Winters and Spring in Northern Portugal
and a Few Other Lessons…
There are quite a few “things” I heard before moving to Portugal and being the type of person I am, I disregarded them all.
Whenever I hear overly negative talk, from anyone (family member, friend, expert, or stranger), I shut down and tune out. This is because of my past (what isn’t LOL). My family catastrophizes everything, especially the act of leaving the house. This has caused me not to heed most warnings, even when they’re valid. Think of “the boy who cried wolf.”
Combine that with my dislike of naysaying, unsupportive behavior and discouraging or fearful people and you get a person who often does the opposite of what she’s told. Even when it gets me in trouble.
Some of what I heard about living in Portugal in FB groups turned out to be true but most of it turned out to be false.
I’ll address the most common experiences below and add my own experience. If you want to move ahead to the “one thing I wish I’d actually known first” section, skip to: The Rain.
True or False?
I always heard that in Porto (and the surrounding areas) it’s often colder inside than it is outside. I understood and even experienced this concept in the states. If the sun isn’t shining in your windows, it’ll be colder inside. It’s science and common sense. In the states I lived in an apartment that received no direct sunlight, ever. During the hot summer months, it was delightful. The rest of the time, not so much. In Porto my apartment has many windows and I’m on a corner so I receive morning sun, afternoon sun and evening sun! During the winter the sun is lower in the sky (obviously) and when it’s shining, I get more of it!
One of the main issues is… it’s rarely shining here in the winter. Thus, it is often colder inside. What little sun there is may warm up the outdoors and the heavy cloud layer also keeps it a little warmer outside. The dampness sinks in, making it cooler indoors.
Truths/Facts/Solutions
1. The difference is mostly not even noticeable. And I go outside about four times a day (thanks to my cutie pup). Yes, there have been two times in the past two years where the difference was more significant, about five degrees (Fahrenheit) but for me, it’s rarely the case.
2. Heaters work wonders. On this note you will hear that the price of energy is much higher in Europe and you won’t be able to afford to run a heater. Yes, the price of energy is higher. However, unless you have to survive on €700 a month (I have a friend who does just that), you will absolutely be able to afford to run a heater, or two, or three…
Let’s Talk About Energy
Here’s my heater schpiel because now is as good of a place as any to talk about it.
The cost: Portugal has an interesting thing and I’m not really sure what it is so I don’t know how to explain it. You pay a set fee for how many watts (I think it’s watts) you’re going to use at any given time plus you pay for the amount of energy you use per month. For example: when I moved in, I could only run the refrigerator and the lights. I had to pay for a higher tier to run more electronics at once. Now I can run the lights, fridge, oven, TV + modem + video game console, washing machine and one heater at the same time. If I try to plug in a second heater, my power goes out and I have to reset the breaker. At first this freaked me out. Now it’s no big deal. I think I’m tier three. When you call the power company to change your tier, they will tell you what they think you need depending on your household number and what you’re running. You pay a set amount no matter if you run all those things all the time or not. You also pay for the energy you use.
There are also several energy companies you can use here. In California I was at the mercy of PG&E and if you watched the news in the past five years, you’ll know a little about them. In short, they SUCK!!! They’re solely responsible for massive fires, the loss of hundreds of homes and forests plus quite a few deaths!! But living there, we have no choice. It’s PG&E or nothing. In order to combat their negligence they came up with the brilliant plan (deep sarcasm here) of turning off everyone’s power during times of wind. Not during fire season mind you. Not during times of heat, during times of wind.
In October the first year they did this, it was forty-five degrees in my house (without heat) and they turned off my power for five days straight. I was wearing wool inside with gloves and hats during the day. All my food rotted. I was cooking on a small camp stove and lighting my house with candles and flashlights. FOR FIVE DAYS AND NIGHTS! The next year they turned off my power for three days and this went on until I moved out of California. PS—they still continue this ridiculous practice.
On top of that, in one month my power bill tripled. I couldn’t figure out why or what happened until nine months later when my closet flooded with hot water. It turned out there had been a hot water leak under my apartment for nine months. Did they refund me for something that was not my fault? No, they did not. Did they fix it? No, they did not do that either. They patched it but it continued to leak. My bill went from $130 a month in the winter for a one-bedroom apartment to $350 a month in the winter, for two years.
My most expensive bill here in Porto, during the coldest month (for a 3 bedroom) was €130. People here think that’s very expensive but it’s all relative and compared to $350 a month, I thought it was a bargain. Then I switched companies here and my bill has dropped €20 - €30 overall, per month since.
Back to what I was (or wasn’t) told before moving here vs. the reality of living here.
The Rain:
I was told it rained a lot, but this year (2023 into 2024) it has rained from November (all of Nov) through March (all of March) so far. I can’t remember exactly how many sunny days I’ve seen, but it’s been less than twelve in five long months.
And during a few of those days, it still rained. Yes, it rains here, even when the sun is out. They even have an idiom for it because it’s so common. “When it rains while the sun is out, a widow is getting married”.
Many times, when it rains, the type of rain is absolutely insane. It comes down sideways and is accompanied by heavy winds. This winter (fall and now spring) I’ve lost three umbrellas to the wind, they were completely destroyed. I’ve lost three pairs of rain boots, they sprung leaks. My most recent pair sprung a leak yesterday. The rain has soaked through several raincoats. On more than one occasion it has soaked through two layers of pants (leggings and jeans) and even my underwear. That happened again today (at the very end of March). YAY! —More sarcasm because if I don’t use it, I will cry.
I recently heard that Porto is the rainiest city in Portugal and this year it’s proving to be true! Last year it “only” rained all of January and that was difficult for me. This year I WISH it had only rained for a month. But it’s almost April and it’s still pouring rain with no sun in site.
This does not mean it rains this heavily in other parts of Portugal. The Algarve, for instance is significantly dryer and quite warm. Even Lisbon (a mere three hours south by bus, train or car) is often sunny when it’s soaking through our undergarments here.
Conclusion
If you love the rain and overcast skies, Porto may be a great option for you!
—There are many other tidbits I have heard in those FB groups, that I warn people to limit their time on, because they are often insanely negative. I will cover a few other “legends” in future posts but the point is this…
Do what is right for you, regardless of other people’s opinions. If you want to move to Portugal or any other place in the world, do it. If you hate it, you can move elsewhere! It’ll be even easier if you find a fully furnished apartment. Or do what I plan on doing again (for the second time in my life) and be a digital nomad until you find the place that resonates with you. I’ve stopped thinking of anywhere as my “forever place”. I reframed it to my “just for now” place. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re similar. One of my friends, for example, would never read a blog like this one because she’s happy living in the same house for fifty years and has no interest in change. And there’s nothing wrong with that either, because the bottom line is: do what makes you happy! With the caveat of, as long as it’s not hurting anyone else.
May 2024 Update: it’s still raining and overcast with 25mph winds in Porto. We had 10 glorious spring days in April and then, with a seemingly snap of the fingers, it was gone… The weather report promises clouds only for the next 10 days to come, and then 1 day of sun! Breath held!!
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