JETTSET | Newsletter No°2
This Week: Spring is in the air | Braga festivals | Portugal surprises | What I'm loving.
Bom Dia, Amigos ☀️
Spring has sprung in Braga!🌷
The tulips planted around the city a few weeks ago are thriving.
Whatever your plans this first weekend of spring, I hope you have something delightful in store.
And if you’re new here, welcome! I hope you enjoy my little corner of Substack.
In this second edition of Jettset (named after my beloved pup, Jett), I’m covering:
New & Noteworthy 💡 | A look at our hometown.
Postcards from Portugal 🇵🇹 | What’s surprised us most living here.
The Love List 🩷 | A book recommendation & quote that nourish the soul.
Let’s dive in!
New & Noteworthy💡
Latest Post
Last week, I gave an insider’s look at our hometown of Braga, Portugal.
As promised, I’ve published a follow-up piece about the festivals and events that capture our hearts year after year.
If you want to learn more, read the full story linked below!
Postcards from Portugal 🇵🇹
Josh and I were chatting the other day about what’s surprised us most about living overseas in Portugal.
The list ran the gamut from the flabbergasting to the hilarious.
Here are the 7 things we compiled:
The Portuguese are the highest consumers of wine — in the world (even more than the French)! 🤯
Most people speak conversational English quite well because — aside from learning it at a young age in school — they don’t dub their entertainment (most of which is imported from the U.S.).
Portugal has a very complicated colonial history, which you can read about here. Countries that previously fell under its rule (and where the language is still spoken) include: Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe, East Timor, and Equatorial Guinea.
Bacalhau (salted, dried codfish) is considered, by most, to be the national dish of Portugal and it’s prepared a myriad of ways depending on the region. While the Portuguese account for 20% of global codfish consumption, it’s actually not caught off Portugal’s coast; rather, it’s typically imported from countries like Iceland and Norway.
Mall culture is thriving here; while it tends to be a relic of the American retail landscape, malls are truly a destination in Portugal, typically anchored by a large grocery store and an enormous food court inclusive of premium restaurants.
European Portuguese sounds absolutely nothing like your typical romance language; in fact, to the untrained ear, it more closely resembles Russian. That’s because it’s a stress-timed vs. syllable-timed language.
Portuguese is a highly nuanced language. For months, Josh would stroll proudly into the local bakery, confidently asking for pão (bread), convinced his language skills were on point 👌🏽. The only problem? To the untrained ear, pão and pau — part of the male anatomy — sound almost identical. So instead of ordering carbs, Josh was unknowingly requesting 🍆. And the baker? Just kept smiling and gently correcting him, day after day after day after day.
The Love List 🩷
BOOK | My Life in France x Julia Child
One of my favorite books as of late is this one by Julia Child.
It chronicles her life in post-war Paris, as she finds her footing in a new city. Amidst a midlife transition, Paris is where she fell in love with cooking and what, ultimately, led her to co-author the seminal classic, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
There were so many aspects of Julia’s story that I could relate to; I savored every bit of her path to self-discovery as well as her joyful adventures across France.
Plus, the way she described her adoring husband, Paul, reminded me so much of Josh. 🥰
It’s a wonderful read I cannot recommend enough.
QUOTE | Our Blooming Era
This quote from Anäis Nin has to be one of my favorites of all time (very apropos for springtime too); it’s helped to push me out of my comfort zone more times than I can count.
Whenever I need a gentle nudge to do what scares me, I’d find myself turning to these wise words over and over again.
May they do the same for you — wherever you might need a nudge in your own life.
Have a beautiful weekend!
With only more love,
Sam