My family recently returned from Portugal having spent much of the winter there. It was a phenomenal trip, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to do it. It was the longest contiguous chunk of time (university aside) I’ve ever not been in Ottawa.
After a trip people will often ask, what the best thing was about the trip. Instead of taking this literally and attempting to rank all the things, I’m taking the opportunity to reflect, and lean from the things that are resonating even a little post trip. So, I’ve spent the week or so since returning reflecting on the things that I am going to miss, and the things that I miss from home. In absolutely no particular order, here goes.
Things I will miss about Portugal
1. Cobblestone
Within the older corridors of cities and towns, the streets are cobblestone. Little square stones, usually a mix of black and white ones, and often in distinct patterns. Looking at the image above, the distinct spires of the Sintra National Palace are pictured on the main path through the old town. Often you’d see bits of stone needing repair, little piles of stones set off to the side ready to be worked, and just as often you’d see folks repairing it. Not a long lost skill as I originally thought, but roads and paths constantly evolving. I even documented a sinkhole under a couple stones and its repair over the following weeks.
2. No tipping
Most establishments didn’t expect a tip, and not a single credit card transaction I made accepted tips. Not tipping is the norm in Portugal, and it takes a bit of an edge off every single restaurant experience I had. I’m certainly pro fair-wage and can’t speak to how not having tips affects quality of life for service staff in Portugal (I believe for larger meals the tip was often added to the bill automatically), but I can say as a customer not having to think about it was… nice.
3. Walking my daughter to school outside in the winter
Our apartment was situated in a 3 story building at the bottom of a lush valley. Within the building there was a total of 4 apartments like ours, and conveniently for us it also housed my daughter’s school for about 20 kids aged 1 through 10. Every morning we had the option of going the quick way to school (down the steps, around the corner, and then there), or the long way (up our alley, in front of the museum, down some stairs, past a waterfall, through a parking lot, and then there). There was always tons to see and smell on the way. Early in January the weather was quite cool in the morn so we’d at least need to wear hats and jackets, but by the end of March a light jacket at most was needed for the trip. We’d kill time if we had it staring in the waterfall or streams, or practicing her jumping down the steps. It was lovely.
4. Walking everywhere
Living in a small town like Sintra with everything in walking distance with no car was a new kind of freedom for me. Many of the streets/alleys in the old town couldn’t fit a car. Closer to other people, using your legs, further from nasty machines you have to watch out for and warn your children about.
5. Coffee at Dear Rose
We spent the last 9 nights or so of our trip in Ericeira. It’s a relatively sleepy beach town, with amazing vibes and a nice mix of old and new. One establishment called Dear Rose Cafe really stole our hearts. Best coffee in town, fantastic treats and snacks, and a vibe that kind of made it feel like the center of “new town” with lots of movers and shakers coming and going. Going to miss having coffee here and soaking it all up.
6. Families and friends we met
I could write many multiples of posts about this alone, but also couldn’t make it through this list without touching on it so here goes. The foundation of our trip was a 3 month Boundless Life cohort in Sintra, as it was for 10 or so other families. It was an absolute joy and privilege to get to meet some amazing folks, and have Noa (our daughter) go to school with other travelling children following an incredibly high touch and expansive program. It was a fast track to meeting other like minded families many of whom will hopefully be friends for a lifetime, for us, and for Noa. We do hope we are fortunate to be able to travel with Boundless Life again.
7. Darts
I played a lot of darts in my twenties. There was only one bar called Bar Fonte da Pipa (literally “the bar next to the pipa fountain”) in the old area of Sintra that was open in the evenings, and it happened to have an entire room devoted to darts. I met up with the other dads there regularly to drink canecas (more on these later), and throw darts. It was great times.
8. Wine
It's inexpensive, and it's lovely. Portuguese wine really seems like an untapped market here; there are 28 distinct wine regions in Portugal, and over 250 grape varietals, as we learned from a winemaker in Colares. So much to explore, but apparently given its a comparatively small country, they just don’t have the capacity to export in quantity to show up like other larger wine producing countries. In any case, the wine was easy to love. From a crisp, crushable Vinho Verde, to the subtle complexities of white or red’s from Alentejo, I’m going to miss having such incredibly reliable and tasty wine at such a good price. Of course there is Douro region too, but frankly I didn’t drink a ton of it tended to hit me pretty hard the next day.
9. Hills
Most of the towns are hilly as f***. We spent most of the trip nestled at the bottom of what can only be called a mountain, in the old town of Sintra. To get anywhere we had to climb hills. Steep ones too. And… I kinda loved it. Running on this terrain was a challenge all its own, and an addictive one, no longer about pace or distance, more like “how much further can I get towards St. Euphemia Chapel today before I have to start walking” (spoiler — never the whole way).
10. The shape of the moon
Its different over here. I guess it's just being further south. The crescent looks more like a smiley face in Portugal. You know you’re somewhere obviously different. Thats cool.
11. Being close to Europe
When you’re in Europe, you’re close to the rest of Europe. There is SO much that is a short flight away. We didn’t take advantage of this while we were there… but we could have! And many of our new friends did. So much of the old world is a couple hour flight away, providing every weekend a new sense of freedom and limitless getaway possibilities.
12. Prego sandwiches at Taberna Libre
They were great. I’m not really a steak fan but these little numbers with the pickles were juicy and delicious. Nice folks too. We did take-out a few times, and it's just so nice going up, ordering, getting an Imperial to pass the time while I waited, and just sitting and ya, soaking it all up.
13. Lack of shame for pissing outside
I won’t say this was a huge draw, but there were a few times when I really admired the comfort people had in urinating publicly. For instance, before a race when instead of waiting for a crowded port-a-potty people (men and women) would scamper to the bushes to go — I admired this. No shade was cast, everyone was doing it, and the abundant bushes didn’t seem worse for wear. A not so great example being a local staircase that was a stinky pisshole for a local character… yin and yang I guess.
14. Friendly people
I don’t know how else to state it, people in Portugal are very nice, generous, and very friendly overall. There is a certain desire to help strangers, even annoying tourists, usually with no expectation of anything in return. Friendlier than Canadians? In general, probably! The culture feels more laid back, whereas in Canada people might be friendly and want to help, but folks are often in a rush and not as eager to spend time with strangers. Mind you, this might be a country vs city thing too, but even folks in the city of Lisbon were quick to help out randos when needed.
15. The ocean, beach
It’s pretty cliche, but there is something magical about being near the ocean and so many beaches. Early in the trip I think an uber driver summed things up for us pretty well. When asked “why is everyone so friendly here?”, he simply replied “it’s because they live close to water”.
16. Trains
In Sintra we were stationed about a 5 minute walk from the train station, which would take us right in to the heart of Lisbon for about 2.80 euro. It felt so good and natural using it, getting to avoid all the Lisbon traffic and slide right in to Rossio. When it was running of course (there was a strike on and off while we were there).
17. Portuguese language
Having spent 3 months there, I really grew to be quite fond of hearing Portuguese all the time. I didn’t learn a ton, but was slowly starting to catch on to bits here and there. Walking with our children, and encouraging them to say O-la to folks walking by, seeing and hearing their responses, was pure joy.
18. The simplicity of the Beer
Beer is incredibly abundant in Portugal. Almost every establishment that sells food products has beer, and often on tap. One thing that is clearly different about beer in Canada and Portugal, is the varieties; in Portugal I observed 2 very standard beer brands, Super Bock, and Sagres. Virtually everywhere, one of these two beers are on tap, or available in cans or bottles. I for one, was a huge fan of Super Bock; but I’m sure I was often drinking Sagres and didn’t know it. They were both incredibly delicious. Always served ice cold.
I’m a big beer fan, and am fond of many different styles in the right circumstances (e.g. sours in the spring, stouts in the winter). I also love a cold, refreshing, and tasty lager just about anytime. Somewhere along the way I think we’ve lost something in beer in Ontario. Ordering a cold, crisp lager, is often not even an option, often the lightest beer is a blonde or a pilsner, or in some cases a kolsch, pale ale, or yeasty saison. And yes, this could more be a product of the hipsterish places I frequent, as certainly the larger sports bars would feature Labatt and Molson products prominently. Perhaps a glimpse into what a world it would be if those beers were as satisfying as Super Bock.
The simplicity of ordering beer in Portugal was as refreshing as the beer itself; I never asked what type of beer they had, I just ordered one. And better yet, most places would offer a variety of standard sizes (see pic above). Want a modest glass of beer? Order an Imperial. What a pint? Order a caneca (can-eck-a). Those are the only terms that are practically used it seems, I did try to order a lambreta once but the guy grinned and refused saying it would be gone in two sips so he better pour me an imperial.
And when do people drink beer? Anytime! And where? Anywhere! First thing in the morning at the snack bar you’d often see people with a bottle in front of them. Or walking through big cities like Lisbon, or strolling the narrow streets of Sintra, folks often seen carrying a can with them. Super civilized, nothing overt or flashy, just enjoying a beer.
I am going to miss walking in to any old snack bar, pizza joint, sandwich place, coffee shop, fish restaurant, or other food/bev serving establishment, and simply ordering a beer, and knowing it will be ice cold and delicious.
19. “Let’s go”
There was a server at an excellent restaurant in Cascais that after ordering something moderately impressive would say “Let’s go”. I loved it. Order one of their super tasty rum cocktails? “Let’s go”. Order a bunch of great sounding apps? “Let’s go”. Order two drinks at once “Let’s go”. I’d want to order something daring just to hear him say it. He basically said it every time but that’s beside the point, it was really encouraging.
20. Old Things
There are remnants of the people that have been kicking around doing stuff on European land for a VERY LONG TIME. Visiting the Moorish castle in Sintra I would have thought it built in that era, say A.D 1000, but you’re immediately greeted by a quaint museum showing artifacts that had been dug up in the region that are thousands of years old. Driving around in Alentejo, there are not only roman ruins, but also neolithic megaliths some dating back to 6000 BC. The old areas of many of the towns such as Sintra and Ericeira also have a very old feel, with many establishments dating back hundreds of years. The little streets and paths have clearly been borne in a different pre-car era, and there is something very comforting about that, something that re-affirms your presence there, and makes you want to soak up more of it.
21. Uber
While not perfect, Uber was abundant, and cheaper in Portugal than it is here in Canada. Most drivers also had a booster seat for children (apparently all were supposed to).
22. Lisbon
Lisbon is a rad city. While physically quite small (about 100 square km), it is action packed, with character dripping around every corner. Lisbon is broken in to a bunch of different areas, the spots I learned best were around the main Rossio train station, Bairro Alto (Fado and party scene), Alfama, Principe Real, and probably others we stumbled through without knowing it. There are converted areas like LX factory, as well as old historical spots like castles and monasteries. It's also on the water and you can take the ferry to the other side, or observe the gigantic Christo Rei across the way. Michelin star restaurants abound, as do more affordable and almost all tasty places to eat (just avoid the spots on the main drags due to tourists), and chestnuts roasting on the streets. It’s a beauty city, one I could see myself living in.
23. Fado
We fell in love with Fado on our first trip last year, and got to experience intimate Fado numerous times on this trip. Stuffed into a nondescript packed bar in Bairro Alto, when the lights dim a little and the bartender gives everyone a big shush, you fix your gaze on a sole man or woman singer, and start listening to the picking of the guitars. A short while after the first deep and soulful vocal notes project out and fill the space, smacking you hard in the heart. This carries on for song after song, set after set, with each song escalating in to a strong but usually brief and powerful ending. We learned of the word saudade, which has no direct english translation but as close as you can come is “deep longing”. Many of the songs feature this word, and now we, feel the saudade for fado. I would love to get one of the guitars, and become a fado singer. Maybe its a bit too late for me… maybe not though! It really spoke to me.
24. Family attitudes
On our first trip to Portugal, shortly after we landed we entered it to the gigantic customs cavern in the Lisbon airport, and a wave of horror washed over us as we saw sea of people. The wave passed almost immediately as a helper came right up to our fatigued family and ushered us into the fast track line, due to us having small children with us. We were through in a flash. This was our first of many brushes with Portuguese family culture, a pattern that would continue. Families and children were simply welcomed everywhere; there were playgrounds and play things all around the cities, spaces, and malls, and most restaurants had high chairs and welcomed children with open arms. And more than that, there were families everywhere, at all hours, living their lives while their little ones circled around them.
25. The bread
The bread was simple, mostly not sourdough, soft and silky, and absolutely delicious. We’d get fresh buns almost every day that were just so damn delicate, alone or paired with butter or a slice of cheese and ham, I miss these buns desperately.
26. The butter
Speaking of butter… its just better in europe. The run of the mill Mimosa brand unsalted butter is silkier and softer and simply more buttery than any butter I’ve ever had in Canada. I wanted to bring some back but CBSA doesn’t allow it due to Foot and Mouth disease risks. I miss the butter so much, its a reason to move to Europe all on its own — and yes, I’ll take your tips on where to find this kind of butter here.
27. Villa Craft
The one establishment that I frequented the most by far during the trip was a little place midway up the hill from our place in Sintra called Villa Craft. A very simple menu consisting of 10 taps of craft beer, bottled beer, sandwich rolls with stuff in them, and flatbreads with stuff on them. Oh, and an olive snack which was my absolute fave as they mixed in pickled lupini beans and chopped peppers, garlic, and spices. Their sausage flatbread was delicious too, featuring blood sausage which usually I don’t love, but on this it was incredible. And of course, the beer; as stated, I’m super happy with the standard beer, but mixing it up with some of the local flavors was such a nice treat too. I bought two t-shirts from this place to keep the memory strong!
28. Coffee culture (not the coffee)
As we learned from a new Portuguese friend, the Portuguese have coffee 6 or 7 times a day. Ok, perhaps some exaggeration, but not too much. And its not a grande you sip for hours as you crush neverending emails at the computer. It’s usually a small espresso or a Galao, sipped with friends at a table, or at the coffee bar of the establishment. Always in public, with other people, as a point of connection with friends or whomever is around. While the North American in me that is working diligently through my many written and mental checklists of the day scoffs at the inefficiency of this, I absolutely love the connection and unexpected benefits on an emotional and societal level this type of ritual provides. You walk in, order a coffee, sip and drink and chat, and you’re out in 10 minutes. And you do this, many times a day, getting to know the locals, building bonds, and being a part of your community. Its absolutely lovely.
29. Waste Management
I can’t say if this is universal throughout Portugal, but in the towns and around Lisbon, the garbage system operates via ecopontos, little depots that seem to never be more than 2 blocks from anywhere, that allow citizens to drop off their garbage whenever they like. Then at some point the garbage trucks will swing by those and empty them (although I never observed this). While it can be seen as a pain to have to walk a block or 2 to drop off your garbage, there is a certain freedom in not needing to have an area of your home to stash your stuff. I realize this is similar to what it’s like if you live in an apartment, and I for one love it! It saves the streets and the city from having to send trucks door to door, have a specific schedule, notify about delays, etc… and saves citizens from having to house garbage for up to 2 weeks waiting for a truck to come. Most depots would have general waste, plastic+metal, glass, and paper bins, with the general waste bins accepting green bags that are compost (I’m a bit dubious of the effectiveness of this part).
30. Hot sauce
The simple Piri-Piri hot sauce you can get from any grocery store, either grocery store brand or Paladin, was simply delicious. Not too hot at all, it had tremendous flavour, and you could use it liberally on your eggs, sandwiches, chicken, pasta, whatever.
31. Quintas, herdades, azinhagas, escadinhas
These are the Portuguese words for “farm”, “homestead”, “alley”, and “staircase”. What’s special about them, is you see them on signs everywhere, as every place of any even minor importance as a place to go or a way to get there, is named and has signage. You’d see signs like these all over the place, often in elaborate tile, and they were a standard part of the streets and walkways of Portuguese towns. I just loved how little alleys between houses would be free for the public to walk, all well marked with a name. This is contrary to my general feeling of walking around in North America, as once you step off the sidewalk you never know if someone is going to yell (or worse) that you’re on their property. And random estates you’d drive by wouldn’t simply be marked by a number, but would have a name. Many homes also had tile pictures depicting a saint or some special event from the past. It all added such a personal touch, and likely was essential for navigation pre google maps.
32. Trail marker system
I’m a sucker for trails, and I love seeing how different countries mark their public trails. Portugal used signs and a simple yellow/white and red stripe to mark their major, shorter trails. Often in paint on the side of buildings, on little posts extending from sidewalks, on rocks and sometimes trees, they were a beacon of comfort and intrigue everywhere.
33. Birds chirping in the morning
If our window was open at night, which it often was, birds would be chirping seemingly all night long. We’d occasionally (ok, often, due to baby) wake up at 1 or 2 in the morning, and when the wailing simmered could hear the birds chirping outside. It was lovely.
34. Wild animals
Speaking of animals, in many of the parks ducks, geese, chickens, roosters, peacocks, and cats would roam. Seeing little chicken coops in the parks was awesome. Great for the kids, and made some small connection even from big places to farm life.
35. Food Portions
They were reasonable, and smaller than they are in Canada. It was refreshing how such a small change had a great impact on how we felt after eating. I mean, we still managed to stuff ourselves silly here and there, but it didn’t seem to happen as the default after every meal.
36. Flora
We spent much of our trip in Sintra, and it was an incredibly lush and green place. Different vegetation had been planted there over the centuries (let's not talk about the circumstances of such migration for the time being) making for incredibly diverse vegetation make up of different plants from around the world. Seeing roses blooming in January was very special.
37. Surfing culture
Even just to watch — I don’t know what it is, but there is something chill and comforting about hanging out around surfers and being in an active surfing mecca (Ericeira, and a short visit to Nazare). Surfers are incredibly chill, as are those that cater to them. From the eateries, to the beaches and beach showers, to the places to wash your surfboard in the hotel. Something very zen about the whole thing.
38. Street Art
It was generally all awesome. Not all of it, as is the case anywhere, but much of it had a certain grittiness that made it feel rebellious yet sanctioned at the same time.
Phew. Ok that was a lot, and I’m probably missing stuff.
Here now here are a few things I missed while I was there, and in some cases things I’m not going to miss about Portugal.
Things I missed from Canada
1. Parchment Paper
We bought parchment paper at the grocery store, and then used it in the over at about 200C, ~400F. It caught fire almost immediately. I miss the stuff in Canada that, does not catch fire.
2. Being warm inside
Most buildings aren’t setup with heat where we were… so going for lunch in January, in Sintra, was often cold. Canada with its how-the-heck-can-humans-survive-here cold, generally always has well heated indoor spaces, and hence most indoor spaces are cozy and warm at any time of the year.
3. Flushing Toilet Paper
In many parts of the world, and in many parts of Portugal, you’re not supposed to flush toilet paper down the toilet. You put it in the little garbage bin next to the toilet. No matter how often I do this, I just can’t get used to it. I really missed not having to think about it.
4. Good Coffee
There is “Good Coffee” everywhere in Ottawa. This might simply mean that I’m used to the coffee here, be it the type, style, preparations, brands, etc.. and it's comforting to be back. But even a basic Cappuccino at Starbucks or Bridgehead tastes better than many of the milk based coffees I’d have in Portugal at the charming snack bars and cafes.
5. Noodles everywhere
In Ottawa I can have almost instant access to spaghetti, penne, ramen, pho, udon, soba, and I’m now even in shipping range for David Chang’s fantastic instant noodles. Noodles are very important to me, and I’m glad to once again be surrounded by an abundance of them, it brings me great comfort.
6. Jax breakfast
Yep, missed this. Standard / english breakfasts aren’t popular in Portugal, perhaps because of portion sizes. Regardless, getting back to maple sausage patties is a very nice thing.
7. My guitar
I didn’t bring it, and missed it.
8. Run club
I run with a few good friends as part of a club in Ottawa, and missed it dearly while I was gone.
9. Google devices at home
We didn’t bring our google devices, and it left a bit of a hole. Mostly for asking to play some music, but also for adding things to lists.
10. An extending and targeted nozzle sprayer on the kitchen sink
We had a basic faucet and sink. In Ottawa, our kitchen sink has a nozzle that extends very far, and can also turn from a single stream to a concentrated halo. Not being able to direct nor concentrate the water was a source of frustration.
11. Very cold tap water (cold months only)
The tap water in Ottawa in the winter gets incredibly cold, and I love it. It was never that cold in Portugal.
12. Green onions
We never saw these once in Portugal!!! Usually go through 2 bunches a week at home. Missed them.
13. Friends and Family
And finally of course, our friends and family left the biggest gap for us. Having my mom and brother pick us up at the airport was a real treat, and now slowly catching up with our crews after an extended period of time is taking on special meaning. Travelling is nice, and sure you’ll meet other people and new friends, but nothing replaces your oldest and closest friends and family.
So ya, yin and yang I guess. Grass isn’t always greener, but most of the time it actually is, in that at least you then know it is or is not, and can move through the world wiser having seen it. Once again, we are super blessed to have been able to go on this adventure, and will work towards making more memories like these a reality.
