Some travelers don’t like to have anything in common with the people of the country they’re visiting. They just want to see the attractions, participate in festivals, familiarize themselves with art museums, try the local cuisine, and end the trip with that. They don’t pay attention to the population, their peculiarities, they don’t make any efforts to learn a few words, and so on. I hope our readers understand that the people of the country are the indivisible part of the culture. If you want to see Lisbon in all aspects, you have to communicate with the Portuguese people.
I’m inclined to think everyone is different and unique, however, there are certain descriptions that cover a whole nation. They are called national stereotypes. Let’s go through some of the stereotypes about the Portuguese and try to have a vague idea about the people residing in Lisbon.
1. The Portuguese Eat a Lot – When you enter a cafe to try an average Portuguese meal, you will most probably be surprised at the amount of food the others order. Their favorite is fish, which is more than natural considering the beaches all around Portugal. Eating a lot is never a bad thing, unless it starts having a negative impact on your shape. Ladies in Lisbon are beautiful and hot, but it seems that all of them are doomed to getting big at one point of their lives.
2. The Portuguese Make Compliments – This stereotypes mainly refers to the guys in Lisbon. If you walk the streets with a smile, expect to hear incredibly unique compliments. Excess of them might be make you feel uncomfortable, but here’s a tip from me, you’re on vacation, leave the negative thoughts behind, and enjoy your time.
3. The Portuguese are Too Proud of Their History – Portugal has had glorious times, when some of the major discoveries were made by Portuguese explorers, some of the biggest colonies belonged to Portugal and so on. You will instantly notice this the essence of this stereotype once you visit the Monument of Discoveries. The names of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral will come up all the time as you visit the museums or any attraction in the city.
4. The Portuguese Like to Be Sad – While the Portuguese belong to the Latin population of the world, which are mainly known for being happy and always ready to party, they do have melancholic tendencies. Fado music is a good example of the statement. It’s purely Portuguese and can be heard in almost all cafes of Lisbon. Fado is known as a sad song, where a woman tells about his lover.
5. Lisbon? Is It Spain or What? – Many people don’t really know where exactly Lisbon is. They have heard it’s somewhere near Spain, which is why the majority of stereotypes about Spain are received understood as Portuguese as well. In fact, it must be mentioned that while these two countries have a lot in common, they are completely different. The language, the culture . . . even the food is different.
Keep the stereotypes in mind, but don’t trust them too much. Remember, we’re all different and unique, even the Portuguese.
