Portuguese life: 30 little things in everyday life in Portugal

May 21, 2018

When you move to another city, region or country, you obviously discover many things that are different from the habits you might have had in your home town. Every place has its own identity, and that’s one of the reasons why travel is so exciting. Without falling into “clichés” and beyond the sun, pretty beaches, good food and sublime landscapes, I’ve tried to list 30 “little things” of everyday life in Portugal.

The little things of everyday life

1. ATMs to pay bills

When you’re in Portugal, you’ll probably go to the cash dispenser to withdraw cash, but sometimes you might have to wait a while behind the person in front of you. Why might this be? In Portugal, if you wish, you can pay your bills(electricity, water, internet…) via ATMs rather than by automatic debit. So, if you’re waiting at the machines, it’s not because the person in front of you doesn’t know how to use an ATM. It’s just that they’re probably in the process of paying their bills, so you’ll have to be patient.

2. Multibanco”: the essential Portuguese bank card

youcan’t live in Portugal(or almost) without a “Multibanco”. This is the only card accepted everywhere. Its counterparts: Visa, Mastercard, Amex… are not. So if you don’t have a Multibanco card, always remember to carry cash in case your Visa or other bank card is not accepted. Here’s a concrete example: at Portuguese automatic toll booths, you can only pay with Multibanco or cash, as there are no other options. It’s always better to know in advance, isn’t it?

3. Scuts on the freeways

Another Portuguese peculiarity is the presence of “scuts” on certain freeways. These are automatic toll booths with no counters or barriers, which you don’t pay much attention to if you don’t know what they are. So, if you’re on a freeway with “scuts”, you’ll need to pick up a “via verde” box before your journey, which will allow automatic payment of the scuts. If you pass a “scut” without this device, you’ll need to connect to the CTT site in the days following your passage to make the payment, otherwise … surcharge!

Scut in Portugal.

4. Central heating, a rarity in Portugal

you’re probably going to come across some dwellings without central heating or with auxiliary heaters. Don’t be surprised, this is quite common in older Portuguese buildings. It’s not so bad, you may say, as there’s always the onion technique for keeping warm: you put on several layers and use warm blankets. However, you should be aware that in new buildings and renovated homes, heating is now often installed mainly in the form of reversible air-conditioning.

5. “Adeus” for goodbye

itmay be silly, and I know that in some parts of France it’s said, but it took me a while to get used to saying “adeus” to say “au revoir”. I associate “adeus” with “adieu” in French and to me it means I’ll never see the person again. I’ve now got used to it, but it’s still one of the “little” things that have caught my attention in my new life here.

6. Gambling

herein Portugal, there are no PMU bars, but that doesn’t mean the Portuguese don’t like gambling. On the contrary, Portuguese of all ages love games of chance. There are even stores exclusively for these games in Portugal: the “casa da sorte”(houses of luck). There are always several in town, where you can buy scratch cards, fill in your EuroMillions..

Casa da Sorte where you can try your luck at the games!

7. Tuk tuks, not Portuguese but very present in Portugal

tuk tuksaremotorized tricycles that originated in Thailand, and they’ll be part of your daily routine if you go to a major Portuguese city. In fact, there are a lot of them, and regulations are currently being introduced to limit their number and give preference to electric models. However, if you don’t have much time to visit a Portuguese city, this could be a good option to see as much as possible in a short time and in an “atypical” way.

Tuk Tuk in the picturesque streets of Lisbon.

8. Queuing for the bus

inFrance, when you’re waiting for the bus, don’t be fooled: it’s every man for himself, whoever gets on first. In Portugal, taking the bus is much less wild – in fact, it’s very orderly. The Portuguese line up on the sidewalk in order of arrival, and when the bus arrives, they board one by one. An exemplary attitude!

Queuing at the bus stop in Portugal.

9. Tickets to be collected everywhere

whetheryou go to the bakery, the butcher’s shop, the pharmacy, the post office, the hospital, the “loja do cidadão”… in Portugal, you’ll need to collect a ticket at the entrance to register your presence in the queue of many establishments. So look carefully to see if there’s a machine or not when you enter such places, and if so, remember to collect your ticket. You’ll then be called when it’s your turn.

10. Parking anywhere

inPortugal, you can find cars parked just about anywhere, if not really anywhere. This is partly due to the lack and cost of parking. In small and medium-sized towns, this phenomenon is tolerated by the authorities. In big cities, on the other hand, frequent checks are carried out and cars are regularly blocked if they are not parked in the right place.

11. The gentlemen who park you

another thing you may not be used to if you don’t live in Portugalisthe gentlemen at the side of the road who point out free parking spaces and then help you maneuver. These are mainly to be found in medium-sized and large Portuguese cities. It’s common courtesy to give these people a coin for their help.

Little things about restaurants

12. Televisions in cafés and restaurants

ifyou’ve ever been to Portugal, you may have been struck, as I was, by the ubiquity of televisions in cafés and restaurants. Sometimes one, sometimes several, adorn the walls of the establishments. This may come as a surprise at first, but you soon get used to it. These televisions broadcast a variety of programs, but they are installed in restaurants and cafés mainly to follow something very important in Portugal: soccer matches. The good news, ladies, is that your beloved will no longer be able to tell you that he doesn’t want to go out because there’s a soccer match on TV, as he’ll be able to follow the match directly from the restaurant. I’d also like to take this opportunity to tell you about another characteristic of cafés and restaurants: the regular presence of soccer shirts and scarves from Portuguese soccer teams.

13. Small appetizers on restaurant tables

anotherthing I wasn’t used to before moving to Portugal was the famous little appetizers that are brought to the restaurant table before you even order. You know, the ones that wink at you and whisper “eat me! eat me!”. These little “entradas” (starters) generally consist of olives, bread, cheese, pâté, octopus salad… If you don’t touch it, you don’t get charged, but if you do, you do. Logical, you might say!

Some “entradas” here: olives, presunto and cheese.

14. Restaurants: an essential part of Portuguese life

when Iarrived here, I was impressed by the number of restaurants in the towns and villages. There are a lot of them, and what’s even more surprising is that they’re often all very full. This can be explained by the fact that eating out is a well-established habit in Portuguese life. The restaurants are often very affordable and the food succulent. When you’re in Portugal, you’ll probably find it easy to get into the habit of eating out, but watch your figure!

15. No-fuss restaurants are often the best

Whereas in France, the “style” of the restaurant, its decoration, the table, the presentation of the plates… are of great importance and are more or less a guarantee of a “good restaurant”. In Portugal, with a few exceptions – because one should never generalize – the best restaurants are those that “don’t look like much”, as they say. In Portuguese, they’re often called “Tabernas” or “Tascas”. These are typical, picturesque, no-frills restaurants serving traditional, homemade food that’s simply delicious. So don’t hesitate to venture into these restaurants, you won’t be disappointed, believe me.

Interior of a Tasca.

16. The importance of outdoor breakfast and snacks

imentioned the importance of restaurants in Portugal, and the same applies to “pastelaria”(pastry shops) and “padaria”(bakeries), which are very popular with the Portuguese in the morning and/or late afternoon after work. The Portuguese eat both sweet and savoury snacks, although savoury is preferred in the morning. Perhaps you too will get into the habit of eating out for these meals. I have, and I love ordering ham in a “croissant brioche” (between croissant and pain au lait) for breakfast. A real delight!

Croissant brioche with ham and freshly squeezed orange juice.

17. The smell of grilled meats

inPortugal, as everywhere else, there are many different cooking methods, but here, barbecuing is very common. Virtually every restaurant has a barbecue, so the smell of grilled meat often wafts through the streets at mealtimes. Grilling meat and fish gives them such a distinctive taste that my mouth waters just talking about it. What’s more, I don’t know about you, but for me, smelling grilled meats in the streets all year round makes me feel like it’s summer all the time.

Barbecue in a restaurant. Here, chickens are grilling.

Little things related to cooking

18. Cooking with olive oil … with lots of olive oil

olive oiliswidely used in Portuguese cuisine. The oil from Ferreira in Alentejo, Portugal, has just been voted the best olive oil in the world. The Portuguese, like many people in southern Europe, appreciate this condiment and sometimes even adore it. The other day, in a restaurant, I saw my tablemate literally “drizzle”(yes, yes, that’s the right word!), “drizzle” olive oil over his bacalhau(cod) and chickpeas. The term “un filet d’huile” has been transformed into “une cascade d’huile”, but at least he got his fill of Omega 3!

19. Soup, ultra present in Portugal

another cuisine-related thing you’ll regularly see in Portugalissoup. Whereas in France we tend to shun soup and eat it mainly in winter, here in Portugal it’s eaten in all seasons. The best-known soups are:

caldo verde(cabbage, chouriço and potato soup),
canja de galinha(chicken and pasta soup),
sopa à Lavrador (red beans, pasta and cured ham).

Soup is so deeply rooted in Portuguese culture that even the American giant Mac Donald’s Portuguese outlets feature caldo verde soup and sopa à Lavrador.

20. Cod in all its forms

asyouprobably know, and as I mentioned in my last article on gastronomy, cod is one of Portugal’s flagship fish dishes. There are 365 recipes – yes, 365, you read that right – one for every day of the year. So, if you come to Portugal, eating a cod-based dish is something you’re likely to do at some point.

Cod, an essential fish in Portugal.

21. Olive oil, canned sardines and cod in supermarkets

idon’t know about you, but every time I live in a new country or travel, I love going to the supermarkets of the country in question to discover the national products. I find it’s a great way to learn a bit more about the culture of the country. In Portugal, you’ll quickly realize that dried cod, olive oils and canned sardines are the country’s “flagship” products. In fact, you only have to look at the width of the shelves for olive oil, tinned sardines and dried cod to understand this. Don’t be in any doubt, there’s plenty to choose from!

A small part of the olive oil section in the supermarket.

22. Cinnamon and coriander: a spice and herb much used in Portuguese gastronomy

cinnamon,brought to Portugal by the famous navigator Vasco de Gama, is present in many Portuguese desserts. In France, cinnamon is rarely used, perhaps in apple pie, but here in Portugal, if you don’t like cinnamon, it can be a problem, as this spice is used a lot. Coriander(coentros), on the other hand, is present in many Portuguese dishes, especially those from Alentejo. Since I’ve been living in Portugal, it’s become one of the essential herbs in my dishes, and I’m a big fan.

23. Portuguese wines

thePortuguese are great wine lovers, and in fact consume more wine per capita per year than any other country in Europe. Portugal produces top-quality wines that have won international recognition and awards. From the Douro to the Alentejo, you’ll find a vast choice of wines. Be warned, though: having “tested and approved” Portuguese wines, I can tell you that the sun gives them a degree of alcohol that can make your head spin a little faster than French wines.

Portugal: Europe’s leading wine consumer.

24. Sweet, juicy oranges

inFrance, when you order orange juice in a café, most of the time you’ll be brought an industrial juice. Here, you’ll always be asked whether you’d like a “natural” juice(squeezed juice) or not. And it would be a shame to say “no”. If you come to Portugal, squeezed orange juice is sure to become a habit. Sweet, juicy, full of sunshine and inexpensive, it would be a shame to go without.

Typical little things

25. Clothes in the windows

we’ve all seen the image of a Portuguese postcard, with a photo of laundry hanging in the windows of a colorful house. This tourist map is no cliché. Here, you’ll see laundry hanging from windows all over the place. The Portuguese take advantage of their 300 days of sunshine a year to hang their washing out to dry in their windows – and rightly so!

Laundry hanging on houses.

26. Students in black robes singing in the streets

notall year round, but at the beginning and end of the academic year, you may be surprised to come across groups of students on the streets, dressed in their black gowns, singing and playing instruments. It’s always a pleasure to watch them. In fact, the togas worn by the Portuguese students were the inspiration forHarry Potter author J.K. Rowling. If you take a look at the film’s costumes and see the Portuguese students, you’ll see the resemblance.

27. Azulejos

I’m capable of taking hundreds of photos of azulejos, because the beauty of these small tiles still captivates me, even after many years in Portugal. Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about them in decorating magazines and TV shows. They’re “à la mode” and yet they’ve been around for centuries. Mainly from Portugal, the Maghreb and Spain(the technique differs according to origin), these little works of art – blue, green, orange… – can be found on the facades of many Portuguese houses and in some interiors. If you’re ever in Lisbon, check out Solar Antiques, a store brimming with azulejos from every century. And if you’d like to see more photos of azulejos, check out the Vivre au Portugal instagram.

Patchwork of azulejo photos taken on the streets.

28. Fado

ifyou go to Portugal, Fado will sooner or later be part of your Portuguese experience. A shawl, a guitar, a beautiful voice full of emotion, that’s not much to describe this popular song with melancholy themes, which, in my opinion, cannot be left unexplained. You have to experience it to understand what Fado is all about. You’ll either like it or you won’t, but this song will not leave you indifferent. I recommend getting lost in the streets ofAlfama in Lisbon, where this music originated, for your first fado experience. You can also find out more about this song at the Fado Museum in Lisbon.

29. Calçadas portuguesas: the famous Portuguese cobblestones

We don’t always pay attention to where we’re walking, but in Portugal, it’s important to take the time to appreciate the Portuguese cobblestones your little feet will be treading. Looking like works of art, they are often decorated with a variety of motifs. Just be careful not to slip on them, as they can be quite tricky.

The “calçadas portuguesas”.

A little something related to sport

30. Soccer, a second religion

it‘s almost self-evident that in the land of Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer has a huge following. Here, stadiums are often full, and many Portuguese are “socio”(season ticket holders) of their team. In fact, Benfica, the Portuguese soccer club, is the second club in Europe with the most members, over 184,000(behind Bayern Munich), which shows the importance of soccer here. One of the surprising things about stadiums in Portugal is that the Portuguese often go with their families. It’s not uncommon to see parents, children and grandparents in the stands. Last time, my seatmate was a granny who knew her team’s supporters’ chant by heart, and had no hesitation in fervently rebelling against the other team’s fouls, shouting “falta”(foul) and other words I can’t say here. The atmosphere of a soccer match in Portugal is an experience to be experienced whether or not you’re a fan of the sport.

In conclusion

Living abroad means discovering many new things, on many different levels, even after many years in one country. Living here in Portugal, you’ll be discovering and adopting new everyday habits, and adapting to a new environment. This can sometimes be a little unsettling, but in the end it will only enrich you further.

What “little things” have you discovered in Portugal?

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