Because there is crime in Portugal (it's not a paradise...), I'll place some ocasional news about the subject here. Seven people were convicted to prison (7Y9M to 16 years) for a total of 36 robberies. They robbed houses, with old folks inside, and businesses, perpetrated in the districts of Coimbra and Aveiro in early 2022.https://www.jn.pt/3644566357/sete-dos-15-arguidos-do-caso-teia-dourada-condenados-a-prisao/

"Mais vale saber que haver e dar que receber" It is better to know than to have, and to give than to receive

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, prompting American expats in Portugal to gather for vibrant celebrations. In Porto, a major event features local flavors and a scenic venue, while Lisbon hosts a picnic organised by Democrats Abroad, providing a festive atmosphere for the expat community. Others are more muted. On this occasion, let me share with you a little US-Portuguese relationship history... Wine before independence (1766–1776) Before there was a United States, there was Madeira. Portuguese fortified wine was the drink of colonial America - partly thanks to a quirk of British trade law that let Madeira ship directly to the colonies. By the 1760s it was a symbol of colonial identity and mild rebellion: when British customs seized John Hancock's sloop Liberty in 1768, the cargo in dispute was Madeira wine, and the incident helped light the revolutionary fuse. Jefferson, Washington and Franklin were all devotees, and tradition holds that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was toasted with Madeira. So Portugal was, quite literally, in the glass at America's birth. To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the US-Portugal relationship is the time of Frank Carlucci, who was the American ambassador here - "the American who helped save Portuguese democracy." Hear my tribute to him here The modern era: tech, tourism and the new Americans (1986–2026) The last two decades flipped the old dynamic. Where Portuguese once emigrated to America for opportunity, Americans now arrive in Portugal for lifestyle - a wave that accelerated after 2016 and surged through the pandemic years, drawn by the D7 and digital-nomad visas, healthcare, safety and, let's be honest, the pastéis de nata! Americans became one of the fastest-growing foreign resident groups, US tourism boomed, and the economic relationship diversified. Web Summit made Lisbon a fixture on the American tech calendar, US investment flowed into Portuguese startups and real estate, and transatlantic flight routes multiplied from Lisbon, Porto and Faro.

This month is celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of the most famous portuguese poet, Luís Vaz de Camões. For that reason, the Lisbon Metro signed a partnership with Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (Portugal's National Library), so Metro travellers can have easy access to his poetry. Lisbon Metro placed posters with QR codes that allow you to listen to excerpts from Camões' most emblematic poems, performed by actor André Gago. This initiative invites customers to rediscover the richness of Camões' work during their daily journeys. https://24.sapo.pt/vida/artigos/poesia-de-luis-de-camoes-tambem-vai-andar-no-metro-de-lisboa

I still remember when certain politicians in PT said that some of us (who strongly disagreed with them) are "too rural", etc. OK. I was on holiday back home, went outside, listened to this cover track, and it made me feel better: https://youtu.be/XBM419uuN_U?is=yuF0xfg1fjzBOWsk