Living in Portugal - Our Monthly Journal - April 2026

A few months ago, I was talking with a friend who, along with her husband, have traveled to and lived in many countries around the world; it was a way of life for them, working for an international company and moving where their skills were needed. We were discussing how we ended up in Portugal and the aspects of our move, leaving just about everything behind and starting new here. She couldn't stop commenting about how very "brave" we were to pick up and move like that, doing our own research, planning, and landing in a foreign place with virtually no connections or support mechanisms in place. She explained her situation: when they moved to another country, her company planned everything and prepared them for the move, so, in her mind, that was far less "brave" a thing to do.

I guess I have never thought of our move here quite like that. It was a bit of a leap, yes, and a bit of a risk, but we never felt like we were "brave" or doing anything dangerous. We always thought in the back of our minds that if things didn't work out here, we could always go back to what we were familiar with. Looking back on things after four years living in Portugal, we have learned a lot, figuring out how things work and finding great people who are willing to help and support our journey. It wasn't all cake and ice cream; some things were/are a little frustrating, painful, and difficult, but we have learned a great deal of patience and the importance of adapting to our new surroundings. We have been spared some pitfalls and harsh realities that a few others have, but each of us has found our way and moved forward.

Our biggest blessing, one that we will forever be grateful for, is to have met so many great people who took the plunge before us, who were equally as "Brave" and generous enough to share their learning and advice as we worked to acclimate to our new home. To me, that was the key for us, having people, many of whom we now call great friends, who were experiencing something "brave" themselves but were and are willing to share their learnings and to help others where they can. We'll continue being "brave" on this journey as long as we can, and we will always look for opportunities to give back to others beginning their Brave journey to help make the process smoother.

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Two very important celebrations for the Portuguese occur in April this year that remind us of how fortunate we are to be exposed to new cultures. Easter celebrations and the associated customs for the mostly Christian Portuguese population, and the April 25th Carnation Revolution/Freedom Day.

Easter in Portugal is a deeply rooted, family-oriented celebration combining religious solemnity with festive traditions including dramatic Holy week processions through the streets, sharing of Folar (sweet bread with eggs), roasting lamb, and the Compasso (priest blessing homes).

April 25th marks Freedom Day (Dia da Liberdade), Portugal's most significant national holiday. On this day in 1974, members of the military organized a peaceful coup and overthrew the 48-year authoritarian dictatorship, beginning the transition to democracy. Civilians handed red carnations to soldiers, who placed the flowers in the barrels of their rifles, symbolizing a victory achieved with remarkably little bloodshed.

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The weather has improved, and you can feel the approach of summer in the air. From the increase in tourist traffic to the warmth of the sun, it's a great time to be in the Algarve. We have not traveled this month, but have stayed home to enjoy what the Algarve has to offer. Most days are spent outdoors, at the beach, biking, walking, boating, enjoying time alone, time with friends, and just relaxing and enjoying Portugal.

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Teresa's garden is flourishing with the potatoes, peas, beans taking root, and the newly planted additions of Avocado, and Mango trees are adjusting to their new home

In our gardens, The flowers and blossoms are still the main event.

The large Storks are part of the everyday sights and sounds around Portimao. This time of year most have babies in their nests and are busy gathering food and feeding the new arrivals.

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Dinner with friends at Rolha wine bar in Porches. Terra Doce provided some great Portuguese Syrah's that paired perfectly with the food.

With the arrival of the Easter holiday, tourist season has kicked off in the Algarve. Beaches are filling up, as are the streets with people and traffic.

First Friday of the month gathering at Funky's. Always a great crowd.

One of our favorite local bands occasionally plays at Victoria's pub in the foothills of rural Algarve. A fun afternoon taking the train from Portimao on a short 20 minute ride to Poco Barreto station, across the road from the Pub to enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the sun with great company and music.

A fantastic morning ride with the Biker Dudes, a group formed for occasional rides through our scenic rural roads. Mark is the biking guru and usually leads the pack but today the rest of us we're riding eBikes (except Mark).

Easter Sunday lunch on a beautiful day overlooking the Alvor marina.

Celebrating Steve's 70th in style.

Our bi-weekly Pétanque gatherings have migrated to a weekly event.

Tapa's and Wine with Adrienne @ Terra Doce and of course a few friends. We are back at Casa do Rio overlooking the Alvor marina.

Ken's Birthday/Tax day. His kids coordinated a surprise visit with Jennifer for his birthday.

Dinner with a view at Tim & Claudia's

Another morning ride with the Biker Dudes. An inland route up through Fiqueira, Alcalar, and back down through the Portimao riverfront, then back home.

Spotted a dramatic large plume of thick black smoke across the Alvor inlet. It appears to be near the oyster farms near Palmares. Early reports indicate that it was a storage area for plastic based fish bins and other fishing gear.

Another beautiful afternoon beach walk in Alvor

Our first Boat Day of the season. We took our friends Sarah and Scott out along with Sarah's mom who was visiting. A nice day out on the water exploring the cliffs and caves of the Algarve

Walk along the Alvor boardwalk

The nearby community of Lagoa hosted a unique "hop on hop off" wine bus for an afternoon in April. Ken was on an earlier bus but seemed to enjoy his time waiting for us to catch up with him. Five wineries on the tour was probably a few too many, good thing we were on a bus, but it was a great day to be outside and enjoy the grounds of each location. We stopped at Morgado do Quintão, Quinta dos Sentidos (one of our favorites), Cabrita, Quinta dos Capinhas, and Quinta dos Santos where we enjoyed a late lunch overlooking the vineyards.

Cliffside walk from Praia do Vau and into Praia da Rocha

A few afternoons spent in nearby Lagos, at the beach, in old town, and few meals along the way.

Sonny and Barney continue to keep us entertained, at least for the few hours they are awake.

The neighborhood Barney and Sonny lookalikes love hanging out around in our yard and visit our boys through the screen door.

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As always, we hope everyone is doing well, healthy, happy, and thriving. We miss you and love you all...A lot!