Things I won't miss so much in Portugal:
- If you want a snack in a café you have to eat a toasty or a deep-fried unidentified meat pasty. Although this has got better recently with new shops like Go Natural, so you can buy things like bagels and sushi! (if you've got a spare €15, it aint cheap). If you want a quick snack, it's a toasty, sorry matey. (I know that anyone Portuguese reading this will think I'm a cheeky beggar because British food is the worst in the world as most of my students have always told me:)).
- Most shops and supermarkets never having change. If your bill for example is €7.48, you will be asked for the 8 cents or the 48c. If you don't have it, this will usually result in a tut, eye-rolling and general disgruntledness. I can understand small shops not having change, but a supermarket! Why?
- Everyone asking me if I'm Ukranian. What, because I'm pale with blue eyes? This is also a common feature of many other countries, in particular...erm, the UK!
- Always, always being bad at Portuguese. I've tried, I really have. I've studied, I've sat exams. Yet I still have crap pronunciation, and people never understand me. Ironically if I WAS Ukranian, I'd have a great Portuguese accent.
- Middle-aged women asking me if I'm pregnant (when I'm not), then saying 'Oh you look pregnant'. Or telling me 'You look fatter', or 'You're getting fatter'. I like to think it's a language barrier, when really they were trying to say 'Wow you look great'.
- Cobbles and hills. As pretty as it looks. Cobbles and hills combined do not a happy mum make. Especially one who's got a double buggy and shopping hanging off it in 38 degree heat.
Things I will miss about Portugal:
- How beautiful it is.
- How beautiful Lisbon is.
- The Winter. Surely nothing is nicer than sitting drinking coffee outside when you're wrapped up, but the sun's still shining and it's a pleasant temperature. The River. So many nice memories of the Brazilian café by Cais do Sodré-watching the boats go by. None of your feeble, skinny rivers. This is a great big choppy thing that branches out into the Atlantic. You'll see fishing boats, sightseeing boats, commuter ferries, huge cruiseliners, coastguards, wee kayaks...ooh I like a boat me. Might even see me ol' mucker Terry passing by!
- Pastel de nata (especially the ones in Belém). A bit like an egg-custard tart, but so much better. I've been known to sit on a tram for half an hour there, and half an hour back, just to buy one little tart (snigger).
- The most relaxing bars in the world- My little Alfama mirodouro and Terraço by the Castle. Sitting on a warm evening on a sofa ...with a caiparinha in hand. Bliss.
So adeus Portugal. Thanks for the memories.
