I actually wasn’t a “beach person” when we moved here. Probably because I grew up close to Galveston, but Portugal has a way of converting everyone to become a beach person. I now anxiously await for days when we can take off to the beach…AND, I love that every beach we go to seems to have it’s own personality. They are all different and all fun to explore…thankfully there are a lot of them for us to explore!
O is for Olivais
Olivais is the name of our neighborhood. I love where we live. It is one of the older, more central areas of Coimbra. I found this arial view of our neighborhood…our house just got cut out of the picture (it would be a little off to the center left), but we walk these streets nearly everyday. In the picture I can see both of my kids’ schools (Calvin is at a different school than Hank and Lil), the pavilion where Henry plays basketball, our favorite local cafe (and several others), resturaunts, a church, medical buildings, one branch of the university (economics), hair salons and many homes. It also contains a fun mix of new, state of the art buildings and what once upon a time were probably beautiful homes but are currently crumbling to the ground. Almost every time we’re outside we pass someone we know (or at least recognize) and I love saying hello to all of our neighbors or our kids’ classmates. Anyway, just thought you might like to get a small glimpse of our neighborhood…it’s fun…come visit!
N is for Natas
Yum. These are the most traditional/famous pastries in the country and also probably my favorite. But, there is one member of our family who loves them even more than me and I KNOW will miss them while we’re in the U.S., and that’s Calvin. That boy has even gained a reputation among our friends here and they LOVE to bring these to our house when they come over and surprise/spoil Cal! It’s hilarious. I’m not sure if I will miss the nata more or simply the reaction of Calvin when he gets one. He’ll say “yaaaay” and clap his hands or jump up and down and then gobble it up in two bites (as opposed to probably the four that it should take). He loves them so much, he’s even learned to confidently go up to the counter inside certain cafés and ask for them himself. I’m pretty certain the waitstaff loves it…this cute blonde kid speaking Portuguese…they don’t even look to us for approval, they just give it to him. So, you may be thinking they look kind of gross…I’ll give you that they’re not very pretty, but they taste delicious and will be missed by our whole family.
M is for Meia de leite
“Meia de leite” is my cafe of choice…it means half coffee/half milk and it is delicious! I will miss these while we are gone…and for more than just the drink. It’s just the whole “cafe” lifestyle here. There are days when I look back and realize that I stopped and sat at at least three different cafes that day. With a friend, just to read, with our English group, just to have a rest on the way to pick Calvin up from school (when we walk)…there are so many reasons to have a cafe here and I love it! Besides, it’s so cheap, you can actually afford to stop that many times. I could never stop at Starbucks three times a day…I wish, it’s delicious, but one would go broke! Anyway, I just love this part of our culture and will miss it!
L is for Laranjas
I am seriously in love with all the orange trees around the country. I love everything from the smell of the blossoms, to how cheap (and wonderful) they are at the grocery store, to how fabulous their fresh squeezed orange juice is at all the cafes!
K is for Kids
K is actually not a letter that the Portuguese use, they just keep it in their alphabet for any and all foreign words they might use with the letter. So, obviously, “kids” is an English word, but I must say, I am a COMPLETE sucker for Portuguese children. I think they are absolutely adorable. I love this picture I found of Calvin’s very first Portuguese class…he kind of sticks out with that super blonde hair he used to have. He still sticks out now, but not nearly as much 
I will miss my English story time at his school…I love his (and Henry and Lily’s) little classmates…they are so fun! P.S. Not to mention that the little kids in preschool wear their matching “bibes” (like smocks) and hats…they are so stinkin’ cute!
J is for Jardim
Jardim is the word for garden…but included in this could be a park. The above is a picture of our city garden. It is so beautiful. I love the trees in it, the red benches, the walk along the river and even the old men that gather to play chess in the park. This park continues on to have a childrens play ground and an outdoor cafe. I love this park…we go here often to let our children ride bikes while Mg and I sit and have an afternoon coffee. This is the main park in the city, so we almost always run into someone we know…I love that about living in our small city. I just love watching how many people go here to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon…myself included! I will miss this particular park while we are gone…it is like our second home here in Coimbra
I is for Idosos
I just love this picture. Our friend Chris, from our photography team, took this picture while here (with permission from the lady). Idosos is one word for old people. I am just always amused by the old people in Portugal. I feel like there are a LOT more of them here than in the U.S. Mg and I have wondered why…perhaps because in the states they go to an old folks home or simply stay indoors, but their age does NOT slow them down here. They are busy, busy. Our neighborhood in particular is bustling with old people…and they always provide for some great topics of conversation in our family. I just love them. I will miss them while we’re gone. Perhaps even their nosy-ness…like the lady in the picture. They just perch at their door and/or window and people watch all day. I suppose I can’t judge, because I like to people watch now…I just don’t stare so blatently…yet 
H is for Horarios
I was telling Mg today that I think I was made to live in this type of culture. I’ve never been a morning person and am usually more the night-owl (I mean, I’m getting older as of today…staying up late is starting to take it’s toll ). I love the “hours” they keep in Portugal. Nothing starts (including school) until nine in the morning. The mall and most resturaunts stay OPEN until midnight. That’s awesome On weekends, Mg and I have found ourselves sleeping in until sometime between nine and ten…I never thought I’d see days like that again…it’s so great! And, you’ll see signs (in Portuguese) like the above all the time. Stores are so laid back…people just shut down for 15 minutes while they go take a cafe and/or smoke break. It used to really annoy me, but now I think it’s pretty comical. After all, that means I have an excuse to go get a cafe too I’ve become even more laid back since moving here…I’m a little nervous about the strict and early hours in the U.S….yikes!
G is for Guitarra Portuguesa
In Portugal they have a special music all their own, called “Fado”. I actually love fado (which would have been great for the letter “f”, I just love the flowers too). Fado is a music normally filled with longing…singing about days past that they miss or loved ones that they miss. I think it is really pretty…I always enjoy stumbling across a Fado performance. Anyway, to accompany their special music, they also have their own guitar. The Portuguese guitar is round (like in the picture) and has seven strings instead of five. I think it is really pretty…as a matter of fact, Mg just bought me a c.d. of all Portuguese guitar music…does that make me a dork? Perhaps. Anyway, I included a cheesy video (it’s very dramatic…but that’s how fado is)…and you can hear the guitar along with some fado and see the traditional black clothing they wear, etc. Hope you enjoy it. (P.S. My first love is still country music of course).
