The little things you learn to love after living in Portugal.
You may have moved to Portugal for the mild climate, sunshine, beaches and long summer days, but no one prepares you for the little things that make this country so addictive. Before long, you know exactly how to order your coffee and start picking up Portuguese habits without even realising it. Then, one day, you find yourself ordering a bica without a second thought. That’s when you know there’s no going back.
If, when you visit a café, you already know exactly what a bica, meia de leite, galão or café cheio is, it is a sure sign that you are beginning to embrace some of the most quintessential aspects of Portuguese life. Beyond knowing what each drink means, you have also learnt that going to a café can be a social occasion that lasts for hours, and that there is no need to get up as soon as you have finished your coffee and pastel de nata.
Staying with the theme of cafés as places to socialise, you have probably already discovered one of the most comforting Portuguese breakfasts: a slice of buttered toast with a warm galão. Simple, perhaps, but the smell of freshly toasted bread and coffee first thing in the morning brings an unexpected sense of pleasure to the start of the day.
If your wardrobe now has room for little else but flat shoes, then you have probably already discovered the beauty — and challenge — of Portuguese calçada. High heels and uncomfortable shoes are simply not made for walking these streets. Flat sandals in summer, trainers in winter. After all, you need to be prepared for the daily walk to the local shop.
In Portugal, a trip to the mercearia is almost a daily ritual. It is where you pick up fresh bread, fruit, vegetables and whatever you need for dinner, even if it is just a tin of sardines or tuna. After all, it is Portugal’s answer to fast food, only a little healthier.
Dinner is now well past the usual hour, and you have grown accustomed to late dinners with friends, which may or may not end with an imperial or a mini in hand instead of the usual pint. And during dinner, you have lost count of how many times you have ordered the vinho da casa, knowing that it can often be a pleasant surprise at a very reasonable price.
Summer weekends at the beach have become almost a ritual. At some point, you realise there is no better way to balance the saltiness of the sea than with a bolinha de Berlim, topped with sugar and filled with rich egg custard. Because, of course, the bolas de Berlim sellers will make their way along the beach. They walk from one end of the beach to the other, calling out their familiar refrain, and suddenly, that little treat you had not even planned on having feels like an absolute necessity.
If you already know that when someone says “bué da fixe”, they are not talking about fish, but simply saying that something is really good, you can officially consider yourself well integrated. Your Portuguese is reaching a respectable level.
Another aspect of the language that takes a little more getting used to is the way distances are described. To a typical Portuguese person, everywhere is “já ali”, an expression used to mean that somewhere is just nearby. The problem is that, when you actually get there, that “já ali” can turn out to mean a walk of several kilometres. If you have already learnt not to take this particular unit of measurement too literally, you are definitely making progress.
Still discovering Portugal?
If you have only recently arrived in Portugal and are still discovering these little pleasures, some places can help you get into the spirit of things a little faster. Mar d’Estórias in Lagos is one of them. From Portuguese tinned fish, good wines, cheeses, quince paste and traditional sweets to clothing, perfumes and many other products made in Portugal, there is plenty to explore as you get to know the country and discover all it has to offer.
And once you have chosen what to take home, you can always sit back on the terrace, order a coffee and stay a little longer. After all, you have already learnt one of the most important rules: there is no need to rush when the conversation is good, and the view is even better.
How many of these habits have already become part of your life in Portugal?
□ You have ordered vinho da casa in a restaurant.
□ You have realised that “é já ali” is not exactly a reliable unit of measurement.
□ You have swapped high heels for flat sandals or trainers to tackle the calçada.
□ You have popped into the mercearia just to buy fresh bread.
□ You know that a bolinha de Berlim at the beach is practically obligatory.