An American in Portugal

My cup runneth over with the quirky and colorful responses I got to my Hung Out to Dry article.

I am honored that folks connected with me to offer both their personal "clothesline" reminisces and others sought advice about living here in Portugal. I'll share a few of both with you as the clothesline thing is intriguing and the questions will likely resonate for a lot of people.

Clothesline Nostalgia

As for the clothesline reminisces, we heard from a wide swath of people in various countries and I offer a sampling.

My favorite was Anna, homegrown in England, “where every homeowner possessed a clothesline. Monday was wash day, winter and summer. I have a vivid memory of my grandfather's frozen long johns standing upright in a corner of the kitchen to thaw."

Kira who grew up in South Africa said, "We always used the washing line to dry clothing – one in a covered area for darks and one in the sunshine for white. I’m planning to make the move to Portugal, next year. Enjoy your new life in Portugal. I'm super excited to start mine."

Suzanne from Ireland says: "Weather not like Portugal but we all still hang clothes out on clothesline. When we get good weather everyone goes “Great day for drying”. I’m in my 60’s and my daughter says this too. We love to dry our clothes outside! Have a great life In Portugal!”

Sylvia from Colorado read my article and said, "It reminded me of looking for dryer sheets to freshen our suitcases when we vacationed in Portugal. There weren't any! That experience gave me the idea to install a retractable clothesline here in Colorado.”

The Portugal Curious

And there were many questions. I’m not the chamber of commerce, but as a former NPR reporter, I pay close attention as we jumped through all the hoops in landing and setting up life here. I’ll add a few of the questions here and offer some short answers.

Fred from California, a retired school teacher, says he'd be interested in Portugal but, "I have a dog and 4 cats and I'm not giving up my pets."

BW: Fred, we brought our little dog with us. And when we landed in Lisbon and had to spend time in the airport vet's office getting our documents approved, there was a woman there with 6 cats moving to Portugal. Of course, each pet requires paperwork but it's very straightforward. There are no trick questions – the work comes in retrieving all the info asked for.

Karen from Canada asks: What are the hardest things you face living there?

BW: I recently read someone cautioning about "cozy positivity” – that is turning a blind eye to the downsides of Portugal. Karen is looking the tiger in the eye! I’d say navigating the bureaucracy has been a big one for us. The latest bureaucratic test is that I turned in my Florida driver’s license for a Portugal one in early February and as of this writing have still not received it. I have a stamped paper document that I carry in my billfold. But we’re not supposed to drive in other countries until we have the real deal in hand. Patience reigns supreme.

Debby Perkins, an American, retired to Mexico with her husband after deciding Portugal was not going to meet their “perpetual summer” requirement. And then she asked how I was doing with the weather.

BW: Did I mention, Ron and I moved from Florida?! I call myself a hothouse flower. Yet I would say that winters are easy here in the south of the country and that’s why we went with it. It doesn’t snow and highs hover around 50-55° F/ 10-13°C. All I needed was one of those bubble coats and a scarf during December, January and February. More important is getting a place that has heat. People complain that typical Portugal homes are damp and cold. New construction generally doesn’t have that issue. We live in a vintage apartment in Lagos and just installed AC/heat wall units.

Tracy (U.S.) asks “In your part of the country is it still a walkable city? The cobblestone, the hills, the grocery store? Do you use Uber?

BW: I would suggest that southern Portugal is very walkable. But that can have many meanings. Of course, the towns have the ubiquitous uneven cobblestones but comfortable, flat rubber-soled shoes are the antidote. The main towns like Lagos (where I live) get shoulder-to-shoulder crowded in the high season so walkable is relative. Although we have a car, frankly, it’d be easy to get around walking and taking Ubers. Living in the country is a different matter; you need a car (or an electric bike!).

Rita from the U.S. has an adult daughter who wants to visit the Algarve prior to June 1 on her own. “We’re trying to figure out which town she should rent an Airbnb for a week. I’m assuming she’ll need a car.”

BW: Things get booked up pretty fast as we head into the high tourist season (July & August) but June also gets lively – so she should book her place soon! If she lands in a populated place like one of the bigger (small) cities in the Algarve, she can take Ubers and not have to mess around with a rental.

Becca Williams is settling into small town living in Lagos, a seaside town on Portugal’s southern coast. Contact her at AlgarveBecca@gmail.com.

Becca Williams lives in Lagos, a seaside town on Portugal’s southern coast. Contact her at AlgarveBecca@gmail.com. 

Becca Williams