Albufeira: It’s All Uphill

Breathtaking doesn’t quite cover it

Yesterday, I made a new rule for myself: Don’t walk downhill until I know for certain I won’t have to walk farther uphill.

Some neuron in my brain fired the other night and I remembered that I was supposed to register my presence with the local authorities. I went into two ex-pat groups on Facebook and searched to see if anyone had posted about the process but couldn’t find anything. So I asked.

Once posted, I had immediate responses, which gives me a hint as to how helpful ex-pats are going to be in my future. (Thank you!) The replies were not completely straightforward, partially because everyone’s situation was different. One said my AirBnb host was supposed to register me. One said her lawyer had told her she definitely had to register with SEF, the Portuguese Immigration and Border Patrol Services. One said she had had to register and had done so at the local Junta de Freguesia, sort of like a Parish Council. I contacted my AirBnB host and he said that he would register me. I thank him, but I want to make sure I do everything properly here, so I set off to find the Parish Council. (Trust but verify.)

My phone doesn’t work here, at least not all the time, or maybe certain functions work, and I have no idea why something works when it does. I don’t have GPS, or maybe I do. I look up directions on my laptop and get a general idea of where the place is, but I can’t print it out.