAM is what happens.  2,202 of them.  If I could read Russian, it might have taken forever

Long story short:  I spent a month in Austria and Switzerland.  I thought it would be a nice Euro ski trip.  Silver lining (part I), I saved a fortune on ski lift passes.  It was the warmest February on record.  Dragging around two bags, one of which is ski bag, isn’t a lot of fun. 

With a stop off at Lake Tahoe and Reno, I made my way to San Francisco.  I went to SF to submit my paperwork for a D7 Retirement via to Portugal.  I was able to hand in over my papers with only minor difficulty.  I reserve the right to change my opinion subject to actions

Ok, so I’m back in the US of A after 18 months.  My current long-term plan is to get a visa to move to Portugal. Why Portugal?  Portugal is an incredibly laid-back country.  One day, I saw a bus stuck at a corner, unable to make the turn because someone had parked their car on

What can I say?  Munich is Munich.  A great city with a lot of beer halls, a famous festival, and the dirndl.  The Bavarian dialect is quite strong, so good luck with your high school German.  Oh, they can understand your Hoch Deutsch, but there’s a good chance you won’t understand them.  I find it

Porto sits on the Douro River, just a few miles from the Ocean, but it doesn’t feel like it.  The hills of the city provide great views, but the city also creates views of its own.  The city is known for wine (especial sweet, fortified Port wine), but has a surprising number of craft beer

I headed north from Lisbon to see what life was like in a smaller town.  And it was nice.  Braga is the fourth largest in Portugal, about a quarter of the population of Lisbon.  When I visited, they were having an arts festival called “Noite Branca”, or white night.  Three nights of music and art,

August in Lisbon.  Once again, I am out of sync.  The Locals have left Lisbon for seaside, and only us silly tourists remain.  Summer heat and panting tourists.  That’s what I love. The weather, though, has been surprisingly nice.  Highs of 28C (82F), with a constant breeze.  I can’t speak for modern buildings, but the