It's Starting to Feel Like Home

Life in VRSA...

We moved to VRSA in January of this year…9 months have passed. It seems I have given birth to a new life. VRSA is starting to feel like home.

Difficult Choices

Denise and I have moved several times in our lives. We know there are trade-offs with every location: weather…city or rural life…culture and nightlife…even local politics. While Denise was looking forward to our move to VRSA, I was a bit reluctant to leave Cascais. Denise will tell you that I have my “half-empty” days…so it should come as no surprise that I was quick to point out to her many of our new surrounding’s shortcomings when we first arrived.

• The city is not as clean: the grassy areas in the park are not mowed as often as I would like. There is more trash on the streets and in the park. There is more dog poop on the sidewalk. It is not that VRSA is dirty. Rather, I think Cascais is a bit of an anomaly given the President lives there and it relies on the high-end tourist trade.

• Our apartment was much, much nicer! We were fortunate to find the apartment we rented in Cascais. In a building with only 5 very quiet neighbors, it had been gut renovated in preparation for the owners’ return before we moved in. This was NOT your typical Airbnb. And while we paid €2300/month¹ + utilities, I suspect we got a Covid discount.

• We need a car. In Cascais, you can very easily survive without owning a car, only renting one when you want to explore Portugal. And yes there are many people that survive without a car in VRSA…some are even Americans! But we play golf several times a week, and the one bus that passes anywhere near our course would get us there but not back.

• There is always something to do in Cascais! And nearly everything was free! If you walked out of your apartment on any weekend you could find a special event. And on those rare occasions when you could not…you could spend your time trying yet another restaurant (many with non-Portuguese cuisines).

Taken during one of Onix’s morning walks.

No Regrets

You might conclude that I regret moving to VRSA. The truth is I do not! It has taken a bit of time, but I am warming up to the charm of our new town. Nearly every morning I am surprised that the sky can be that pink, purple, or orange. And while Onix tries to find the absolute best spot to relieve herself, I pick up a beer bottle or discarded food wrapper, or another dog’s poop. I know there will be something to pick up tomorrow, but it doesn’t matter.

And yes, the longer I am in this apartment the more it annoys me²...but we are building a new home which our budget would not have allowed in Cascais. Yes, we own a car…but we always owned a car (or two). So what am I complaining about? And while I might have to drive to Tavira on occasion for a special meal or something to do, I have concluded it is no different than when we lived in Rancho Mirage and drove into Palm Springs for the evening.

One of the “industrial areas” of VRSA.

Solitary walks, away from the town square, have also changed my perspective. I have begun to explore what this town has to offer rather than focus on what we left behind. You may not find the above area as attractive as the Portuguese Riviera … but I have started to love it. I’ve learned there are lots of businesses that can offer all kinds of products and services. You just need to know where to look and have the courage to ask.

Community

I don’t want you to think that loving the place we live is all about buildings, events, and the like. Of course, the greatest gift we have received is a sense of community. I must admit, it was not the tribe we were expecting…but it is a tribe we enjoy. First recruited from our new golf club and then from pickleball, we are fortunate that we now have a large, diverse group of friends. Best of all, they come from many different countries adding unique flavours and to our understanding of the world.

Yes, Vila Real de Santo Antonio is really starting to feel like home. What more could one ask for?

1. We pay less than half that amount (€1100/month + utilities) in VRSA.

2. Since I had not lived in apartment since 1980 I was unfamiliar with how much location in a building effects one’s quality of life. The neighbors above us party well past our bedtime. Also being on the ground floor exposes us to conversations of passersby (again well past our bedtime).