October is special. Four years ago, on the morning of October 1, I landed in Lisbon, Portugal, with two suitcases in tow and two fingers firmly crossed, hoping I’d made the right decision to make a new home on the country’s Silver Coast.
Being an immigrant/expat in a foreign country with a different language is not easy. Doing it alone, not knowing anyone in the new country before you arrive, is especially stressful. During my four years here, I’ve met U.S. citizens who moved to Portugal and then later decided to return to the States. Still others decided to leave Portugal for another foreign country. Moving here is not for everyone, despite all the hype. For me, though, it’s been better than I ever imagined. Muito obrigada, Portugal!
Fall Fun in Portugal 2026
GB and I ended September in Alenquer vineyards during wine tasting grape harvesting season, and we also did a hiking trip to Buçaco (or, “Bussaco“) National Forest in the parish of Luso, north of Coimbra. Mata Nacional do Buçaco recently was designated a certified therapeutic forest for walking “forest bathing,” one of only four such certified forests in the world, according to Euronews. The other three are in Germany (2) and Austria.
The forest also is home to Buçaco Palace, designated a Portuguese National Monument, built in 1888 at the site of a 17th-century monastery. The palace became a hotel in 1917, and was our base during our trip.
Here, a recap in photos.
In true overthinking fashion, I had GB remove the bottle label from another brand before we approached the always busy refill fountain. Once we got in line, it was clear nobody cared about bottle brands, and Luso labels were in the minority. GB is still chuckling, as am I.
And then there’s free wine refills! grape harvesting!
Thank you for reading! ❤️ I hope the weekend finds you making decisions that bring you joy.
All images are my own, except as noted.
The Hot Goddess
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