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Why the move? - The mother of six wanted to help pursue her then-13-year-old adopted son’s dreams of being a professional soccer player. Speaking with Vogue Italia, she said that "the level of football in America is much lower than the rest of the world."

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Portugal is certainly the place for soccer - Her son, David Banda, earned a spot at a first-rate club in Lisbon, called S.L. Benfica, as a member of their youth academy.

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There was, however, another motive - The singer also wanted to get away from President Donald Trump. “As you know, this is not America’s finest hour,” she said.

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Why Lisbon? - Madonna was weighing other options, but she said Lisbon seemed like the best all-around choice. She particularly likes that Portugal, one of the oldest nation states in Europe, is "steeped in history."

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She started by staying in a luxurious hotel - Madonna and her Malawi-born children—David Banda, Mercy James, and young twins Stella and Esther—first stayed at the Pestana Palace Hotel in Alcântara, Lisbon.

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They moved into a mansion in Lapa, Lisbon - In fact, it’s no mansion. Madonna moved with her four youngest children into a boutique hotel called Palácio Ramalhete, an 18th-century palace with stucco ceilings, hand-painted blue and yellow tiles, a pool, and over a dozen rooms. She needed the space since she reportedly brought along her security, her trainer, nanny squad, and six chefs.

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Lapa, Lisbon - Lapa itself is a picturesque neighborhood on the northern bank of the Tagus River, where a largely older population lives quietly.

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Some neighborly tension? - Parking in Lisbon is notoriously difficult and expensive, so when residents found out Madge was given special privileges to park 15 luxury vehicles at a cheap rate not available to anyone else, some people were annoyed.

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Her personal parking lot - The land Madonna was allowed to park on is situated near Rua das Janelas Verdes, behind a historic building owned by city hall and less than a 20-minute walk from her residence. She was apparently paying the equivalent of US$820 a month for the lot, which is a steal.

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She dined in local restaurants - Despite having six chefs, Madonna still indulged in Portuguese cuisine, and a waiter told The Sun that “she came in, ordered a glass of local dessert wine and sat down with a girlfriend,” appearing to be happy, relaxed, and friendly, though she was accompanied by a lot of security. She must like her wine, since she posted a photo toasting a glass of red on January 25, 2019.

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The dessert wine of Portugal - Port wine is made with traditional Portuguese grapes in the northern part of the country, along the Douro River. Another restaurant owner said that Madonna remains very low key when she goes out for a drink, wearing big glasses to mask her face.

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Her favorite bar -

Madonna posted a photo of herself plucking some strings at Tejo Bar, which she captioned, “Enjoying the City of Lights in my favorite bar with so many talented musicians!!” The bar is in Alfama, and it's well-known for hosting long nights filled with beautiful melodies.

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She's indulged in seafood and cod - Naturally, Madonna still treated herself to fine dining, like in the beautiful town of Cascais, west of Lisbon, at a Michelin star restaurant called Restaurante Fortaleza do Guincho, where she reportedly tasted the finest Portuguese seafood.

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Her mansion in Sintra -

In addition to the Lapa mansion, Madonna purchased the Quinta do Relógio estate in the beautiful hilltop village of Sintra.

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Quinta do Relógio estate -

It’s an 18th-century Moorish Revival mansion that maintains some Arabic inscriptions, reflecting its neo-Arabic style designed by architect António Manuel da Fonseca Jr.

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An estate for a queen -

The 16,146-square-foot house includes four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a guesthouse, and a caretaker's cottage. The historic estate is beautifully perched on the hills of Sintra, about 30 minutes from Lisbon by car. 

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Yes, it’s pricey -

But it's not as ridiculously priced as one might imagine for Madge. She reportedly bought it for the equivalent of US$8.9 million.

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Her backup getaway - When she needed an alternative break from the city, a source told The Sun that Madonna chose Tróia, a gorgeous peninsula south of the Tagus River. She apparently has quite a few rich friends staying there.

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Where she went horse-riding -

Madonna has said that horse-riding is one of her favorite things to do, and luckily she could continue the sport in Portugal. "When I go horse-riding I go to Comporta, I go to friends' houses, I go to Alcácer," she said.

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Comporta -

Comporta is a village in the municipality of Alcácer, in the old district of Setúbal, south of Lisbon. It has a small population, but long stretches of beach, perfect for riding by the sea.

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Adventure day - The singer reportedly bought two Portuguese horses, according to local newspaper Correio da Manhã, paying about the equivalent of US$114,300 for each of the purebred Lusitanos. "There are lots of different areas outside of Lisbon to ride," Madonna told Vogue Italia. "Whenever my son doesn’t have a soccer match on Sunday, then that becomes an adventure day, and we would pick a place to go riding.”

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The three f’s that rule Portugal - The singer has determined that three f's rule Portugal: "fado, football, and Fatima." You already know about the football (or soccer), but what about the others?

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Fado - Fado is a melancholic style of Portuguese music that has captured the singer’s heart. She was reportedly quickly charmed when she walked into Mesa de Frades in Alfama (for which Madge has previously declared her love) and heard Celeste Rodrigues, the younger sister of famed performer Amália Rodrigues, sing traditional fado.

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Fátima - Fátima is a town and parish located 142 km (88 miles) north of Lisbon. It’s one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Sanctuary of Fátima welcomes millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world every year.

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She added two more f’s -

Madonna tweeted out a video of some graffiti, which depicts a woman, in Lisbon on January 21, 2019, commenting that street art is alive and well in the capital, as well as adding “future” and “female” to her previously established three f’s.

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Panorâmico de Monsanto -

The video was shot at this observation deck in Lisbon, which was once an exclusive high-society restaurant that closed in 2001. It's since been revamped and has opened its observation deck to visitors once more.

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She’s dove into new music -

On January 26, 2019, Madonna shared a video giving “a sneak preview into the magical world I stumbled into in Lisbon," which includes the hashtag #CaboVerde. Then, on January 29, Madonna tweeted a video of the Orquestra Batukadeiras singing a prayer at the end of a recording session for her latest album. "So lucky to have these amazing powerful women on my record," she wrote.

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She found inspiration in Portugal -

Madonna tweeted her excitement over sharing the things she learned about. She told Vogue, “The energy of Portugal is so inspiring. I feel very creative and alive here.”

See also: Things Americans find strange about Europe 

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