Milestones and The Weather Part 2.

I have slept through January and most of February.
When it is cold, I prefer to stay in bed and hibernate.
Having followed the sun to Portugal, I have been following the sun into my bedroom as well.
The rays do not hit the windows until between ten and ten-thirty AM.
That is when I start to consider raising the shutters.
We have added curtains and two heat and A/C units to our place. These additions have helped immensely with temperature control.

I guess I should just stop trying to be like my Portuguese neighbors and admit my failings as an American; we like things to be easy and comfortable.

And, happily, this has been the warmest and driest winter in Portugal since 2000.
This is good and bad, of course. It has put the entire country into a drought situation.
That pesky climate change thing again. Yesterday it was 70+ degrees in Porto.
Most unusual for this time of year.

And yesterday was a milestone for us.
The third anniversary of our arrival in Portugal.
It is hard to believe it has been three years already. We have never looked back and are so thankful because life is so much better here.

I still have to laugh that Portugal was never on our radar as a possible place to live until it was pointed out to us. And it has turned out to be the best possible place to live!
There is no comparison to the states because everything is so superior.

The quality of the food and wine alone is worth moving for. Not to mention the great weather and low cost of living. The country itself is spectacular.
Covid notwithstanding, I could be content to spend the rest of my days traveling through Portugal alone. It is tiny but so packed with eye-popping beauty.

As much as I love wines from other countries, it is hard to drink anything other than the local wines.
They are so good and can be had for a fraction of the price. Anything you could want can be had here. If you like Burgundy, get a Jaen (red) or Encruzado (white) from the Dão. Bordeaux? A red or white from the Douro. California? Alentejo, Tejo, or Sétubal has drops that compare. Champagne? Bairrada has you covered.
Fabulous sparkling wines, in general, can be had from any wine region in Portugal.

And it does not stop there, dessert wines?
Porto, Madeira, and, Sétubal all have a unique diversity of sweet wines.

The fun never stops, as I like to say.

I used to say that I could spend the rest of my life exploring Italy, another wine mecca.
Now, I know that I will spend the rest of my life exploring Portugal. Hopefully, I can revisit Italy too. 😉
Meanwhile, viva Portugal!
Sáude.