The Light Here Is Different
When you spend 30 years moving for professional reasons, you develop a kind of useful detachment. You get very good at being open. You get good at choosing a place that's calm, planting yourself deliberately, and deciding this is the new home where you will let things slow down enough to be seen.
“Are you still enjoying it?” The weighted question behind choosing Portugal as home
People ask me the same thing again and again: “Are you still enjoying Portugal?” It sounds polite. It’s really about identity, control, and the script we were taught to live by. I moved in my 50s and wrote a workbook so others could do it too. Here’s what the question means, why it persists.
Aveiro in 3 Days: Portugal’s Little Venice, Without the Crowds
Escape the bustle of Lisbon and find calm in Aveiro—Portugal’s canal-laced gem with quiet charm, colorful boats, and pasteis de nata (egg pastries) worth the detour. Here’s your perfect 3-day itinerary, from sun-soaked beaches to baroque cathedrals.
Thrones, Crowns, and Stones: Africa’s Hidden Masterpieces Underground - Part 4
From Yoruba crowns to Zimbabwean stone sculptures, Luba maternity figures to Kongo nkisi power objects, Africa’s masterpieces await beneath a Portuguese winery.
Spirits in Wood: African Masks and Sculptures Underground - Part 3
Dogon funeral masks, Punu white-faced dancers, and Kongo nkisi figures: in the Aliança Underground Museum, Africa’s spirits live on in silence beneath Portuguese wine cellars.
Faces of Memory: African Art Beneath the Cellar - Part 2
In the underground chambers of the Aliança Museum, Africa speaks through terracotta guardians from Niger, Fang masks from Gabon, Nkisi power figures from Congo, and Yoruba crowns from Nigeria—objects without labels, yet alive with meaning.
Ever Wonder What's Beneath the Wine Barrels? I Made a Fabulous Discovery in the Aliança Underground Museum - Part 1
Beneath the wine barrels of Sangalhos, Portugal, lies a secret: the Aliança Underground Museum. Its African collection—terracottas from Niger, ivory carvings from Congo, and masks from Gabon—sits largely unlabeled, yet speaks volumes about civilizations too often silenced.
So, You Want to Move to Portugal? Read This First
Portugal is an incredible place to live, but moving here isn't as easy as the internet makes it seem. Here's what you need to know about housing, jobs, taxes, and culture before making the leap.
Hiking in Lisbon: Five Trails You Can Reach Without a Car
Lisbon is more than city streets and river views. Just beyond the city center, forests, cliffs, and ancient trails are waiting to be explored. Here's how to find them—no car required.
