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Farmer’s Market
The leafy square near my apartment, Príncipe Real, is the site of the Saturday organic farmer’s market in Lisbon. On Saturday, Richard and I met one of the other Fulbright scholars, Rachel Burk, and...
View ArticleThe Fish Took a Wrong Turn
The most striking difference about grocery shopping in Portugal as opposed to the U.S. is seeing whole animals at the fish counter and the butcher. I had pretty much gotten used to the baleful eyes of...
View ArticleLanguage Lessons, Hopefully: Part 1
In the three weeks since I arrived, I’ve been trying to find Portuguese classes for beginners/foreigners. A couple of weeks before I left, I realized that it might help to learn some Portuguese, and a...
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Why I Vote
Our absentee ballots from the Albany County Board of Elections arrived two weeks ago as promised, and Richard and I filled the ballots out immediately to make sure they arrived in time for the November...
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A Colorful Garage
Last Sunday, Richard and I joined some friends for a field trip to a…parking garage. Francis, Leila, and their daughter Maimouna are originally from Paris, but they’ve lived in various cities...
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Thanksgiving in Lisbon
I’ve been getting emails about the lack of blog for the past week, and I apologize. About a week ago, my computer developed a malware infestation, which in this case was the digital equivalent of a...
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Language Lessons, Part 3: Ana and Martim
So far, I’ve talked about my efforts to learn Portuguese in two other posts, which is why this one is Part 3. At first, the class I signed up for was postponed due to lack of enrollment. Then, a couple...
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Critters in Distress
Of my many blog posts, the most popular by far is the one titled “The Fish Took a Wrong Turn,” about the fish that regularly find themselves lying on the ice in some peixeria or supermarket. A few days...
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Pastel de Nata
Last month Edi Campbell of Crazy Quilts invited me to contribute a post on holiday cookies from different cultures. While the “Pastel de Nata” is not a specifically holiday treat, it is considered the...
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“Celebridades” Revised
I’ve been busy with interviews and guest posts for the past month or so, but things seem to be quieting down. Not sure whether or not that’s a good thing, but I’m hoping to meet people and organize...
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House Hunters International Goes to Porto
While many of my fellow YA writers follow TV series such as Game of Thrones (which probably puts them more in line with popular tastes than I am), I clear my late evening schedule for the HGTV program...
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So You Want to Take the Next Step: Buying a Home in Portugal
For the past five years, I’ve offered advice to people traveling to Portugal and looking for places to go, to shop, and to dine, as well as background information on the country’s rich history and...
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My Own International House Hunt
In my last post, I offered some general information about buying property in Portugal and obtaining a residency visa. Although I haven’t committed to this step, Richard and I did visit three properties...
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Lisbon’s Hipster Neighborhoods of 2017
People who know me personally know that I’m one of the uncoolest people around. However, a lack of eye-hand coordination has rendered me useless at video games, so rather than spending all my time at...
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Filling in the Holes: Advice on the Algarve
Richard and I have received the details on our stay in Portugal in May and June and are starting to plan our side trips. I’m also figuring out where the holes are in my forthcoming e-book travel guide,...
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Parents, One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Child
My kids always struggled to learn new languages. My son started in middle school along with his classmates, and Spanish classes became an opportunity for him and his friends to cut up. My daughter...
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Lisbon’s Hipster Neighborhoods and the Digital Nomad
Two years ago, I wrote a piece titled “Lisbon’s Hipster Neighborhoods of 2017,” which has turned out to be one of the most popular of my blog posts. However, it is no longer 2017, and as a service to...
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