I’m out exploring Mafra, Ericeira and Caldas de Reinha. 3 very diverse locations where many people are scouting for relocation. To be able to help them finding the best place matching their personal needs, I am getting to know these areas even better.
Mafra is a small very genuin town for those who wants a calm life close to Lisbon. Close by Ericeira is bigger and with a beautiful coastline.
Caldas de Rainha is a quite big inland city with an industrial feeling. This area has been the center of the tiling manufacturing for decades. My favorite place in Caldas is the magnificent park and old thermal hospital.
Beautiful hike one hour south of Lisbon. Rice fields and birds.
New Wow concept 2025 - Scenic roadtrip and a beautiful hike.
Alentejo magic🙏. Completely alone at the beach today when a group of Dolphins came by☀️❤️
Pick up at Hotel Albatroz
Todays sunset close to Vila Nova de Milfontes
Lisbon around the corner. Beyond the crowd.
Do you like to be in control of time and plan your day in detail? Well…relax! You’re in Portugal!
As a very well organized and always in time Swede, I had a bit of a struggle my first months in Portugal. I almost got crazy before I realized that this is a slooow country and I need to change my mindset.
Waiting in line, slow traffic, people who’s showing up late, wait for the food at the restaurant, not getting any information why the train is late……you can choose to be annoyed and waste your energy on anger. Or, you can choose to accept that this is a country where stress is not “the norm”. People don’t stress if they don’t absolutely have to. Full stop.
Relax, have a coffee, answer some emails, enjoy the view or just meditate for 5 minutes.
It’s not the end of the world!
Always include air in your schedules and never plan for “just a 5 min stop”…that will not happen! 5 “Swedish” minutes are 15 Portuguese.
And remember; if a Portuguese person moves to a country with more stress, he will feel the same need of adaptation. And we would tell him to adapt or live somewhere else, right?
We are guests in this wonderful country and getting to know the culture is one of the most interesting parts of moving abroad. Embrace and be happy!
(And yes, of course I can still have moments where I just want to scream to people to hurry up🤣…. Portugal is not perfect and neither am I, but my life here is as perfect as I can make it🙏☀️❤️💃🏼)
Arrábida and Sesimbra. I wonderful roadtrip! Now included in my guided transfer from Lisbon to the Algarve. Or as a day trip from Lisbon.
Setting up a new wow tour south of Lisbon
Soon added to my new tour Sintra - the silent way😍
I’m often talking about that everyone can have a high quality life in Portugal, no matter what budget you have. Many times, someone comments “no, it’s too expensive!”
Let me explain my view of life.
Quality in life for me means
- to have health and access to good healthcare.
- to have access to “clean” and healthy food, local veggies and fruit.
- to be able to pick oranges, figs and almonds directly from the trees.
- to have free access to amazing nature and watch the sunset from a paradise beach.
- to feel safe even when I’m out alone in the evenings.
When Covid hit, I had lived in Portugal for 2 weeks. As many others, I lost everything very fast. I could not afford the most basic things in life, but still I was grateful. Grateful for everything this country gave me, even without any money🙏❤️.
Has it been a struggle? Yes. Have I been close to given up? Yes, of course. Has it been easy to rebuild my life and creating a new business? No, it’s a f**ng hard work to be honest!
But in the hardest of times, I’ve taken my tears to a beautiful view, breathing fresh air and waited until my body and soul has absorbed enough energy from the nature to have the strength to continue.
Could I have done it, living in a concrete neighborhood with violence and darkness around me? I truly don’t think so.
What does quality mean for you? If it’s a seafront villa and a Ferrari, yes, you need a big wallet.
If you’re like me, you only need a grateful and an appreciating attitude.
Creating a high quality life is a choice of our own values, not a question of numbers on our bank accounts.
Moving to a new country can be very expensive but it doesn’t have to be. When you count on the costs, ask yourself what’s actually is necessary and not. What is a must and what is a choice?
Life is here and now. Make the most of every day🙏💕. You are worth it!
Elise is describing the difference between a noisy touristy tour and a peaceful and comfortable tour with Wow Guide Portugal. On a boat trip.
