Scouting Trip to Porto in October

Now starting our time in Porto for finding an apartment and signing a lease. We have engaged RelocateToPortugal to help us. We booked a flight from JFK so we could be in Porto from 23 October to 04 November (we need to be back in NY in time for Coleman & Joyce's run in the NY Marathon!).

First we drove from Carol Stream on Friday afternoon, just after Barb's long-awaited dermatology appointment -- only a few skin things frozen off, no problem. Overnight at Toledo, then back in Ossining by 7pm. Oct23 we took a 6pm Brussels Airlines overnight flight, no problem, connecting to another flight to Porto that arrived Tuesday noon (local time -- jetlag was tough. I slept 4 hours in the plane seat--Barb just occasionally dozed, little sleep). Relatively easy, though 15-20 minute waits at passport control at Brussels (our entry to the Schengen area) then for our luggage (it all arrived fine!), then to buy a metro ticket to take us from the airport downtown! That last bit was especially frustrating, as Porto ticket pricing is confusing---note that "title" apparently equates to a "trip", and each card can be valid for only one zone-category (i.e. distance) at a time. I much prefer the monthly card that we had in February, and which we will certainly renew when we return in January.

RTP RelocateToPortugal come highly recommended by several American expats. For apartments their fee apparently is for searching out places, phoning for viewing appointments, negotiating the price, then legally-reviewing the lease and registering it with the municipal government. That last bit is necessary in order to apply for our D7/retiree visa: proof of legal housing the first year.

We are staying at the apartment where we stayed in February -- Holland's Nest, for the week. On Rua Faria Guimarães 717.

Fortunately, the rainy October weather let up this afternoon and is quite pleasant, partly sunny, in the upper 60s Fahrenheit. Wish us luck!

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