Following the flurry of activity picking grapes, the last week has been considerably quieter. A little calmer and less busy.
I’m not complaining, but it doesn’t necessarily make an exciting blog. So perhaps a shorter one today. Phew, I hear you say.
Junta de Freguesia
The first task of the week was a visit to the Junta de Freguesia [Parish Council] to request an Atestado de Residencia [Certificate of Residence] in readiness for my SEF appointment.
I’d downloaded and completed the form in Portuguese, and gathered what I believed was all the necessary paperwork. Passport, proof of residency (lease agreement), a copy of my NIF paperwork, proof of address on a household bill and a copy of my IBAN proof.
In my attempt to practice my Portuguese, I also typed out my requirements in Portuguese.
The Junta de Freguesia is in a combined office with the CTT [Post Office]. As I approached the counter, I confidently read from my script to request my certificate. I could tell I wasn’t being understood, so I tried again. This time slower and more pronounced.
I still received a blank look so I handed over my script. It transpires that I had translated it correctly (with the support of Deepl), but my pronunciation needs a little work! The lady kindly read my script back to me to allow me to practice. We had a few attempts and quite a few chuckles.
It transpires I didn’t need the completed form, the lease was enough. Five minutes later, I had my Atestado de Residencia kindly presented to me by the President of the Junta de Freguesia. Once again, the Portuguese have excelled in customer service!
Futebol
Shortly after arriving in Portugal, I tried to get tickets to Portugal v Spain Nations League match. I was unable to get tickets but on Tuesday evening, I settled down to watch the match.
Futebol is massive in Portugal and even for these smaller competitions, the support is phenomenal. The Portugal flags come out for the day and there is a buzz of optimism.
Despite Portugal being the better team, they lost to a goal in the 88th minute. Disappointing, but that’s football. And don’t I know it as a West Ham fan (although we had a positive result this weekend).
Given the passion for futebol in Portugal, I’m looking forward to the World Cup. Assuming England and Portugal get through their group matches, and the first two knockout rounds, the two countries could meet in either the semi-final or final. Now that could be interesting. And hopeful!
As indicated, this is a shorter blog. I’ll resist sharing more of the trivial things I’ve done this week, such as completing another walk or the glorious weather (it’s 30°, clear blue sky).
Muito obrigado
If you’ve got this far, thank you for reading my blog.
I continue to be humbled and grateful for the number of people who are following my adventure in Portugal, thank you.
Please do get in touch or reach out by adding a comment below.
Muito obrigado. Thank you.
1 thought on “Parish Council and Football”