PORTO - The land of the Tawny

Sorry about Porto... or Lloyd
Porto clearly didn't live up to Lloyd Smith's high expectations, which is a shame. The city, for many of us, is beautiful, the people open and friendly. It's history goes back to Celts and perhaps the Phoenicians. It is, however, a city in northern Portugal, the poorest part of the poorest country in western Europe-- and has been poor for almost two centuries (hence the decrepit buildings-- Disneyland it is not). The economic crisis now hitting the whole world is hitting Portugal harder (the minimum wage is lower, and the prices higher, than Spain or France, so many families are broken up while the husband works elsewhere and sends what he can home). The culture of Portugal is different from that to which Lloyd is clearly accustomed-- for one thing, the Portuguese don't drink as much as Australians, Americans, or Brits, and so not being able to find an alcoholic drink easily on a Sunday afternoon in this Catholic country is not, to the locals, surprising or distressing. I am sorry that Porto so disappointed Lloyd. In general, the food here is quite good (providing you stick to Portuguese dishes), and the wines are some of the best in the world. The beer is okay-- but in Portugal, as in much of Europe, there is no expectation that it will be served lower than "cellar temperature", and many Portuguese prefer water, soft drinks, etc. at room temperature. Again, a cultural difference that Lloyd apparently wasn't prepared for. A good rule of thumb is to explore a new place by trying to see it from within its own culture, and not superimpose your own onto it. You can learn more, have a better time, and alienate fewer people. [I say this after having lived and worked in the US, Brazil, Switzerland, Korea, the Caribbean, Japan, and now Portugal (while visiting many more places), and having my undergraduate degree in cross-cultural communications.]