Day 21 Portugal to Home

Just like every trip it’s nice to get home. We even made it back in time to vote and stop at Solomons Pier for a burger and Budweiser. Here’s a summary of our thoughts about Portugal.

We enjoyed the trip, the country and the people. It was a totally different experience from any other European country we had visited. Portugal’s cities are not pretty, they are mostly old, run down, and generally not well maintained. However, they are safe, clean, and comfortable. The countryside is beautiful no matter where you go. What’s unusual to me is that there are no (or very few) villages and towns on the entire west coast of Portugal. I suppose it’s too rugged, but it is spectacular if you can get near it. The Douro valley is one of the prettier places I’ve ever been. The hillsides are full of terraced vineyards that go on endlessly, plus they were created over the centuries by hard manual labor. The south coast of Portugal is pretty in its own right and is a great place to go if you’re a golfer or enjoy resort vacations. If you don’t, then I wouldn’t venture there for more than a few days. The major roads are easy to drive and excellently maintained. The cities and towns have many narrow streets and alleyways but never take you where you want to go. My suggestion would be to drive to the cities and park as soon as you can. Pedestrians have the right of way and will cross the street right in front of you without even looking.

The most pleasant experience was interacting with the people. Nobody, nowhere tries harder to please. They’re outgoing and friendly and really try to make sure you’re happy. They want to talk English and always assume you’re British. They were excited when we said we were from America. They all knew about the upcoming election and wanted Obama to win. They wanted change too. They love Americans.

The dress code in Portugal is very relaxed, and except around office buildings, we hardly ever saw any suits. You can pretty much be comfortable in anything except shorts. There are a lot of English, German, and Dutch tourists (they stick out like sore thumbs) and I’m not sure how well the Portuguese take to them since they’re buying up all the properties. We stuck out like sore thumbs too but I’m not sure why? The Portuguese are not into greetings quite as much as the French and Italians, but a “bon dia” is always a safe bet. “Obrigato (a)” is used constantly.

Portuguese menus are mostly seafood, and nobody cooks fish better than they do. They do serve meats and the pork is especially good but the beef should be avoided. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not what they do, or even want to do. Good lamb and rabbit can be found. Potatoes are everywhere and they assume you’re crazy if you don’t order a salad. Don’t think about eating lunch before one o’clock or dinner before eight. They don’t think about making it before then. The wines are typically lean, but very, very inexpensive and relatively good. The Portuguese do not drink Port wine. That’s for tourists and the English. I was a tourist so I drank it (and loved it). The service is much quicker than that of Italy or France and they aren’t picky about customs. We usually had to pour our own wine. They just opened the bottle, sat it on the table and walked away which was fine with me. Except for the fish the food experience is not nearly as good as Italy or France, but is much better than most other European countries.

Overall Portugal is a great place to visit. It’s inexpensive, the people are wonderful, the countryside is beautiful, and the food and wine excellent. We probably won’t get another opportunity to go back, but I would definitely recommend it to a friend.