Praia de Pescadores, Albufeira, Portugal Albufeira was the second city on our search for a home in Portugal. It was a beautiful city, but hilly, as you can probably tell from the photograph. I got more cardio-vascular exercise there than I’d had in a while. From the beach to our rental was all up hill.... Continue Reading →
Having Fun, Enjoying Life, Learning New Apps and Skills
Praia de Pescadores (Fish), Albufeira, Portugal I am a life learner, and I believe that nothing helps us grow in knowledge and compassion as traveling to a country where we do not speak the language and everything seems different from home. My husband and I forgot to add international roaming to our phones, so when... Continue Reading →
Braga, Portugal, You Stole My Heart
We are spending nine weeks in Portugal to decide on where we might want to live for the next three years. My husband’s only grandchildren live here, so he wants to come and spend time with them before they go off to college. I am still ambivalent about leaving the United States and my family,... Continue Reading →
It’s the “What-Ifs” That Makes Suitcases Heavy
My husband and I are in Braga, Portugal, and as we decided at the Porto airport whether to take a low-cost bus or an Uber that costs a little more, the decision was made by the fact that we have six pieces of luggage or bags. This meant we called a Uber, rather than having... Continue Reading →
In Five Days, the Next Adventure Begins
Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 I searched for my birth certificate yesterday. I had forgotten that it was so torn up, but I don't have time to send for a new copy. We leave for Portugal in five days! We are scouting for a home there, to have more time with the youngest grandchildren, so we plan... Continue Reading →
Still Life in These Bags of Bones: Planning a Travel Adventure Kick Starts the Anticipation
European Vacation, 2024 I am the travel planner for my husband and me. Over the years, I have learned how to look for bargains, what we need in an Airbnb, and what the best days are to start and end a trip. I do all of the administrative work, and my husband pays for it,... Continue Reading →
Moving to Europe and Leaving My Family Will Be Hard, But I Want to See the World
Daily writing promptWhat is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?View all responses Last year, when I told my daughter that my husband and I planned to move to Portugal this year, I thought she would tell me not to go, that, as the matriarch of the family, I was needed.... Continue Reading →
We Are Still Alive, So All is Well.
Wall Art in Coimbra, Portugal, June 5, 2025 Douglas and I planned to move to Portugal, walk the promenade, and sit by the ocean every day this December. Well, that's not happening this year. But we will start the application process as soon as we are able. If we are blessed, we will visit Portugal... Continue Reading →
In Europe, I Sometimes Search for Other People of Color
It's weird when I am in Portugal to see other black people. I sometimes feel overwhelmed in places that are almost homogeneously white. I am stared at as I walk through the small towns and villages, and it makes me want to proclaim that we are all the same species, created in God's image. My... Continue Reading →
Relax and Chill: Wordless Wednesday
Leca de Palmeira Beach, Porto, Portugal, June 2025 Copyright ©All posts on my blog, Help From Heaven, are my intellectual property protected by copyright. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Posted for Wordless Wednesday.
