​Hi! Harold here. A recent personal experience has led to this blog post and it’s all about Portugal’s healthcare system. Let’s face it, there’s no better way to learn about something than doing it yourself. Let’s dig in…

​Happened to see this handy overview of what's legal here. Most of this I already knew, but I wasn't aware of the number of guns available to the general population given Portugal's low firearm-related murder rate. 

Porto has many fine historical sites and the Mercado do Bolhão is certainly one of them. It's always a treat to wander the aisles looking at the fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, cheese and flowers. While the original site is being renovated--it will reopen in 2020--a temporary market has been established nearby. But there's more to Bolhão than just that goods for sale.

'For these “descendants of Bolhão,” as they call themselves, the market is home. Graça dos Santos, a fish vendor, sums up the sentiment of many: “My mother carried me in her womb in Bolhão. I was born here, I want to die here.”The traditions they uphold reach still further back.'

Can you read the full article here.

Like every city, Porto is comprised of interconnected neighborhoods, each giving the whole its own individual flavor. However Porto doesn't have that "big city feel", something that is very important to the Portuguese and to those of us having the good fortune to move here.

This article, Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Porto, courtesy of Cindy Christensen, highlights a few of our most interesting and friendly, locales. 

As I mentioned on our Facebook page, I have mixed feelings about these lovely tiles (What Will Lisbon do About its Stunning-Yet-Dangerous Sidewalks?) which can be found in almost every city and town in Portugal. They are easy to pry up to perform road/sidewalk maintenance and are used to form the most amazing geometric patterns, but they have their downsides. When it's wet they're slick and I know when it rains not to wear one particular pair of shoes or I have zero traction.

They're also uneven and I still don't know how these ladies in heels manage to get around without screwing up an ankle. I've warned certain US friends who have mobility issues that Portugal might not be the best choice for them to visit. Certainly it's not just Portugal (most of Europe is like that) but it's not something tourists usually think about. You just don't go wandering around without paying attention to where you're putting your feet.

But they're pretty and unique. So what to do?

We've just passed the "we've been here 11 months" mark and that's rather astounding, actually. In many ways we've settled in and others, not so much. So this post is going to discuss what's giving us trouble, because living in a foreign country is never like the guidebooks suggest. The big clue: it's all about The Language

While I was out researching a nearby city (Vila do Conde), I found this way cool site that offers 360 degree views of famous locations throughout Portugal. In this case, various sites in Porto. 

I highly recommend you take some time to just browse through these links. Enjoy!

porto.360portugal.com/Concelho/Porto/index.php

The Camara Muncipal  (city government) of Port has made a insightful video on what it means to live (or visit) here. Enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/CamaraMunicipaldoPorto/videos/10155677955084066/

Ever wondered how Portugal reduced their drug abuse problem without sending even more of its citizens to jail? Here's a video that explains exactly how this all works. 

www.facebook.com/SBSVICELAND/videos/619214538412256/

And to answer the question we occasionally receive "Are you smoking up over there?" that would be "Ah, no." Because we're here on temporary residence permits, subject to the good will of the immigration authorities, we behave ourselves. That doesn't mean that occasionally we don't encounter a cloud of pot smoke when we're out and about and take a deep inhalation.

​But then that's not illegal (wink).

Beginning May 25th, new rules regarding online privacy rules will be in place. Companies will be required to acquire users' permission before they gather or share personal data. Given recent revelations in the Unites States regarding Facebook's sharing of personal data, this is a solid step forward.