Postalzinho from Portugal
Months ago, I moved to Portugal for personal reasons. Obviously, I didn’t know much about the country. I still cannot claim to understand its economics and politics, but I thought I’d share what I discovered in a more poetic way.
Portugal has the effect of a sunkissed afternoon. In the north, summer weather rivals California’s. In the main cities, the ocean is never far, and seagulls are even closer.
The first thing that struck me after leaving Hong Kong was how low the buildings were. In Hong Kong, you live your life between towering skyscrapers, constantly feeling like an ant compared to these giants. Portugal is another dynamic entirely. The low buildings, rarely exceeding six or seven stories, allow you to see more of the blue sky and enjoy the sun longer.
Like many countries, Portugal has a friendly rivalry between north and south, with distinct cultural influences. Lisbon has developed as the country’s main tourist center in recent years, though not necessarily for the better. I remember my first time in central Lisbon: I felt completely overwhelmed and far from unique. Tuk-tuks ferried tourists everywhere, viewpoints were saturated with selfie-makers, and street musicians collected tips at every corner.
The north is somewhat more preserved, though downtown Porto feels like a vacation center in summer. This openness to foreigners has attracted investors and golden visa seekers, creating affordability issues for locals. In the main cities, dining out costs roughly €80 to €120 for two, no cheaper than other European capitals. Real estate prices have doubled or even tripled over the past decade. In Lisbon, prices hover around €6,000/m². For foreigners from Paris, London, or the US, this seems affordable. For locals earning a minimum wage of €1,073/month gross and a median salary of €1,100 to €1,200, it’s increasingly unaffordable.
Food-wise, traditional tascas offer cheaper options and authentic street food. I didn’t realize until later that visiting them is a genuine local tradition, with even tasca rallies, like pub crawls but for food. I miserably failed the ritual and stopped after the second one.
Rojões, pataniscas, presunto, camarões, polvo, roasted potatoes, cabrito, and desserts like rabanadas, tecolameco, and pastéis de nata, along with the magnificent wines from Douro and Alentejo, conquered me quickly. My French palate was pleasantly surprised not only by the taste but by the freshness of the ingredients Portuguese people eat daily. And they have great bread!
I came to realize that these people, like most Europeans, are spoiled when it comes to food quality. I won’t tell you what I spend on vegetables each week, as it would be indecent. What I will say is that my first supermarket trip left me thinking there was an issue with the price tags.
Portuguese culture is remarkably strong, far stronger than French culture at present. I include food and wine in this, since locals eat and drink traditional dishes daily. But there’s more. The language is peculiar. It sounds nothing like Spanish, particularly when learning to speak it. Portuguese has sounds absent in other Southern European languages, and speakers add -inha or -inho to almost any word to make it cuter, a café becomes a cafezinho.
European Portuguese differs markedly from Brazilian Portuguese, a surprise to me at first. I didn’t even know the distinction existed. They are very different indeed. Though many Brazilians have immigrated to Portugal, you need to understand both the Brazilian accent and way of being, as they are quite different people. Personality-wise, the Portuguese are discrete, even cold at times, quite unlike the warmth I expected from Italians and Spaniards. Brazilians are louder, more extroverted, and more expressive.
Another thing that struck me was music’s importance in Portuguese culture. The famous fado persists, not in fado houses but in concert halls. On the streets, you see Tunas: university students singing and playing music in traditional black academic costumes. They perform traditional serenades and sometimes execute impressive choreography. This tradition stems from European university groups that traveled and performed together. Portugal developed a particularly strong version, with its own distinct repertoire and rituals.
Portugal is advanced in many respects compared to the rest of Europe, yet administrative processes remain complex and largely in-person. To get things done, you’re better off visiting a desk or calling than emailing or messaging on WhatsApp. Everything tourism-related, restaurants, hotels, transportation, functions smoothly through apps and instant messaging.
Portugal has given me some of the sweetest moments of these past years. From the calm of Alentejo to the beauty of Douro and Porto’s architecture, there are memories that will remain.
PS: If you plan to visit Portugal, I highly encourage you to rent a car and explore different regions. Portugal is small enough that you can see vastly different landscapes within just a few hours.