9 things I Love about Portugal

Getting ready to leave Portugal for the beautiful Morocco… I feel compelled to write about how much I’ve enjoyed this gorgeous and hot country, but the internet is a fleeting commodity here- therefore, enter my favorite way of blogging, the list.

Adega do Teixeira
photo: Jim Budd

1) Polite Drivers. Holy crap. I step out onto the street and the cars actually stop, some people wave and say “Bon Dia”… I’m used to dodging cars and running for my life, even if the light is in my favor. This is a refreshing change.

2) Cheap, Strong Coffee. MMMM. A cup of coffee will cost you 55 cents and is strong enough to last you through the day. But at that price, it’s hard to resist having 3 or 4.

3) Gorgeous Men. I’m not alone in my admiration of the handsome men of Portugal. Muscular bodies acquired solely through hard work, and a beautiful tan from the VERY strong sun of Portugal. If you have nothing to do for a day in Portugal just sit back with a beer and admire the scenery!

4) Cheap Beer. A bottle of Super Bock should set you back only 1 euro in a bar (unless you’re going to touristic places, then they’ll take as much money as you’re willing to shell out) and from the supermarket a 33ml runs for 40 cents at the infamous Pingo Doce.

5) The Wine. Oh yeah, you knew this was coming. Delicious Vinho Verde (Again, from the beloved Pingo Doce) will run you from 1 to 3 euros for a full 750mls of tongue pleasing juices. Also, they sell plastic cups that are perfect for enjoying your newly acquired beverages for a very reasonable price, to make you feel THAT much classier. Port wine should run you about 3-7 euros and is obviously going to be great, you’re in Portugal!

6) Palace Lisbon Hostel. Arriving their first night of business, and staying for only 1 euro due to an excellent promotion via HostelWorld I found the hostel with only 16 beds at the time, but over 20 people waiting to stay. I arrived back 6 weeks later to find the most pimped out hostel you could imagine. Amazing couches, incredibly fast wifi (they even have computers for those backpackers who are still purists!), a huge breakfast spread in the morning with proper coffee, a terrace with views that rival the miradours of the city, great music, brand spanking new beds with super soft linens, and staff so helpful they are like a mini tourist agency! After the walk up the hill to the hostel, you’re quite thirsty, which is perfect, cause they offer a free welcome drink, too! Needless to stay, if you’re coming to Lisbon (and can’t find a couch host via Couchsurfing)- stay with the Palace! Book and tell them Brandy sent you- I won’t get any commission and you won’t receive any special treatment, BUT it will make me feel better 🙂

7) The Metro System. It’s such a high security system, the standard hop on sans ticket will NOT work here, so don’t even bother trying- BUT it’s incredibly well laid out and marked.  The tickets only run about 80 centums each way if you’re staying on the same line. Don’t be discouraged by the machines if you don’t speak Portuguese, just watch the person in front of you buy their ticket, and do exactly what they did! If you can’t figure it out, ask the person behind you for help. You will find they are more than wiling to help you buy your ticket so they dont have to stand in line for an hour waiting behing a line of tourists who cant figure out the machines.

8) Eco Friendliness. The stores are now charging for plastic bags in most areas, and while the fee is modest (2 cents) it is a great encouragement to everyone to bring in or buy reuseable shopping bags. The metro, train, and boat tickets are all rechargeable and offer an incentive for recharging your card versus issuing a brand new one for each voyage. Recycling containers are VERY easy to find and are color coded (with pictures, for non Portuguese speakers) so there is no excuse to combine trash and recyclables!

9) Extremely Polite & Helpful People. When you come to Portugal (because let’s face it, you want to come now) you should learn at least a few pleasantries in the native tongue so you are able to reciprocate the niceties that EVERYONE will greet you with. Passing people on the sidewalk in Lisbon you will typically be greeted with a “Bon Tarde” as you pass. Be a good traveler and learn how to respond! For easy (and free) language tutorials in tons of languages check out www.byki.com and download whatever language you need. Never underestimate the importance of learning even a few phrases, it opens more doors than you can imagine!

Been to Portugal? What did YOU love the most? Leave a comment!
Not been to Portugal yet? Stop dillydallying and buy a ticket, you won’t regret any time spent in this country full of culture and happiness.