It's been a minute since my last post. So I think it's time to catch up.
September brought us Kristin and Brion. The time went quickly but we had so much fun showing them towns we have already enjoyed and discovering new places with them. Here are the places we visited with them in September.
Setúbal, Évora, Madeira, Porto, Aveiro, Braga, Guimarães, Douro Valley, Tomar. Check out Insta for the pics. We hope that they could see why we fell in love with not only Setúbal, but all of Portugal.
Joined by our friend Dana, we went for a quick weekend to Nantes, France, to experience the Royal de Luxe company, which operates huge, mechanical dogs that appear to walk through the streets of Nantes. The city streets were closed to traffic and the parade was so fun, with music and a ton of people, but almost all French people. There weren’t many other tourists, which made the experience feel even more special.
Nantes, France - Port city of western France on the Loire river. This city has good public transit, excellent food and because it is relatively flat, you can walk all over easily. Lisbon to Nantes was a 2-hour flight and €88pp round trip.
October started out as if summer had just arrived, so we enjoyed walks to the beaches. We also joined a gym and had lovely cool evenings listening to music and gathering with friends. Around mid-October the rains started, which meant friends from Seattle were visiting. Elyce and Jason came to Setúbal on their way to Spain. Even though the visit was short, we were able to show them around our sweet town.
November has brought some rain and crazy winds, but they have tapered off, leaving us with crisp sunny days that cool down in the evening. Cool wet days of course make cooking yummy stews and soups so enjoyable.
Slower days also makes us think about the time which has passed. Around this time last year, we had all our belongings packed up in 7 bags, headed to Seattle for the month of November, and closed on the sale of our house on November 17th. It's hard to believe that was a year ago. It feels like this last year has gone by so quickly. Every week flies by, sometimes because we are trying to accomplish a simple thing like going to the post office, but sometimes it's because the amazing group of expats that we have become part of has so many opportunities to gather. Music, art exhibits, documentary club, walking groups, book clubs, happy hours, pickleball, boat rides, backgammon club, and hikes.
Even though making new friends and building a new community is exciting, fun and new, we do miss our people, our family, and our friends who have been with us through all kinds of stuff.
Keep in touch, if only a quick text to say hey. WhatsApp is the best way to text us: Monica 206-579-8492 Gavin +351961854957, we always welcome the chance to catch up!
3 weeks in Portugal was not enough! We had such a great time. Can’t wait to return.