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A YEAR EXPERIENCING LIFE IN PORTUGAL
Turning a Nightmare Around in Porto, Portugal
Challenges awaited in my next stop of Porto
My next stop on the “Year Around Portugal” was the lovely northern Portuguese city of Porto where challenges were waiting for me.
I Could Live in Porto!
Ahh, Porto. The city of port wine cellars, a picturesque, albeit hilly, historic center and a lovely location along the Douro River. What is not to love about this fair city? When I first moved to Portugal, only Porto and Lisbon were true contenders as places to live. After flashbacks to snow drifts in NYC so large my short self could hardly see over them, I chose the warmest city, Lisbon. With more sunny days and direct flights than Porto, it was the clear choice.
However, after a chaotic year fighting the onslaught of unchecked tourism, I grew weary of my beloved Lisbon and began considering other places. As I traveled around, I found a lovely lifestyle in many of the towns I visited. My month-long stays instead of quick weekends away, gave me more insight into how life could be in other towns. I had to work, eat and live in these places as it was not a holiday for me. It gave me a different perspective.
