SLOWING DOWN IN PORTUGAL
Gail Aguiar left a busy Toronto life for sea-breezy, take-it-easy Porto
Gail Aguiar worked on Bay Street, did charity work for cancer research and had a side gig as a freelance photographer. After turning 40, she decided to dial down the frenetic pace of her lifestyle and moved to the city of Porto, Portugal, in 2013. Now in the slow lane, the 43-year-old fills her time photographing colourful architecture, hanging laundry and eating flaky pastries.
How has your past shaped your life in Porto?
I was born in the Philippines and raised in Canada. Being in Portugal, I feel like I’m going back to my roots in a way. In the Philippines, everyone lives relatively near a beach. Portugal is a long, narrow country about 250 kilometres across, so the ocean is never more than a few hours’ drive away. The Portuguese are big fish and rice eaters. They’re also very family oriented. It reminds me of the Filipino culture.
How did you meet your Portuguese husband?
I’ve been using hospitality exchanges for about 15 years, but I was always platonic with my hosts and guests. I met Paulo in 2011 when I stayed at his place in Porto. He was host No. 3 in Portugal. We kept in touch after I came back to Toronto and we talked on the phone during my walks home from work, from Bay Street to Roncesvalles, which was about an hour and 15 minutes. We walked and talked for a year, took a road trip to New England and Quebec in late 2012, and became a couple.
What do you like about Portuguese culture?
The people are super friendly and polite here. They’ll ask how you’re doing and are genuinely invested in your answer. But I had to get used to two-cheek kiss greetings, the fiveminute hello and goodbye.
How are you adapting to the language barrier?
My Portuguese is terrible. I get to practise a lot of dog-related talk though. I know how to say, “My dog is 18 months old,” and “We rescued him from the street.” I can function on a basic level. If I want to practise my Portuguese, I go to the market. The chicken lady is always ready to tell you about her day.
What would be on your itinerary of best things to do in Porto?
› See the tiles at São Bento Railway Station: The Portuguese have an art form of blue and white tiles called azulejos. Sao Bento is one of the most famous train stations in Portugal because of the azulejos that depict scenes of battle, monarchy, agriculture, transport and society. It’s an artistic timeline. Every time I go I notice something new.
› Watch surfers at Matosinhos Beach: There’s a big surfing population in Portugal and you’ll find some of the biggest waves in the world a couple of hours down the coast. In Porto, the busiest beach is in Matosinhos, where there are surfing schools, tamer waves and a metro station.
› Catch the best city views from the Dom Luis I Bridge: It’s a beautiful iron bridge, but the railing on the top deck is not that high and there’s no fence. I have to warn everyone that it can give them vertigo and it shakes when the metro goes by. You can get views of the river and two cities, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. I like to surprise people by informing them that the metro is built by Bombardier, which is a Canadian company.