Living in Portugal - Our Monthly Journal - December 2025

December in the Algarve this year feels less like the tropical, warm winter getaway we have become accustomed to and more like Northern California coastal weather, with plenty of cool days, cold nights, clouds, and a lot of rain. The weather certainly sets the tone for cozy days inside, with visions of a crackling fire on the TV from YouTube.

It was also a month chosen for surgery and recovery of my damaged shoulder. Although it seems there is never a good time to go under the knife, this month worked. We cleared our travel itineraries and settled into the winter weather at home for recovery. More on the surgery and current outcomes later.

---

Pretty quiet on the garden front, a few fall/winter colors and plenty of bright orange fruit appearing like ornaments on the citrus trees.

We managed to attend a few events early in the month including a cool outdoor dinner and wine experience and the annual Wine Castle tasting featuring the many producers that they represent.

---

My friends found an image of the perfect trophy depicting my bicycle accident in August that damaged my Left shoulder. While my accident was far less dramatic than the trophy, it depicts a similar face/shoulder plant.

December seemed like as good a time as any to fix the damage from the crash, so we scheduled surgery for the first opening on December 10th at the private hospital in Faro. My surgeon, Dr Diogo Silva Gomes, has been very good at explaining the procedure and getting me scheduled quickly. My first surgical experience in Portugal, so I was a little nervous. The doctor explained that surgery would occur in the morning, and I would spend the next two nights in the hospital for recovery and observation, a bit different than the outpatient experience in the US when I had my right shoulder Rotator cuff repaired. He also said that recovery from a shoulder replacement takes far less time than surgery to repair the rotator cuff. He said some of his patients are playing golf as soon as a month after surgery, but in most cases, full recovery takes about two months. My right shoulder rotator cuff recovery took about four months before I could resume full activities.

On the Doc's suggestion, I opted for a Reverse Arthroplasty, or reverse total shoulder replacement, a procedure recommended when the rotator cuff tendons are badly damaged (two of my four were completely severed and deteriorated). The procedure reverses the location of the ball-and-socket joint, placing the artificial ball on the shoulder blade (scapula) and the socket on the upper arm bone (humerus). This design allows the large deltoid muscle to lift the arm, restoring function and providing pain relief, unlike traditional replacements, which rely on the rotator cuff.

For good or bad, I decided the night before surgery to watch an online video of the surgery. I wouldn't suggest doing so, as it's a bit gruesome to watch. It is incredible that we have the knowledge and skills to perform a procedure like this and that the human body can withstand such an invasive surgery. On the morning of surgery, I told the doctor that I had watched a video of the procedure. He said jokingly, "Good, then you can assist in the operating room".

Prepped and ready to go, I was wheeled into the operating room where several people were milling around completing their individual tasks, preparing for the surgery. The room looked very high-tech, what you would expect from a first-class hospital. One of the tables of equipment looked more like a wood shop than an operating room, as it contained tools like a power saw, drill, hammer, and screwdrivers, although they appeared to be medical-grade, not the ones you would buy in the home improvement aisle. Another table looked like an aisle at a car parts store, with several small boxes containing different sizes of "parts" that the surgeon can choose from during the procedure (I received a complete list of the parts utilized and their serial numbers at discharge; I wonder if they come with a warranty :-). Before I knew it, I was waking up back in my hospital room, bandaged up and feeling no pain.

The technical side of my hospital experience was top-notch; the equipment, operating room, and staff were all excellent. The hospital stay experience was not as stellar, including the old, uncomfortable beds, the terrible food, and the staff who were laser-focused on only completing their individual assignments in a very robot-like manner, nothing more, nothing less. Thank god I didn't have much of an appetite; the first night's dinner looked like it had been prepared hours, if not days, ago and consisted of dried-out fish and vegetables so overcooked that they were nearly transparent. Breakfast consisted of coffee with milk and a piece of bread with butter and jam. The second night's dinner was, of course, Bacalhau with boiled potatoes and, thankfully, some edible soup that I gladly ate.

We spent the night before surgery at a hotel overlooking the marina in Faro and had dinner at Lodo, one of our favorite restaurants nearby. Mary chose to stay at the hotel for the next few days so she could be close to the hospital for visits. She was the best nurse I could have asked for post-surgery and at home during recovery.

Once home, the shoulder part of the surgery seemed to be recovering well, but on day four, during the first bandage change at the Hospital in Alvor, a severe reaction to the adhesive on the large, hard plastic post-surgery bandage was observed. The reaction looked like a chemical burn: very red, with some blistering and peeling skin. The nurses treated the area, carefully keeping the incision clean and protecting the 21 staples that held the exterior closed. Over the next week, we were back at the hospital every day to change the soaked bandages, treat the burn, and protect the incision. On day nine, my entire arm started swelling to the point that it felt like a balloon ready to burst. We spent over eight hours on day 10 in the hospital emergency room while they tried to figure out why the swelling was occurring. Everything from blood tests to CT scans ruled out infection and blood clots, but no definitive diagnosis was reached. The doctor said swelling is common post-surgery due to the disruption of blood flow during surgery, but not this severe. It's been very difficult to sleep, finding a comfortable position, the itching, swelling, and drug side effects have all contributed.

I've spared you any of the photos of the incision, burns, and swelling, but rest assured that they were not pretty. Thankfully, these issues all eventually subsided; good or bad, they were far more of an issue than the shoulder itself, which has been recovering with manageable pain. Even at this early stage, the incision scar has nearly disappeared.

Three weeks post-surgery, the staples are out, the incision is healing quickly, the rash/burn is healing nicely, the swelling is all but gone, and the first full nights of sleep are in the books. The doctor had said to move my arm from day one and provided a few PT exercises to conduct at home. My range of motion is improving daily, and little to no pain remains from the surgery. Dr. Gomes has been outstanding at follow-up by phone and text to ensure my recovery is progressing, even consulting with the Emergency room doctor by phone throughout my time there. My next in-person follow-up is scheduled for Jan 8, where the doctor will determine what level of PT, if any, is needed. It's impressive, given all the slicing, cutting, sawing, and hammering that went on, how quickly the healing has occurred and movement has been restored.

---

For my Birthday, Mary whipped up German Chocolate cupcakes, a birthday treat that Mom used to make for my Birthday. A very low-key day/week post surgery, but I couldn't ask for better company or food for my Birthday.

The closest thing to NY Bagels we can find here are at Pom Pom Bagels in nearby Lagos.

Our Friend Steve organized a night out with friends just before Christmas to walk Old Portimão and see the lights, decorations, and festivities, followed by dinner at a restaurant along the river. A cool night with a bit of rain kept crowds to a minimum.

Christmas Eve desserts and Hot buttered rum at Revilee & Steves.

Christmas day at Jen & Ken's house with secret Santa and plenty of reindeer games. As with most of our gatherings, we all bring food to share, which is always very tasty and plentiful.

A few friends really get into the Christmas spirit. Mary Beth & Jack have an annual tradition of being Mr. & Mrs. Claus and continue that tradition in the Algarve by bringing joy to the village of Alvor on Christmas Eve. Kevin and Max bring the spirit of Christmas to life, starting a new tradition with Max as the star.

What December looks like at the Bondi's house in Portugal including Mary's amazing Lasagna

Between the rainy days in late December, we headed over to the Marina in Portimao to check on our boat and ensure it was weathering the recent storms. Turned out to be a nice day for a boat ride out along the coast. Clear skies, cool temperatures, mild swells, and a slight breeze made for a perfect few hours out on the water. Winter days like this are why we don't dry-dock the boat for the season. Even a few days out over the winter are well worth the work to keep the boat available in case of calm days.

New Year's Eve at Kevin, Christine, and Max's, celebrating with great friends and enjoying the spectacular panoramic views of the fireworks shows from their 16th-floor apartment in Praia da Rocha.

Sonny and Barney continue to enjoy their humble abode in Portugal. The fascination with the new Roomba Vacuum has spread to the neighborhood cats as well. We caught this one staring in and watching its every move. The Christmas tree is always a source of entertainment for Sonny and Barney. Sonny's fascination with all things water continues as he tries to drink from the tree's base. Both of them love to lie under the tree and hide behind it. Thankfully, they have, for the most part, kept the ornaments off limits. They sure do know how to get comfortable around the house

Thanks for reading this edition of Living in Portugal - our monthly journal. Enter your email address below and hit the Subscribe now button to receive future posts.

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