Year One in Porto: ‘A Dream Come True’

This month, our friends and next-door neighbors Judy Kisla and Leslie Pope celebrate their first anniversary as residents of Porto, Portugal. That’s a milestone worthy of a YouTube video!

Click on the arrow in red below to hear their story … how they are loving their new home in Portugal’s second largest city. Their beagle, Colin, pictured above on a recent tour of Portugal’s famous Douro River Valley, loves it, too.

Retired physicians, Leslie and Judy sold their Atlanta home last year and brought just a few belongings–and Colin, of course–to Porto. They arrived August 6, 2025. Ted and I followed suit three months later.

We can’t thank them enough for blazing the trail. For finding a home for us, too. We all shared the same relocation adviser, who showed Judy and Leslie an apartment in the Cedofeita arts district of Porto. They fell in love with it. When they discovered the unit next door was available, they messaged us from Porto pronto: “You’ve got to take this apartment!”

We liked what we saw in photos and a video tour of the unit, but our friends’ recommendation made us 100% comfortable with signing the lease long distance from Atlanta.

We’re glad we did. We couldn’t ask for a nicer apartment … or better neighbors.

Enjoy the video.

And see more about Judy and Leslie’s Porto adventure in the photos below, most of them courtesy of Judy. With her trusty iPhone camera, she is beautifully capturing the joy that is their new life in Portugal.

It’s easy to keep to the exercise regimen with a trainer like Alder, whose smile and spirit and love of the people of Porto are contagious. His gym has a prime view of the point where the Douro River empties into the mighty Atlantic.

Frequent visits from friends and family are part of Judy and Leslie’s adventure. In June, two of Judy’s U.S. siblings and their spouses came to visit. And guess who had the privilege of hosting them for an afternoon Happy Hour? Standing behind Judy are her sister, Jess, and her husband, Tom, and behind Leslie are Judy’s brother Jim and his wife, Kim.

Earlier in the year, Judy’s niece, Meredith, visited from London. She’s next to Judy and Colin in the photo above. And on the right, Ana Alves, the best Douro River Valley guide there is. Ana is helping all of us explore this amazing country.

Ana’s tours include a visit to a century-old sardine canning factory, where we all suited up to see the sorting, cleaning, packing and wrapping processes that are pretty much as they were when Pinhaus & Cia was founded. It all began in 1920 in the seaside town of Matosinhos.

Frankly, this tour wouldn’t have held a top spot on our bucket list before coming to Portugal, but it was fascinating and fun. And the tasting of Pinhaus’ products, complete with thick slices of artisanal bread and some of the region’s best wines, sardine-ly made our day.

Judy and Leslie’s first year in Porto included the annual Festival de São João celebration on June 23, an all-day party across the city. A block from our apartment building, the gathering featured here focused on the FIFA World Cup match between Portugal and Uzbekistan, which Portugal won 5-0.

Believe it or not, the festivities were still going on the next day at 5:30 a.m. when Judy took Colin for his early-morning walk. People here really do get along!

Other photos capture the splendor of our gorgeous city.

A sunset view from Judy and Leslie’s apartment. The seagulls are our neighbors, too.

Leslie and Judy cast their shadows on a walkway along the Douro River. One of the more modern of Porto’s six bridges across the Douro, the Ponte da Arrábida seems designed to make an artistic statement on this calm, clear day.

The gardens at Museu Serralves make an artistic statement, too.

Porto’s Clérigos Tower, visible from our apartment building, gleams in the light of the Buck Moon on July 29, 2026.

Occasional pet-sitting gigs with Colin are a delightful experience for all concerned.

So is tasting the Port wine, one of Porto’s most distinctive products.

And catching rainbows. To my way of thinking, this photo perfectly captures Leslie and Judy’s first chapter in Porto. They’ve found their happy place.

Looks like Colin has, too.

As have we all.

Happy First Anniversary!

Note: Incidentally, in September, Judy and Leslie will celebrate another anniversary: 44 years of being together.