A YEAR EXPERIENCING LIFE IN PORTUGAL

A Wonderful Month in Nazaré

In Search of My Next Home in Portugal

Lisa Tisdale
6 min readJun 17, 2024

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People standing on the beach in Nazaré at sunset
The Beach in Nazaré (photo by author)

As my time in Nazaré was coming to an end, I enjoyed soaking up every last moment in this quaint town by the sea.

The Angry Sea Has Followed Me to Nazaré

One night, instead of winding my way home through the quiet back alleys, I chose the seaside route. I was wearing my Manchester City jersey and the team had just won a big game against Tottenham. Usually when I am wearing my jersey while walking along the waterfront, I get stopped to discuss the game with some of the local bar and restaurant owners. After the big win I was definitely up for a chat.

As I turned onto the waterfront walkway, I noticed things were eerily quiet, even for a Tuesday night. Most of the cafés and restaurants were either shutting down or closed. Everything was calm…except the sea. I stared out toward the water but could see nothing but darkness. In Nazaré, the beach is wide and at night it can be hard to see the ocean from the walkway.

All I could do was listen to the sound of the waves as they crashed relentlessly in the distance. It sounded as if the ocean was angry, perhaps at my boldness for walking the waterfront after everyone else had headed…

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Lisa Tisdale

After a year of life in Lisbon, I am currently on a one year trip through Portugal, to learn more about my new country! Travel Consultant, tistravels.com