This truth is, of course, not limited to Portugal, but also to many other countries in southern Europe. The reason for this is the poor or sometimes non-existent insulation in the older houses, but especially in the public buildings. Here it was thought at that time that the sun always shines in Portugal and rain or cold is only the exception. That's what I thought at first when I came to Portugal in 2004 and told my friends in Germany that I didn't need a jacket all year. But that was because after thirty-five years in Germany, my feeling of cold was zero and at 14 degrees I thought it was spring-like in Germany.


Today it is very different because my body has already gotten used to the warm climate after twenty years in Portugal. And when I go to Germany again in late summer to a real estate fair in Munich, I feel like an alien with a thick coat at just 12 degrees outside temperature. In the restaurant I would need a T-shirt because I am so warm. This is the opposite in Portugal in winter. In the morning you freeze one, come to the office and your feet freeze. And then you go to the restaurant in the evening and need a turtleneck sweater in addition to a hot water bottle. That's why I say "In winter it's cold in Portugal and warm in Germany!". But this has also changed in recent years. Increased restaurants offer a good and warm atmosphere and now also in winter.


Because tourism in Portugal and the demand for Portugal have grown a lot and the industry and people have adapted to it and ensure that your guests are doing well. But this, in turn, has the consequence that the prices when going out to eat are no longer the same as in the 90s or 10 years ago.


In the past, wood was used for heating and most houses were built with simple masonry or local materials. This is no longer the case today because there are energy certifications and regulations that no longer allow you to build as you did in the eighties.


But it can also "warm up very quickly" for anyone who comes to Portugal from Germany, because the human warmth of the Portuguese is also strong in winter. But this also means that when you come to Portugal from Germany, you talk to the Portuguese. And does not only move among Germans and listen to their advice. But also invites the Portuguese neighbor for a drink, because he is always helpful and knows how to do certain things in Portugal. Things you don't learn if you just listen to your German community.


Many Portuguese speak German or know someone who speaks German: this is often misunderstood. The best example of this is when I stand at the checkout in the Aldi in Portugal and a German family complains that the articles are not advertised in German and that you want to go to the beach and everything takes so long. It can happen that you suddenly have to swallow a comment made by one of the Portuguese who are standing in the background.


The most important thing for all those who want to enjoy Portugal and its people is knowledge. This means, for example, that as a woman you thank someone with "Obrigada with a". And as a man always with "Obrigado with "o", then that's two smiles you've won. Because you should already know how the "thank you" works in Portugal. If you also know that you say "Bom dia" in the morning, and "Boa Tarde" after lunch and in the evening "Boa Noite" means good evening. Then you can imagine what a key to happiness you have with it. If you then multiply the whole thing by every passing Portuguese, you can imagine how many times you can easily make people in Portugal smile with so little effort.

Author

Paulo Lopes is a multi-talent Portuguese citizen who made his Master of Economics in Switzerland and studied law at Lusófona in Lisbon - CEO of Casaiberia in Lisbon and Algarve.

Paulo Lopes