So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In

Isn’t that where Cristiano Ronaldo is from?

Isn't that where Danny Thomas is from?

Really really pretty. INSANELY steep hills. Not the most exciting city in the world, but it has its charms.

Can't imagine it's easy living there without some Portuguese - don't remember seeing many English speakers around. The accent is completely insane, sounds like they're swallowing marbles.

Portugal is dirt cheap compared to the rest of Western Europe. Great food. I don't remember seeing many English speakers around, though.

Spain and Portugal are great countries for wine - you can find great stuff for 3 euros a bottle.

It's the new Prague, Berlin, Hamburg and wherever else according to various friends but I must have missed something. It's nice but I didn't see the appeal. Really big hills, lots of ERASMUS students, sort of legal drugs, and those horrible egg custard things. The centre is mostly Airbnb flats and they're having problems with tourism, especially at night.

What is the problem at night?^

The weekend was pretty nuts - drunks spilling out into the streets throughout the Bairro Alto. Can't be fun for all the nanas in the area.

Lisbians

Lisbon has long been a hidden gem of Europe.

Portuguese men have a tendency to be handsome.

Lis-boners

R1 He is from Madeira. Lisbon is wonderful but I prefer Madrid or Barcelona.

very pretty city, quite cheap (but that's gonna end soon, a lot of millionaires are investing there). The food is ok, but it can't hold a candle to spanish, french or italian cuisine. Great to visit but the place is quite... lethargic. Almost moody.

What R6 said, R5. Bairro Alto has turned into a drinking destination and it's pissing off all the older residents. All the old fado places are closing. The buildings round there are also old, so don't always have double glazing and soundproofing. Apparently on weekends it's wall to wall drunk and noisy international students.

[quote]Portuguese men have a tendency to be handsome.

Even their nerds are cute. This guy develops popular system software for Android users who root (mod) their phones.

a friend living in Lisbon told me that most of the older houses don't have heating. They all use mobile stoves. Can you imagine? It's still quite a "developing" country in many respects.

The fault that caused the "Great Lisbon" earthquake of 1755 is long overdue for another quake.

^funny, I always thought that too. And i'm serious.

[quote] Portuguese men have a tendency to be handsome.

And short. They're all 5 foot

Cristiano Ronaldo is 6’2.

Porto is also really pretty. College town, 2.5 hours by train from Lisbon, dozens of tasting rooms for local port wine vineyards.

Can't say I'm fond of native Portuguese cuisine (I remember some pretty bland stews), but the good bread, cheese & wine make up for it.

You also see college students wandering around in Harry Potter capes - a holdover from university tradition I'm told.

It is really a very special city! The steep hills mean that there are a bunch of quirky neighborhoods with their own identity and community. I also liked the areas along the river with seafood restaurants. Lots of interesting small businesses everywhere. The men are handsome, as mentioned, and not particularly short, as some have claimed. The culinary culture is great: reminded me more of Italy in the focus on simple fresh ingredients. They do cook a lot more fish than in Spain or Italy, I guess because of the long Atlantic coastline. We had beautiful weather in November. The people are so friendly and helpful, and I found communicating to not really be a problem, though top notch englush is not as common as in scandinavia. I think it is definitely as interesting as Barcelona, if not more. Definitely would not mind living there for a while!

Lisbon is awesome, or at least used to be. It was very much off the beaten tourist path but is now super crowded in the summer and the central neighbourhoods are getting gentrified fast (especially the decaying Alfama district, which was pretty much forgotten by the city authorities for centuries before that). There are dozens of huge cranes sticking out of the city skyline, ruining otherwise gorgeous photo-ops. Lisbon is also hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this year which means there are gonna be thousands of screaming nellies flocking there in May. In ten years Lisbon is really gonna become the new Prague - a crowded, overpriced and totally unauthentic tourist destination.

R15: it might also be due to having a climate where it hardly ever gets cold enough to matter.

Miami's the same way... the closest most people here get to "having a furnace" is an 8,000-18,000 watt heating coil in the air conditioner (or further north, like Tampa or Orlando, maybe an a/c heat pump)... and old houses that were originally built without central A/C rarely had ANY built-in heating infrastructure at all. In the past 10 years, we've had exactly ONE week when the temperature outside fell below freezing (for a few hours, at night, for 3 or 4 nights). The last time I actually flipped the switch from "cool" to "heat" was 2 or 3 years ago, and *that* was just to heat the house up to 70 degrees so I could get out of bed without being cold.

They have a golden gate bridge! The city center is gorgeous, but you go out any further and it's a typical dull suburb. My guess is that it's becoming the next Barcelona or Prague with very little actual city life and more of a tourist factory

Not only is the city unique and lovely, but there are a lot of great daytrips in the surrounding areas. For example:

1. Obidos is a picture perfect medieval village about 40 miles north

2. We loved Evora, which is a small city about 1h15m by car. One of the main squares is presided over by a Roman temple and lots of Gothic and Renaissance buildings everywhere. We had a memorable meal at a tiny tavern recommended by a friend. Oliveira was the name, I think.

3. Sintra everyone knows. It is overrun by tourists, but the palaces and exotic gardens still make it worthwhile.

4. If the weather is warm you can get some stunning beaches by car quite quickly. I was particularly amazed by Galapinhos beach. It is where they filmed part of that Leo Dicaprio beach movie.

Drugs are not illegal there

clang , clang clang, goes the............

The Portuguese were Pro Franco, Pro Hitler and Pro Mooseleanknee

They are racist and killed thousand of Africans in Mozambique and Angola and Guinea-Bissau

Portuguese is hard to learn and impossible to understand. Its ALL consonant sounds and ZSHA, ZSHA's, and NOT phonetic , like Spanish! The Elizhah troll may enjoy it.

Portugal is so tiny surrounded by Spain, I don't understand why Spain doesn't just annex them.

A thing I found charming in Lisbon are the old kiosks which have been converted into outdoor cafés. You can find them everywhere, popping up in the unexpected corners. This is an especially pleasant one I stumbled upon in Amoreiras garden:

R1 Ronaldo is from Madiera, a small island of the coast of Morocco

r29 that was a fucking lifetime ago. Get over it.

R31, Portugal ISN'T small... it just LOOKS small because it's sitting next to a country the size of Texas.

Here's an exercise to put Portugal's size into perspective: start with Florida. Cut away Jacksonville, the Panhandle, and Florida Keys (leaving the "main" part of Florida behind... Miami, Orlando, Tampa, etc.). That's Portugal's approximate area, dimensions, population, and urbanity. Suddenly, it doesn't seem quite so small...

BTW, my "one who's got away" is now living in Lisbon. So i hope it collapses.

Thanks R26, I’m going to Portugal for 10 days in March.

Its fabulous. As is the nearby working class beach town of Costa de Caparica, where you take a little toy train kilometres down the beach, along a wild life reserve. Get off the last stop. Walk further, and reach a beautiful beach, dunes and pine forest, FILLED WITH HANDSOME HORNY GUYS fucking.

Madonna bought an 18th century palace there, I'm guessing a lot of celebs will follow.

She's in an nearby, old aristocratic enclave, Sintra.

For R4

The peninsula south of Lisbon, on the other side of the river has some amazing beaches! All between a 20 to 60 minute drive.

The unofficial gayborhood is in the ritzy and bohemian Principe Real neighborhood. A great place to stay, with lots of interesting local shops and boutiques. I especially liked the artisan chocolate maker right on that main street in the photo. They own their own cocoa plantations in the former Portuguese colony of Sao Tome. Delicious stuff! And the employees were also very yummy!

There are a bunch of gay bars in the smaller streets heading downhill to the right.

[quote] Madonna bought an 18th century palace there, I'm guessing a lot of celebs will follow.

Yes, she's so hip and au courant.

[quote]The Portuguese were Pro Franco, Pro Hitler and Pro Mooseleanknee

Well! I'll be sure to slap my waiter then!

I'm pleasantly surprised DL is talking about Portugal in a nice way. You bitches are always complaining they are not "white white."

Dude @ R9 is dreamy 😍

I would rip out my ears after a couple days there from that awful Porch-of-geese language! It sounds like retarded French.

Portugal is becoming the Florida of Europe... enough said.

[quote]Portugal is so tiny surrounded by Spain, I don't understand why Spain doesn't just annex them.

They tried, several times, and successfully once (under the great Phillip II of Spain, who united the two kingdoms).

The Portuguese are sour people compared to the Spanish. This was actually noted by the British in the early 19th century, when Portugal was an essential ally of Britain in their war against Napoleon in Spain. The British trained and equipped the Portuguese army, and it fought pretty well, certainly better than the Spanish, who were hopeless soldiers. But the British who had direct contact with the local people loved the Spanish and hated the Portuguese. The British generals said, "my God, these Portuguese are even bigger scoundrels than our Englishmen, and that takes some doing."

I found that the food scene was very good. I was taken by Portuguese friends to a selection of places, so here are a few that I enjoyed:

-- Ramiro: it's most famous seafood place in town. Seafood in Portugal is very fresh, due to the long atlantic coastline. They serve light cold beer with a wild variety of seafood. Must have reservation!

-- Ibo: this is near the river. It has 2 sections, 1 focused on fish and seafood, the other one serving food influenced by the former portuguese colony of Mozambique.

-- Solar dos Presuntos: near downtown (Baixa). Traditional quality restaurant.

-- Casa de Goa: Portuguese-Indian food. The Portuguese had a few enclaves in India for centuries, Goa was one of them. This resulted in a fusion cuisine centuries before the concept became fashionable.

-- Salsa & Coentros: food from the large and very rural portuguese province state of Alentejo. Heavy food, heavy on the fat and herbs, but so tasty!

-- Mercado da Ribeira or Ribeira Market: old traditional market turned into a cornucopia of little food stands. Lots of good quick fare, but often overrun with tourists (photo below)

didn't we have a thread a while ago about a famous food critic BLASTING portuguese food? He said it was basically shit for a country so close and culturally similar to Spain and France. A lot of people seemed to agree with him.

The center of Lisbon is Neo-classical and gorgeous. Lisbon centre is surrounded by soul killing working class corridors of huge monotonous blocks of flats. Like in many European cities.

Portuguese people have low salaries, very low. Their poor are poor. There is also brain drain of the educated because why work for so little if you are european and have high skills?

and yet i know a lot of young people who left my country (Italy) to go to Portugal to find better jobs. And they did.

[quote] Portugal is dirt cheap compared to the rest of Western Europe

Not after these stinking celebrities get to it.

They fucking ruin everything and drive prices way, way up just because the trend-suckers follow them everywhere.

Oh well, Portugal.

Thanks R51

love the specifics!

With guidebook in hand, I'm annotating as I scroll. We're leaving early next month for a few days in Lisbon, a stop in Combria and a few more in Porto. I appreciate the above information. Anything to add about my two other destinations? Weather in the early part of March?

Celebrities ruin everything.

Nobody wants Lisbon to become another Barcelona.

Barcelona is like the Orlando of Europe.

No one will learn Portuguese. Barcelona and Lisbon do not have a lot in common by the way.

[quote] Barcelona and Lisbon do not have a lot in common by the way

Precisely. And we want it to stay that way.

Barcelona is an over-priced, pretentious, tourist trap shithole.

That's why we DON'T want Lisbon to be like that.

Too bad Turkey is in the shitter. Istanbul is a very large city and could have easily absorbed becoming the IT Girl of cities for 10 years.

The power of Os Nossos Dias!

With all the huge hills in Lisbon, a great feature are the rooftop bars with breath taking views. There are a ton of them. It's a great way to watch the sunset with a drink in hand. Do a google search and you will find several lists.

My maternal grandmother was born and raised outside Lisbon. Came to America in 1902. I have lots of extended relatives still there and visited 3 times during the 60's and early 70's. Lisbon is a magical city, and outside the city the countryside is breathtaking. The people are incredibly nice also. Some of the best looking men on the planet.

Beautiful city, love it

Oh! Image preview works again! Yay!

*ahem* Apologies gentlemen. Carry on.

For those who have been to Sintra: there's a lot to see there. If I have limited time (a day), which sites can't I miss? Should I do a day-tour from Lisbon, or get a car and do it myself?

Also, for those who know the Algarve: any particularly lovely towns not to miss?

R67 Do not get a car. Roads are narrow, too much traffic and there aren't a lot of parking spaces. Go by train to Sintra main station and then take a bus. There are hop-on/-off buses.

Lisboa, a fantastic city!

In Sintra I liked the Pena Palace, a 19th century fairy-tale pastiche, as well as Monserrate Palace, a neo-arabic wonder. There are a bunch of interesting gardens, since the place has a micro-climate that allows for lots of lush botanical variety.

Thx R70 and R68 😘

Frank Bruni, the gay NY Times op-ed columnist, is a huge Lisbon fan. He wrote a love letter to the city a few years ago: "How I fell for Lisbon"

I was looking for a Euro destination for my summer vacation. Reading this thread I think I might try Portugal, which is a place I would never have thought of visiting.

A lovely city

[quote]With guidebook in hand, I'm annotating as I scroll. We're leaving early next month for a few days in Lisbon, a stop in Combria and a few more in Porto. I appreciate the above information. Anything to add about my two other destinations? Weather in the early part of March?

If you like port wine, you're in luck. Porto has about 12-14 tasting rooms south of the city center. If you cross the huge scary bridge all the tasting rooms are within walking distance of each other. Some nice restaurants in the region as well.

Most of Porto is walkable, and there are tons of cute little neighborhoods hidden around the center of the city.

Big university in Porto, lots of young men/women wandering around in those goofy Harry Patter cloaks.

While in Lisbon do try to visit Bar Foxtrot - an old 20's speakeasy that mixes insane drinks. (see below)

7 reasons to retire in Lisbon by John Malkovich

I like Lesbos better.

r67 The landscapes in the Algarve are stunning! It is also quite easy to drive there from Lisbon, since the highway is very good. About 2h30m, I think. Another option is to take the long scenic route following the coast. They call the Vicentina Coast. Spectacular seascapes for a good chunk of the way, with totally unspoiled nature. There is no mass tourism there, since the water is much colder and the sea quite wild.

Starting in central Algarve the landscape transitions to softer sandstone cliffs and golden beaches with warmer water. In the east you have a system of sand bars or islands along the coast for many miles. In between there are marshes and lagoons with a lot of bio-diversity. The beaches are often on the islands or sand bars and you have to take a ferry there!

As far as towns go, I really liked:

- Silves: a small city that used to be the capital of a powerful moorish kingdom in the Middle Ages - Tavira: this is already near the Spanish border. Absolutely charming larger town. - Olhão: Maze-like downtown and very lively

Typical eastern Algarve landscape:

The Portuguese are TINY. I felt like a giant there and I'm a 5'4" averagely built woman. Like the OP said, most of the downtown is AirBnBs and tourists. The air pollution downtown is like 70s era LA. Every time I went downtown, I coughed up black shit later for a day or two. You can actually feel a dull pain when you inhale the air!

Sintra is like a Disney version of fairytale Europe, and I say Disney because it's NOTHING but tourists. But it is pretty...it was at the turn of the last century a sort of resort area for the aristocracy.

Literally the only way to live there is to be rich. The Chinese are buying up everything. Most of my cab drivers were American and British! The food can be good, all of the high end places are excellent. Again, you have to pay for any luxury.

[quote] Portugal is so tiny surrounded by Spain, I don't understand why Spain doesn't just annex them.

You need to look at a map once in a while. Portugal is not surrounded by Spain. it borders Spain to the west and north. To the east is the Atlantic ocean.

r77: Lesbos is actually an isolated, socially-conservative island whose economy might depend upon a steady flow of pink tourism, but locals aren't happy about. Outwardly-tolerant... but grudgingly Kind of like late-1990s South Beach (Miami).

I'm in Lisbon now for a visit. A truly beautiful city with a variety of interesting neighborhoods. So much to see and do here, so I'll need to come back for a longer visit. You'll find a great variety of food and drink, you can buy pot on the street and the police will look the other way, there are some steep hills but nothing that can't be climbed by a taxi. The Metro will take you most anywhere and there is a great bus system. There is the quaint old part of the city but also newer sections that are very modern. Many people here speak English and many speak Spanish and French too. I honestly think you can be here years and not see everything Lisbon has to offer. Okay, now I'm just rambling...

I loved the intricate sidewalks cobbled of individual black and white stones! There are so many different ones, and to think of the work it takes to cobble that stone by stone. I felt a bit dizzy walking across this square due to the undulating pattern.

Thanks R78! We are, in fact, planning to do the coastal drive from the Algarve back to Lisbon -- a local suggested it, too. And I really appreciate your suggestions for towns to visit. We have three days down there. Thanks again!

We thought this funky bar opened in 1901 had a lot of atmosphere. It is called Pavilhao Chines (or Chinese Pavillon) and it is near Bairro Alto and Principe Real.

Travel Man - 48 hours in Lisbon

I have heard over and that Lisbon smells like farts

That doesn't make any sense.

So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In Really really pretty. INSANELY steep hills. Not the most exciting city in the world, but it has its charms.

Can't imagine it's easy living there without some Portuguese - don't remember seeing many English speakers around. The accent is completely insane, sounds like they're swallowing marbles.

Portugal is dirt cheap compared to the rest of Western Europe. Great food. I don't remember seeing many English speakers around, though.

Spain and Portugal are great countries for wine - you can find great stuff for 3 euros a bottle.

---

So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In The weekend was pretty nuts - drunks spilling out into the streets throughout the Bairro Alto. Can't be fun for all the nanas in the area.

---

So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In Porto is also really pretty. College town, 2.5 hours by train from Lisbon, dozens of tasting rooms for local port wine vineyards.

Can't say I'm fond of native Portuguese cuisine (I remember some pretty bland stews), but the good bread, cheese & wine make up for it.

You also see college students wandering around in Harry Potter capes - a holdover from university tradition I'm told.

---

So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In [quote]With guidebook in hand, I'm annotating as I scroll. We're leaving early next month for a few days in Lisbon, a stop in Combria and a few more in Porto. I appreciate the above information. Anything to add about my two other destinations? Weather in the early part of March?

If you like port wine, you're in luck. Porto has about 12-14 tasting rooms south of the city center. If you cross the huge scary bridge all the tasting rooms are within walking distance of each other. Some nice restaurants in the region as well.

Most of Porto is walkable, and there are tons of cute little neighborhoods hidden around the center of the city.

Big university in Porto, lots of young men/women wandering around in those goofy Harry Patter cloaks.

While in Lisbon do try to visit Bar Foxtrot - an old 20's speakeasy that mixes insane drinks. (see below)

I was there last May and really liked it. I didn’t have a car but wanted to see the ocean so I took the train out to Cascais and walked a bit out from town along the cliffs. Beautiful place.

R80, you need to take your own advice and look on a map too. You obviously don't know what direction east and west is!

R80 is the colassal failure of the day.

Cristiano Ronaldo is from Madeira Island.

[quote]Portugal is so tiny surrounded by Spain, I don't understand why Spain doesn't just annex them.

The world's oldest extant military alliance between England and Portugal is probably one reason.

Ibiza is more my cup o tea. 😉

[quote]Too bad Turkey is in the shitter. Istanbul is a very large city and could have easily absorbed becoming the IT Girl of cities for 10 years.

I stayed in Istanbul for a few months in the 90s. It was and still is, now obviously even more, way too Muslim to ever become The City To Live In for the westerners.

[quote]Portugal is so tiny surrounded by Spain, I don't understand why Spain doesn't just annex them.

How very Russian of you.

Porto, the second largest city, is at least as interesting as Lisbon. The climate is already a bit colder and more rainy, but the city is lovely. While Lisbon is mainly baroque, Porto has a lot of impressive 19th century and Art Deco architecture. I especially liked the Café Majestic:

Porto is wonderful, I agree, and I prefer the area anyway. Smaller cities like Coimbra, Braga, Viana do Castelo, etc are lovely too, Portugal is a beautiful country.

Lovely, R97. We're starting our trip in Porto and then driving south, through Evora. This thread has given me lots of good tips.

r99 Also, don't miss Lello bookshop! It is the most beautiful bookshop I have ever seen. For people who like Harry Potter (I am not a big fan myself) there is the bonus that JK Rowling lived in Porto for a few years around the time she started writing her first book and was reportedly very inspired by the city and particularly by this bookshop.

TY R100 😚

r98 Of the smaller cities in the north of the country, I thought Guimarães was really the standout. Such a cute medieval small city within castle walls! It is only about a 40-50 min drive from Porto too.

There is some interesting contemporary architecture in Lisbon too. I thought the Museum of Architecture and Technology, modeled on a wave pattern and set right next to the river, looked stunning.

I'm going to Seville this summer. I'm very excited!!

I'd love to live in Lisbon.. other than the fact that I'd have to listen to Portuguese day in and day out, no thank you. I don't like the language.

And I'm going to Salzburg, R104. Your point?

Well Seville is Lonely Planets city of 2018 and it's close to Portugal. That's about it.

r79 You are wildly exaggerating! I am a man and 5'11" and I did not feel particularly tall in Portugal. The generation under 35 especially is fairly tall. I felt that almost all of the men under 35 were in the 5'9" to 6'1" range. I was paying attention, because I was checking them out...

Quite a lot of them have this whole deep olive skin + hairy + light eyes thing going on. Yum!

I spent a week in Lisbon the summer after I graduated college in 2005 and it was amazing - I was by myself on a mini grand tour and Lisbon was my favorite city. The men are not ncredibly handsome - exactly my type - and I’m a tall, curly-headed blonde and was ridiculously popular - besides my room I did not pay for another thing and saw some amazing sites and had some amazing meals. Since then I’ve traveled to Europe annually and Lisbon remains my favorite.

^^^^ the men ARE incredibly handsome

Wrong: So Now Lisbon, Portugal Is The City To Live In

Please don't end a sentence with a preposition. Should be: So now Lisbon is the city in which to live.

A little late in the thread and in linguistics for your grammarian input, R111. That's now an optional rule that for 3 decades nobody has paid much attention to.

I think nobody has yet mentioned this: Lisbon (and Porto too) are pretty good for shopping. Portugal is a major luxury clothing and shoe producer. Prices are very reasonable. There are also a lot of interesting small companies around producing all kinds of high quality goodies comparable to French and Italian artisans.

Store that I found very nice is called Vida Portuguese (Portuguese Life). There's a big store near Chiado in the center. They sell only Portuguese made goods from old companies: a very high quality as well as retro vibe. Cool ceramics, clothes, dinnerware, personal care items. I brought back a bunch of gifts from there and have got a lot of follow up questions and comments about them.

A great place to relax after spending some time first in Lisbon and then in Porto is the Douro region. It is the wine region to the east of Porto, where the grapes for the famous port wine comes from. Very easy to get there from Porto.

It is made up of tall hills covered with vineyards on terraced gardens, flanking on both sides a beautiful river.

There are a few luxury hotels along the river. It is the perfect place to relax, go for some hikes, lounge by the pool, to rent a boat and sail the river, and, of course, some wine tasting and magnificent meals!

We stayed at Vintage House and loved it.

[QUOTE]I think nobody has yet mentioned this: Lisbon (and Porto too) are pretty good for shopping. Portugal is a major luxury clothing and shoe producer. Prices are very reasonable. There are also a lot of interesting small companies around producing all kinds of high quality goodies comparable to French and Italian artisans.

^^^THIS X 1000^^^

Nothing better than wandering around those charming streets and finding those unique shops that sell fabulous, exquisitely made articles and not the mass produced in China shit you find everywhere else

LOL, R79, what a ridiculous post. I use taxis several times a week here in Lisbon and have never met an american or british driver. And i am 6ft, btw.

I’m in Porto in my last night in Portugal, and would like to thank posters above for their thoughtful and perceptive advice. Some random observation:

Many men are breathtakingly handsome and not particularly short. At dinner last night where formally dressed waiters were rushing around, I almost got whiplash.

The landscape is stunning. Not yet overridden by tourists like Madrid or Barcelona, but I predict it soon will be. It’s inexpensive, and has had, as yet no major terrorist incident. Graffiti is unfortunately everywhere, and pickpocketing is common. But they’re not killing each other off with abandon.

Cuisine is not as sophisticated as French or Italian, but it’s quite tasty, and as R3 wrote, you can get a perfectly fine wine for 3€ A bottle. Seafood rules.

We made quick stops at Sintra and Óbidos. Cute tourist towns selling nothing you need. Pretty to look at though.

Took R114’s recommendation and visited the Douro Valley. I blearned that I am not wild about Port, R71. But their coffee is uniformly excellent everywheref

In short, we had a wonderful time, and hope to return when we can.

BUMP

The dangerous Portuguese man o' war, a venomous marine organism

The Portuguese were the world's best distance runners before the Kenyans took over.

Nico and Diogo!

[quote]The Portuguese were Pro Franco, Pro Hitler and Pro Mooseleanknee

Their last president was pro Putin and that's how Devin Nunez was introduced to the Russian oligarchs that are now business partners of his winery business in California.

Beautiful city, hot guys, ugly language. I prefer Spanish.

Whar are you talking about, r122???

Ymmv but I find Portuguese much more beautiful and less arid that Castilian Spanish.

Is it only a matter of time before celebrities branch out to Porto? I go there every year at least once and accommodation keeps getting more expensive.

I am in the Algarve (Vilamoura) now and am less than impressed. True, the weather has been atrocious. The beaches are lovely, but obviously it's too cold to swim. Faro was interesting, but very Third World. Albufeira was an absolute shithole; looked like Tijuana, although the beach, which is right in town, was beautiful.

If you enjoy being around handsome gay men who are traditional tops, Lisbon is where to go.

I'vebeen hearing about Portugal for at least the past five years. It's not expensive, it has a wonderful climate, and it's government is stable.

I am in the countryside about 70-80 miles east from Lisbon. This region is called Alentejo and is stunning! It reminds me of parts of Umbria and Tuscany. The rolling hills, covered with vineyards and olive trees. It's very relaxing here. Great for hiking!

We visited Arraiolos, where they have been making these intricate arabic-influenced wool carpets for centuries. I ordered one, since they're very unique and not expensive at all. Then we were in Estremoz, a beautiful small city with lots of palaces, marble, and a huge medieval castle. We had a couple of great meals too. Lots of game dishes: pheasant, wild pigeon, etc.

We are heading to Lisbon tomorrow for 7 days. Looking forward to it!

Lisbon is totally ruined now, budget wise. Ten years ago you could live like a prince for 30 dollars a day. Now, with Madonna and MILLIONS of expats from every fucking european country prices are not very different than let's say Rome or Madrid.

[quote]Portugal ISN'T small... it just LOOKS small because it's sitting next to a country the size of Texas.

Texas is still 34% larger than Spain, but not a bad comparison.

Why is it that in countries where people eat a lot of cured meats and a lot of sweets and a lot of bread and carbs, they live long lives and seem healthier that we are?

Moderation r132. They don't eat as much as Americans do. They also eat more vegetables than Americans do and you say "a lot of sweets" but their sugar intake is FAR slower than America. It's not complicated.

also, the food in mostly european countries is relatively "purer" than american food. Chemical shit is forbidden here.

Are the men easy to fuck?

stars buyin property there

cheap hung whores!

This thread makes me yearn to travel internationally. I just need someone to go with. Some of you are very blessed.

It is a fantastic country with great surfing beaches too. I am pretty sure Portugal has fairly lax tax laws for foreign investors in real estate which could be the reason why Madonna and Fassbender are setting up camp. I know Madonna is super rich and Fassbender wouldn't be on the skids either but celebrities can have a strange relationship with money. A good old fashioned real estate tax dodge with matching bank accounts could be right up their street.

Portugal offers a 10 year tax holiday on world income to new residents.

R139 !!!!! wow

About Southern Europeans not being as fat.

Cut your meals with some wine.

Portuguese men are Brazilians without the charm or sex appeal, quite bland and culturally very cheap too - they even make fun of their blatant avarice.

Signed, a Brazilian American with Portuguese grandparents.

R46 Portuguese are whiter than Spaniards that's for sure.

R30 Portuguese is way more phonetic than Spanish, you don't know what you're talking about.

There are some special looks I've only seen in Portugal.

this one is south african born portuguese

When I go to the ballet, I'm always happy to spot the Portuguese dancers.

The meteoric rise of Lisbon model

The reality:

charming in some places l, but i ve never seen so many depressed introvert people in my life: people in lisbon look like they3hate being there. total cultural shock if you are coming from spain. also, they look poor.

Three C list celebs do not make it a thing.

We were just avoiding you, r154. You should also diet.

Gonçalo Teixeira

My husband and I are semi-retired expats who spent 6 months in Portugal this year, with a view to settling there. We were in the Algarve, Cascais (posh city outside of Lisbon) and Porto. We didn't visit all that many small towns as we knew we want to settle in a bigger place and the driving in Portugal is pretty stressful. Portugal was everything it was supposed to be - cheap; safe, migrant-free, stunning beaches, English, Spanish and French widely spoken, abundant seafood, plus the tax incentives mentioned above. There is a big expat community and they are quite friendly. What surprised us was how extremely warm and helpful the Portuguese people were, I think because they haven't had decades of tourism. I wasn't sold on Portugal however. It's poor and Third World-y in many places. The average salary is under €600 a month and taxes are high. There is not the richness of culture and architecture you find in other parts of Europe. The language is atrocious; sounds like Russian or Turkish. If you live inland, you are at great risk of wildfires. The hills in Lisbon are a horror, because as well as steep, they are covered with little, glass-like cobbles and you need to pay maximum attention to avoid falling. Can't even imagine in the rain!

No need to guess what it's like OP.

I was just there for a few days in August and I have to say I didn't fall totally in love, but there was a lot to like. Mind you, that seemed to be the PEAK tourist season, so perhaps it was a little overrun. But it felt hard to find authentic local experiences, and to me the food was average (though i'm not a big pastry guy and don't eat meat or seafood). It's just as dirty as other major Euro cities and the people offering you drugs become very annoying very quickly... worse than beggars lol. They lurch around the central areas looking for backpackers from the many youth hostels there. And yes, due to the latter, it does become quite wild and loud at night. The streets are very hilly and slippery. It was also super humid and hot during that time of year.

On the plus side the rooftop bars are WONDERFUL, before they get too busy after a certain hour. Some lovely lush green gardens and parks hidden away, be sure to find a few. It's multicultural, and I don't mind the street art myself. I think i'd say the higher up a hill we got, the more we enjoyed ourselves as it was quieter, greener, and more quaint. Public transport system is a dream. We spent a day in Sintra and it was absolutely beautiful. Yes, nobody is there except for other tourists, but it feels quite vast and open so they're not always in your way. Porto as well was a day trip, and I have to say I preferred it the most out of the 3. A better waterfront than Lisbon, and all the same experiences but a bit less dirty and touristy. People in Lisbon were friendly, and I didn't really notice 'handsome local men' because so many people there were tourists that I don't feel like I got a good enough flavour of what the actual Portugese men looked like.

I'm surprised so many people are moving there to live. It seems like there's not a lot to do unless you're a tourist, or willing to put up with tourists (eg the few remaining Fado cafés, etc.). I think Paris for example is more friendly to locals.

If I were forced to relocate to Lisbon, I would live in Baixa. Baixa : Lisbon as Malibu : LA.

Portugal does not allow private ownership of beach front property. I learned this during a week in and around Lisbon last summer.