• Saul Rodrigues

    Lisbon and surroundings. The good things

    Postado por  Saul Rodrigues em Lisboa forum 

    The good things about Portugal:

    The food. The food is tasty, cheap and you may find incredible variety of food. I lived overseas and can tell the difference. Try to live and eat like a Portuguese. You will not regret.
    The cafes, and restaurants. Cheaper than in most of Europe. Sometimes can be cheaper to eat outside than to prepare your own meals. I can have a proper lunch for 5€, a dinner for 7€.. An espresso costs 60 cents. In Lisbon 65 cents. A beer or a coke will cost between 90 cents and 1.3€
    The weather. 200 days of sunshine in the North, + 250 days of sunshine in my town, Estoril 20km far from Lisbon. + 270 days of sunshine in Alentejo and Algarve.
    The places to visit. You have so many places to see, if you are adventurous.
    The air. Except for Lisbon, where the air is plain regular. But get in the train and do a 30 minute trip to Sintra or Estoril and you will feel the nice and fresh air.
    Ease to make friends. It's easy, among the foreigner communities and the Portuguese community.
    The sea. And the access to the sea and the rivers. You do not only have the sea. You actually have proper conditions to be close to the sea, all year long and to do your walks, to go surfing, to run on the seashore.
    Best surfing spots in Europe. Period.
    The beaches. So many beaches and close to the urban areas, with gold sand and clear waters.
    The sun. It is not only the sun... It is the sunset, it is the bright sky. And the warmth.
    The clarity of the urban areas. The walkways are white, most buildings are painted, in white, yellow or pink. It really makes the places look better.

    The good things about Lisbon.
    The above, of course, and:

    The night life, the bars and pubs. You have so many bars to visit, all week.
    The transportation. The bus is cheap, clean, and takes you everywhere. No reason to complain. Mind your pockets, only.
    The views from the hills.
    Cheap housing. If you know where to search, you will find decent houses for less than 300€. A friend of mine just rented a studio for 200€.
    The parks. Find them everywhere so you can relax and sit down or run.
    The personality of the city. The different communities, the traditions of every "bairro" or district.
    The city is different from everything you know. And every neighborhood has different things to see. It will take ages for you to see everything.
    Have a camera? You will have the chance to take photographs all the time.
    Estoril and Cascais and Sintra are just 30 minutes away.
    Sintra has beautiful sights and places to walk and get fresh air on steroids. The Sintra hill is amazing, mysterious and has breathtaking views.
    Cascais and Estoril have beaches, more sunshine and even better weather than Lisbon and the air is fresher. The views are excellent and if you get a bike (for free) you can go to the beaches of Guincho and will be amazed. Best windsurf spot in Europe.

    The bad things about Portugal:

    Run away from the tourist main sites. They are the most expensive and you will have poor service. A shame!
    The sadness of many persons. Many people feel unhappy, since they have no money, no jobs etc. It is reflected on their moods and they willingness to be nice to other people.
    The omnipresence of two or three supermarket chains. They are like the plague. They kill the small businesses.
    The shopping malls. Are huge and take people away from the center of many cities. Especially when it's cold or rainy.
    The cost of life if you are not well paid. The cost of fuel. 1.40€ for the diesel and 1.60€ for petrol.
    The books and music cds are not cheap.
    The Portuguese are not good Portuguese teachers. They always talk to you in English or whatever so you don't have a chance to learn.

    Bad things about Lisbon in particular:

    Some neighborhoods are not suitable for you to go. Be careful.
    The noise and the traffic. People in Lisbon are awful drivers.
    Some people get drunk and get stupid. Avoid them and their "leftovers".

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