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The Spaniards also say that the Portuguese are a depressing people But then again, the Spaniards are probably the most lively and loudest people in Europe, it's hard to compete with them
I haven't heard that. What I have heard is a few Spanish speakers refer to the Portuguese language as "Espanol mal hablado," or "Spanish badly spoken." The Spaniards are livelier and louder than the Italians? That would be an interesting comparison.
I haven't heard that. What I have heard is a few Spanish speakers refer to the Portuguese language as "Espanol mal hablado," or "Spanish badly spoken." The Spaniards are livelier and louder than the Italians? That would be an interesting comparison.
The Italians are livelier than the Spaniards and the Portuguese combined in my experience. Northern Italians being an exception.
I've never lived there, only visited a few times. My dad is from there. I definitely agree with the somber mentality of the Portuguese, and their friendliness. When I was there last, I got terribly sick and had quite a few problems with car and cabin rental--I was a mess, with two little boys in tow. There was a girl at the car shop who looked me in the eyes, put her hand on my shoulder and said it was going to be alright. I have never experienced this from a stranger before, but then I've only lived in places like the Midwest and Sweden.
I did not like the Algarve coastal strip at all. But just up the mountains, it's real nice. I stayed in Silves and I found the people there quite agreeable and the town itself beautiful and cozy.
Yeah, the people are poor and many are jobless, but there's also a significant portion who have never belonged to the regular job market. It's still a little old world there, outside of the large cities and towns.
I've definitely met some lively Portuguese, but I don't know how they compare to the Spaniards as I've never been to Spain.
I would say that most of the information here is accurate, except the part of the food being bland. I completely disagree with this as I believe that people who eat this "bland" food are probably in better health conditions (cholesterol etc.) than many British or Americans precisely because they do not over condiment food to the point where it is irrelevant if you're having meat or fish and the only thing that may differ them is their texture. However, if you're used to eating microaved heated curry every other night, I understand how a fresh grilled fish might not seem like actual food. Portugal has a gastronomy that goes beyond grilled fish and vegetables. Not only does it boast of plenty of variety but the Portuguese have been cooking for a lot longer than the American's began flipping their burgers and probably a lot better than the British. There must be a reason why the UK has adopted Indian curry as their new national dish.
Portuguese dishes, and their presentation, in a typical mid-line Portuguese restaurant are not inspiring. However, the ingredients are good and fresh. You can't argue with fresh fish, vegetables, and rice/potatoes. It's a little bland, but if you have a bland taste palette, like I do, it's just fine. The only thing that makes it less healthy is that the dessert options in these restaurants almost always include mousse.
I have never been to Portugal, but I would like to know what it's like to live there. I know a little bit of Portuguese(and planning to learn more). I know of some of the culture in Portugal, and I know it differs considerably from Brazil. However, I have never lived there.
Gastronomy is actually one of the best points about Portugal, you can eat very well for a cheap price, also people are wellcoming and it's easy to use the transport.
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But then again, the Spaniards are probably the most lively and loudest people in Europe, it's hard to compete with them 
