It seemed like a dream, but Diana and I had been living in Portugal for four and a half years. During that time we lived in Cascais and Estoril and enjoyed our proximity to Lisbon and everything the area had to offer. There are so many things to do, so many restaurants to try, and of course all the friends we made in the area.
Long time readers know that we have been exploring various regions of Portugal since we moved here. We have always had a fascination with the North and its cool climate, delicious food and beautiful coast.
After much thought and research we decided to move to the Minho region of Portugal. This region is located in northwest Portugal and is named after the Minho River, which flows between Portugal and Spain. The larger cities in the region are Viana do Castelo and Braga. Guimarães, Barcelos, Ponte Lima and Valenca.
The area is said to be the home of the infamous caldo verde soup and the slightly effervescent vinho verde wine. Sounds like a great place for us!
Our new place in Moledo
After a lot of searching and help from new friends in the area, we found a great space in Moledo. This is a small seaside village. 15 minutes from Viana do Castelo, 50 minutes from Porto, 5 minutes from Caminha, 20 minutes from Villa Nova de Cerveira and 30 minutes from Spain. On a clear day you can see Castro de Santa Trego from our balcony.
We will enjoy small town living while still having access to all the necessities like healthcare, shopping, restaurants, and all the daily necessities we need. We've been here for about a month and so far so good. The apartment building we live in is very quiet. Three bedroom, three bathroom townhouse with generous outdoor space and beautiful ocean views. We realize it's the off-season, but we're hoping for calm year-round.
We have a five minute walk to the waterfront and we enjoy going there most of the time. Here we walked for several miles along another flat path. Our town is located along the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Route in Portugal. Every day we see people walking with huge backpacks and wishing them “Bom Camino!” with a smile and a nod from the Portuguese.
Diana even found a donkey friend on our new road. He had some horses, goats, and sheep, and they were all adorable.
The food here is great
We love going to Caminha, a town just five minutes away. There are some lovely restaurants in the historic square and you can sit among hikers from all over the world. If you're hiking the thru and craving a burger, be sure to stop by Trincaria Happy Food Bakery;It will indeed make you happy. You're sure to hear several languages spoken at once, and it's interesting to meet the walkers and find out where they come from and why they embark on the journey.
You will be surprised to know that among Portuguese restaurants and traditional tasca restaurants there are also restaurants serving pizza, burgers, healthy food and even American restaurants.
Not to be outdone, our small town also has some excellent restaurants. Maria Moledo and Hamilton quickly became our favorites. Even our local mini market guy knows our favorite snacks and snacks.
Grocery shopping is easy too
We are lucky enough to have an Aldi about five minutes away from Praia do encora and a Continente Bom dia nearby. A little further away is the huge Pingo Doce in Villa Nova de Cerveira. If you go to Viana do Castelo, all the major grocery stores are there, as well as some specialty grocers.
All towns also have local markets selling fresh produce, fish and meat. Our friends also sometimes travel to Spain by car to buy groceries.
Lots to celebrate
There is so much to explore in this area and we are very much looking forward to our upcoming vacation. Viana do Castelo is ready, lights ready. We had heard that the lights and holiday markets in Vigo, Spain were legendary and since it was only an hour away we were going to visit.
Diana is planning our annual Portuguese Thanksgiving dinner, a time to give thanks for being here, for the abundance of food, friends, and good times. It may not look like a traditional American Thanksgiving, but we're totally fine with it.
To those of you who are still following our trip, thank you! We thank you and we love receiving your questions and words of encouragement.
It's time to settle in and enjoy
As we establish ourselves here and become more familiar with our neighbors, shops, health care providers, and hair salons, we take a deep breath and reflect on how far we have come. We are still trying to learn Portuguese not too well and are still frustrated by an overburdened immigration system. But all in all, we are still very happy that we moved to Portugal. It cannot be emphasized enough – moving to another country is not for everyone. It's filled with paperwork, fees, and unexpected bumps in the road.
However, we also grow as people. We had more patience (most of the time), formed lifelong friendships, and learned to be excellent tour guides for those who wished to tour our new home.
We are still working, but we have slowed down. We made time for morning and sunset walks. Having lunch with friends, spending time watching silly, mindless TV, and sometimes just escaping from this crazy world.
I was teaching and Diana had just started writing her second novel. If you missed it, she first novelreleased not long ago, please check Conviction of Diana Laskaris Read them all and buy a copy today. We don't write as much as we used to at Food Travelist, and our social media posts are spotty at best. We're thinking about what happens next. Stay tuned, whatever it is, you know you'll want to follow.
