The FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins on November 21. However, Portugal only plays for the first time on November 24. Let’s take a look at the dates of the Group Stage matches:
Nov 24 Portugal – Ghana 17:00
Nov 28 Portugal – Uruguay 20:00
Dec 2 Portugal – South Korea 16:00
What group is Portugal in for the World Cup?
Portugal is in Group H for the FIFA World Cup 2022, along with Ghana, Uruguay, and Korea.
Portugal National Team Players for World Cup
Santos selected on November 10 his final 26-man roster for Qatar. So, which players will be playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Goalkeepers
Diogo Costa
José Sá
Rui Patrício
Defenders
Diogo Dalot
João Cancelo
António Silva
Danilo
Pepe
Ruben Dias
Nuno Mendes
Raphael Guerreiro
Midfielders
João Palhinha
Rúben Neves
Bernardo Silva
Bruno Fernandes
João Mário
Matheus Nunes
Otávio
Vitinha
William Carvalho
Forwards
André Silva
Cristiano Ronaldo
Gonçalo Ramos
João Félix
Rafael Leão
Ricardo Horta
Key Facts about the Portugal National Team
Full name in Portuguese: Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol
Assistant coaches: Ilidio Vale, Nuno Sampaio, Fernando Meira
Goalkeeping coach: Rui Ouriques
Top goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (117), Pauleta (88), Eusebio (64)
Team home kit: Portugal’s traditional home kit is red and green like the Portuguese flag. Alterations have been made over the years, such as dark burgundy and light scarlet.
Team away kit: Portugal’s away kits vary a lot. Usually, they are white with blue shorts or red and green highlights. A fully black kit has also been used.
Who is the Portuguese coach for the World Cup?
The Portuguese coach for the Portugal National Football team and upcoming World Cup is Fernando Santos. The former defender was born on October 10, 1954, in Lisbon, Portugal.
After retiring as a defender, he became a coach in 1988. Throughout his career, Santos managed Portugal’s Big Three (Benfica, Sporting, and Porto). He won five major titles with Porto and also managed Estoril.
In the early 2000s, he relocated to Greece, where he managed mostly AEK Athens and PAOK. In 2010, he coached the Greek national team for the World Cup and Euro.
In September 2014, he was chosen as the manager of Portugal after the dismissal of Paulo Bento.
In 2016, he led the team to the finals with France, where Portugal won its first Euro.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the captain of the Portuguese National Team, as well as forward for Manchester United. He was born in Funchal, Madeira, on February 5, 1985. To many, he is considered the best soccer player in the world.
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes. His track record is astonishing, with 32 trophies in his career. Ronaldo holds many records, including for most appearances in a game (183) and goals (140).
The forward began his football career at Sporting CP and then signed with Manchester United at 18. In 2009, he was the most expensive football transfer at the time when he signed with Real Madrid for €94 million.
Many visit Portugal for one reason alone – the cuisine. The country is known for traditional Portuguese food and dishes that have a degree of complexity, mixing Atlantic and Mediterranean influences.
But out of hundreds of traditional dishes, how do you know which ones to choose? We recommend diving deep into whatever region’s cuisine you are visiting.
However, there are Portuguese staples that you can try wherever you are in the country. Here are the 10 best Portuguese foods and dishes for your next trip to Portugal.
The Portuguese Custard Tard, also known as the Pastel de Nata takes first place. The perfect breakfast or snack accompanied by an espresso, this sweet pastry is a Portuguese staple.
The Portuguese Custard Tart is made of puff pastry, egg custard, and topped with cinnamon. The perfect Pastel de Nata is creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
If you have tried one abroad, it won’t taste the same. The authentic Pastel de Nata can be found in Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon, a short walk from the Jeronimos Monastery.
This place holds the original monk recipe that remains a secret. Announced in 2011 as one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders of Gastronomy, you will get to taste the original custard tart while surrounded by history.
Photo by Diogo Nunes (Unsplash)
2. Bacalhau A Bras
A national treasure, the Portuguese consume 20% of the world’s cod. The Portuguese say there are 1001 ways to cook cod, also known as bacalhau.
One of our favorite ways is Bacalhau à Brás! This dish is made from shredded salted cod, onions, thinly cut fried potatoes, and scrambled eggs. It is often garnished with olives and fresh parsley.
You can taste this wonderful dish anywhere in the country, although it is said to have originated in the neighborhood of Bairro Alto in Lisbon. Some places will cook it more dried, while others leave the scrambled egg cooking for less time.
One of our favorite places in Lisbon to try Bacalhau à Brás is Miguel Castro e Silva, and O Rei do Bacalhau.
This is also a very simple dish to make at home. Nowadays, there are plenty of vegetarian versions, replacing the cod with leek or tofu.
Bacalhau a bras. Photo by Frances Bean (Flickr)
3. Caldo Verde
A popular soup in Portugal, the Caldo Verde translates to “green broth”. It includes some of the most traditional Portuguese ingredients, including shredded Portuguese cabbage, potatoes, onion, garlic, and pieces of meat such as chourico or linguica. This dish is usually eaten as a starter or a late-night lighter dinner.
But where did the Caldo Verde originate from?
This traditional dish was born in Minho in northern Portugal. This is the best area to try out the dish, although it is available all over the country, even at McDonald’s!
Caldo Verde. Photo by Michael (Flickr)
4. Arroz de Pato
Arroz de Pato is one of the most popular Portuguese dishes globally. With roots in the city of Braga, this dish is a combination of traditional ingredients, including duck, rice, bay leaf, and chourico.
This dish is made with Carolino rice, a short-grain rice that absorbs flavors. The duck is shredded, and the dish is then topped with slices of delicious chourico. This dish is served for lunch or dinner as a heavy main.
You can try this duck rice anywhere in Portugal, but the best places in Braga are Tasquina Dom Ferreira and Taberna do Migaitas.
Arroz de Pato. Photo by Fernando Medina (Flickr)
5. Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato
If you are a seafood lover, you need to try Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato. These are delicious clams with olive oil, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice, creating a beautiful, tasty sauce that goes well with bread.
Clams are a Portuguese staple, as well as a great source of protein and omega-3. This dish is usually eaten as a starter. You can find it all over the country, but the best will be found in coastal cities such as Algarve.
Ameijoas a Bulhao pato. Photo by Adrien Sala (Unsplash)
6. Sardinhas Assadas
Sardines are a cultural symbol in Portugal, ingrained in Portuguese traditions such as the Saint Anthony’s festival on June 13 in Lisbon. You will find the smell of sardinas assadas all over the streets, accompanied by music and laughter.
Sardinhas assadas are a grilled sardine dish that is packed with bold flavor, originating in Lisbon and the Vale do Tejo region.
The fish is usually seasoned with salt and grilled on both sides for about 10 minutes. The sardines are then served on top of bread and paired with potatoes, peppers, and sometimes a tomato salad.
Sardinhas Assadas. Photo by Yusuke Kawasaki (Flickr)
7. Alheira de Mirandela
Alheira is one of most unique ingredients in Portugal, a Portuguese sausage with various types of meat and bread.
The Alheira de Mirandela is the most popular, traditionally smoked, using olive or oak wood to give its aroma. The Mirandela Alheira includes fat, poultry meat, olive oil, bread, and lard.
This dish is often served with a side of fries and vegetables. You can find this dish all over the country, but the most authentic is found, unsurprisingly, in Mirandela in northeastern Portugal.
The best alheira restaurants in Mirandela area A Adega and O Gres.
8. Polvo à Lagareiro
Polvo à Lagareiro is a Portuguese dish you will find at probably every Portuguese tavern. This is a simple dish. Boiled and baked octopus with potatoes in a garlic and olive oil sauce.
Lagareiro is a type of preparation of Portuguese food, which includes boiling or baking potatoes that are smashed, salted, and tossed in some seafood or fish with olive oil and cilantro.
Eating octopus might be unusual to some, but for the Portuguese, it’s a part of the cultural heritage. Although this dish is simple, it can be hard to cook the octopus just perfectly. It should not be too rubbery but rather soft.
One of our favorite restaurants to try this dish is Republica do Polvo in Guimaraes or Frade dos Mares in Lisbon.
Polvo à Lagareiro. Photo by Scott Dexter (Flickr)
9. Cozido à Portuguesa
The Cozido à Portuguesa is perhaps the most traditional Portuguese dish and one of the oldest known. It was a dish of poverty, as it was made of leftover ingredients and seasonal vegetables from the garden.
This dish is a stew with various vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beans, as well as rice and meats such as chicken, pork, bacon, and smoked sausages. It is essentially a meat stew with some of the best Portuguese ingredients.
It is traditional for families to have Cozido à Portuguesa on Sundays for lunch as a way to come together and spend quality time. If you are in major cities in Portugal, many restaurants will have a cozido menu for Sundays.
However, if you are looking for a unique experience, we recommend traveling to Sao Miguel, an island in the Azores. The cozido is cooked under the ground in natural caldeiras with temperatures ranging from 70ºC to 100ºC. The dish is placed in a metal pot and buried in volcanic soil to be slow-cooked by the natural heat of the caldeiras.
The Francesinha is Porto’s staple dish. This Porto classic is a Portuguese sandwich made with bread, ham, steak, linguica sausage, and melted cheese on top. The dish also contains a spiced tomato and beer sauce. Some restaurants in Porto will serve it with a fried egg on top and fries on the side.
The Francesinha originated in the 1950s when Daniel Silva got inspired by the French Croque Monsieur and developed this dish in Porto. Throughout the decades, it has been adapted, and more ingredients have been added, such as the beer sauce that was not in the original recipe.
However, while most Portuguese taverns in Porto always ace this dish, there are a few tourist traps to avoid. Here are our favorite Francesinha restaurants in Porto:
You might have heard a lot about Cascais, known as the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality of Cascais is one of the richest in the country, as well as one of the most expensive to live in.
But the cost of living in Cascais is worth it to many. A 30-minute train ride away from Lisbon, Cascais offers a suburban lifestyle close to parks, beaches, and some of the best restaurants in the country.
But how much does it actually cost to live in Cascais? Let’s take a look at the monthly budget for an expat, digital nomad, and family of four in Cascais.
The monthly budget for an expat in Cascais, Lisbon is at least €1630 if you want to live in the center. Your monthly costs can be lower if you find a rental outside the center, saving around 300 euros.
A one-bedroom apartment in the center costs around €1060. Outside of the center, it can cost anywhere between €750 to €800.
A monthly transportation pass is around €40 or less. In the center of Cascais, you can take a 30-minute train to Lisbon. There are also buses all around Cascais.
Utilities cost around €130, including phone data and cable TV.
For exploring Cascais, eating out at your favorite restaurants, and exploring the nightlife, budget around €200 a month. You can easily spend less or more, depending on your lifestyle.
Groceries for a single person average out at around €50 a week.
Cost of Living in Cascais for a Digital Nomad
The cost of living in Cascais for a digital nomad is at least €1190 a month. This is the case if you sleep in a hostel’s dorm and cook most of your meals. If not, expect to need €3,000+ a month in Cascais.
How did we get from around €1000 to over €3000? If you opt for the budget option of a shared dorm in a hostel, expect only to need to pay €20 a night, so around €600 a month. However, a private Airbnb would cost you at least €2000.
Renting a desk at a co-working place in Cascais costs around €150. Transportation costs around €40.
Budget at least €200 for leisure such as eating out, bars, and tourists to discover the island.
Food can easily max out your monthly budget. If you want to save and have a kitchen at your disposal, a weekly shop shouldn’t cost more than €50.
However, if you plan to eat out, an affordable meal is around €10. This would set you back around €1000 in a month.
Cost of Living in Cascais for a Family of Four
Having kids is expensive, and it’s particularly expensive in Cascais. Expect to spend at least €3600 a month for a family of four in Cascais.
However, if you need health insurance for the entire family and your two kids will attend private school, you will spend over €3800.
A three-bedroom apartment in the center of Cascais will set you back around €2200. However, prices can go up to €2700, depending on the apartment type and amenities. If you want to save money, opting for an apartment outside the center can save you around €900.
Budget around €160 a month for monthly transport passes. However, it is more convenient for a family of four to own a car and drive around the island. Fuel will cost you anywhere between €150 and €250 a month.
Utilities cost around €160 and include electricity, heating, water, etc. However, this can be much higher in the winter or depending on your family’s consumption.
Groceries for a family of four in Cascais should cost around €150 a week, so budget at least €600 a month.
If you need to purchase health insurance for the whole family, this will cost you at least €200 a month.
However, you might be eligible to use access to healthcare for free, even if you are not an EU resident. Non-EU citizens are only entitled to use the public health system if they are employed and pay social security in Portugal, having to be registered as legal residents as well.
While public schools are free, international private schools can cost anywhere between €6000 and €2000 a year, depending on the establishment and age of your child. You could pay around €4000 a month for two kids just for education.
As Autumn comes to an end and Winter moves closer, Porto remains one of the best cities to visit. Without crowds of tourists and high-season prices, many are realizing that this is an optimal season to visit this city in the North of Portugal.
While it does rain quite a bit, mostly in January, temperatures during the day remain moderate, ranging from 50-60F/10-18ºC. A great way to shelter from these rainy days is to find an entertaining show or musical to enjoy.
And what feels more like Christmas and this festivity season than taking the whole family to a show? Let’s take a look at the 5 best shows and musicals in Portugal for this next Winter 2022/23.
From November 26 to January 8, Wizard of Oz on Ice takes center stage in MAR Shopping in Matosinhos. This is a show for the whole family, filled with Christmas magic.
The show tells the story of a young girl in Oz that takes an adventure to meet the Wizard. This musical on ice about friendship allows you to discover the importance of self-love while bringing to light an issue in society: mental health.
The Portuguese singers Miguel Cristovinho and Rita Redshoes make their debut on ice as the Wizard of Oz and Glinda, the good witch of the North! Tickets are relatively affordable, starting at 13 euros to 59 euros for a VIP experience.
2. (LA)HORDE Ballet at Rivoli
The collective (LA)HORDE brings the artists Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, and Arthur Harel from Marseille for a national premiere in the iconic Rivoli Grand Auditorium. Through different films, performances, and choreographic pieces, this collective “interrogates the political component of dance and maps diverse choreographic forms of popular uprising, from raves to traditional dances, to jumpstyle.”
This collective was created in 2013 by these three artists, and (LA)Horde has been the head of the Ballet National de Marseille since September 2019, creating performances, films, and works that focus on the body in movement.
Tickets cost 12 euros, and the age rating is 12+. The dates of the show are December 2 and December 3 at 7:30 PM.
3. Como um Carrossel [Like a Carrousel]
What’s better than a free show? Located in a small auditorium in Rivoli to celebrate the 91st Anniversary of Teatro Rivoli Performances for School, Like a Carrousel tells the story of a little girl who learns her relation to the world by asking questions along her journey. It is set to represent the imagination of children while touching upon key emotions in life, such as happiness, fear, and hope.
This show is a version of a piece written and directed by Joao Paulo Seara Cardoso (1956 – 2010). However, it has been adapted to feature Portuguese Sign Language for inclusivity. There are dates between January 18 and 22.
4. Intimate Live Fado Show in Fado na Baixa
Hosted in the wonderful Fado na Baixa auditorium, head to this unique live fado show that offers an intimate environment. The performance happens in a small auditorium, fusing popular versions of fado with the original style from the 1820s. This ticket includes a Tawny Port wine tasting while you witness the talented performers.
This show is available all year long but arguably feels more special in the winter, when the Christmas spirit is in the air, and a Port wine glass can warm you up.
Fado is a style of Portuguese music that was sung in taverns beginning in the 19th century and is now a UNESCO-listed musical genre. It is known for its mournful and melancholic tunes and lyrics, often about Portuguese life, poverty, the sea, and love.
5. Tiago Bettencourt & Orquestra Classica do Centro in Casa da Musica
Tiago Bettencourt is going to be playing in Porto’s Casa da Musica on December 18, accompanied by the Orquestra Classica do Centro. On the year that Tiago celebrates his 20 years of career, he will be playing this show in a 360 format, along with a show on the 22 of December in Lisbon.
Tiago has said that these concerts will allow us “to look back, with the help of my band and the Orchestra Classica do Centro, that by faith is from my home town of Coimbra. We will celebrate the most iconic songs of my journey and remember others that might have been forgotten.”
Tickets cost 28 euros and the doors open at 8 PM. Casa da Musica, where the concert will takes place is an iconic concert hall in the center of Porto, designed by architect Rem Koolhaas.
Portugal’s economy ranks number 47 in the world in terms of GDP in 2020. A member of the Eurozone, the majority of its international trade is done within the European Union. Portugal also ranks number 43 in total exports and number 40 in total imports.
Let’s take a look at the largest Portuguese imports and exports so you can get a sense of Portugal’s involvement in international trade.
Largest Portuguese Imports: Portugal’s Top 10 Imports
Portugal’s imports cost the country $97.5 billion in 2021, an over 23% increase since 2017. 77.1% of Portugal’s imports were purchased from other European countries, while 12.7% were supplied from Asia. Other imports came from Latin America (3.9%), Africa (3.5), North America (2.7%), and Oceania (0.1%).
Let’s take a look at Portugal’s 10 largest imports by value in 2021:
Mineral fuels: $11.2 billion
Vehicles: $9.4 billion
Electrical equipment: $9.3 billion
Other machinery (including computers): $8.6 billion
Plastic: $5.2 billion
Iron/Steel: $4.1 billion
Pharmaceuticals: $3.8 billion
Organic chemicals: $2.6 billion
Chemical goods: $2.3 billion
Fish: $2.1 billion
Mineral fuels take #1 on the list for 2021. The top mineral fuel products that Portugal imported in 2021 include crude oil ($4.8 billion), processed petroleum oils ($2.5 billion), and petroleum gases ($2.3 billion).
For #2 on this list, cars top the vehicle category at $4.1 billion, followed by automotive parts ($3.2 billion) and trucks ($595.2 million).
Largest Portuguese Exports: Portugal’s Top 10 Exports
In 2021, Portugal exported $75.1 billion worth of goods, around a 20% increase since 2017. Two-thirds of exports from Portugal were bought by Spain (26.7%), France (13.1%), Germany (11%), the USA (5.6%), the UK (5.2%), Italy (4.5%), Netherlands (3.9%), Belgium (2.5%), Angola (1.5%), Poland (1.4%), Morocco (1.4%), and Sweden (1.2%).
Along with most of the exports being delivered to European countries, 6.7% were sold to North America, 5.7% to Africa, and 5.4% to Asia.
Let’s take a look at Portugal’s 10 largest exports by value in 2021:
Vehicles: $9.5 billion
Electrical equipment: $5.8 billion
Other machinery (including equipment): $4.9 billion
Energy in Portugal: Where does Portugal get its energy from?
Portugal still gets a lot of its energy from other countries. The country is still particularly reliant on imported fossil fuels, above the average of the EU with 65% of imports. Only 5% of these imports come from Russia.
All of Portugal’s gas is imported, predominantly from Nigeria and Algeria. The natural gas from Algeria arrives via the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (MEG), which links the Hassi R’Mel gas field through Morroco to Spanish and Portuguese gas grids.
The gas from Nigeria arrives from Nigeria LNG Limited, a liquefied natural gas company with a natural gas plant on Bonny Island.
Wind turbines in Sines, Portugal. Photo by Paulo Valdivieso (Flickr)
Portugal’s economy ranks number 43 in total exports and number 40 in total imports in the world. When it comes to exports, Portugal’s economy heavily relies on leading Portuguese companies, including EDP (electric utilities), Galp Energia (oil and gas), and Jeronimo Martins (food).
Most of Portugal’s international trade is done within the EU, as well as other regional groups such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP), the Maghreb (Northwest Africa), and the Mercosul (Southern Common Market).
The photograph you see in the illustration of this article is the image of two influential women in my life. My maternal grandmother and my mother. They were talking about their lives under the centennial vine branches of my grandparents’ house, right next to a gate that dates back to 1893.
It is a house inside a more than century-old wine farm. It was not founded by my family, but as history tells, it was a considerable achievement bought by my grandfather, back in a time when the Estado Novo dictatorship reigned in Portugal. A fascist government that would rule Portugal from 1933 to 1974, and that would put Portugal in a huge economic and cultural stagnation.
This purchase would also mark my family’s history, setting a narrative that tells the past from the side of those who had the money, while neglecting the unpaid labor effort of all my maternal family.
For some, this photograph has all the characteristics of a bucolic scene. It was also taken in Fall, at the time of falling leaves and changing temperatures. There seems, however, to be more to this image than this feeling.
Something more than two women talking, the smell of wine fermenting in the cellar, or brown leaves flying through the air. The image lacks the dialogue that lasted a good part of the afternoon.
A conversation full of Portuguese nostalgia, of past memories, wrapped up with the feeling of impotence before a fate already written in the stars, perhaps an ancient legacy of the Arabs in our lands.
First, my grandmother, tired in her eighties, sat down. And then my mother sat in front of her. What followed would shock, or not, the ears of other younger generations.
My grandmother started to complain about my grandfather’s lack of appetite. Fortunately, she said, there was everything in that house: chicken, rabbit, codfish, potatoes, beans, pasta, or rice.
But the problem was not the lack of options but that with each passing day, it became more and more challenging to cook for my grandfather, a man soon to turn eighty-nine years old.
The shock that I said I could feel, however, is not because of my grandfather’s lack of appetite but because of my grandmother’s eternal role as a housewife. A whole lifetime of having to be one without ever having been asked whether she wanted that role.
But it doesn’t shock her either. Perhaps we are all the result of our time, morals, and customs. For better or worse, we all play the role without having been asked whether it was the one we wanted.
My grandfather, contrasting immensely with her, doesn’t even know how to turn on the stove at home. Nor how to take the food out of the pot my grandmother puts on the table every day.
These tasks have always been relegated only to her. My grandmother was entrusted with the household chores and everything around it, i.e., the land and her agricultural work.
In my youth, it was commonplace to see my grandmother with a hoe in her hands, sometimes bent down with a sickle to cut the grass or behind the flock of sheep or goats scattered around the farm.
Captured by Araci AlmeidaCaptured by Araci Almeida
I saw her always bustling about, trying to balance between opening the water tank and watering the vast vegetable garden or running to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
I can almost hear the sound of the crunch of onions just pulled from the earth, mixed with the olive oil coming from the olives from the same farm, and the big red tomatoes, tasty and very fragrant, cut into pieces falling into the pot.
I can also sense the smell that began to waft through that kitchen, mixed with the sound of an RTP newscaster coming through the small television into that kitchen with us.
Except for the pasta or the rice, everything came from their farm. Meanwhile, my grandfather would always arrive, coming from the village with some groceries, accompanied by his grandchildren who had come home from school, and his sons who, even though were already married and grown up, would show up for lunch.
There were fried potatoes and eggs for the grandchildren, beans and meat for my grandfather, and pasta with chicken for everyone else. I don’t know how she could take care of a house like that, making two or three different dishes every lunch.
But what is certain is that everything was done. But it wasn’t magic; it was her work that was always taken for granted, as expected, as “it should be.”
These are all images of my grandmother entering her retirement age. However, for someone who supposedly and legally “never worked,” there was no moment in her life when effectively setting aside her day-to-day tasks became official.
Her work did exist, though. This must be said. Besides all her tasks as a housewife and farmer, let’s not forget the role of motherhood.
My family’s archive
Taking care of their seven children was also part of her duties. The father was always responsible for the money that would come in. She was responsible for everything else: breastfeeding them, changing diapers, and teaching them how to live.
While the public social space was nonexistent for her, who had always lived on that farm, my grandfather was the supposed real breadwinner of that house. He was the only one with a paid job and the only craft valued within the family.
One could say that by leaving home, having a boss, and socializing with other people, my grandfather was also part of the history of my village, unlike my grandmother, the typical female figure we so often feel is without history.
And figures without history are without the power to tell it. It’s almost as if they don’t even exist in real life, and it’s as if they pass by or are indispensable. But so often, these exact figures are the pillar of our civilization.
I only need to think that my grandfather didn’t know how to cook or didn’t want to serve his own food. Something that makes me very perplexed is that he’s this way. What would he be without her? Or how would my uncles, aunts, and my mom have survived?
Sure, life wasn’t easy for either of them. Both my grandparents lived most of their youth under the fascist regime of Salazar in Portugal. They were both poor and, therefore, both suffering. Even more so, they lived in rural Portugal, much more forgotten, abandoned, and where illiteracy proliferated.
My family’s archive
But if life was hard for poor men, it was even more complicated for women, who were relegated to second-class citizens under God’s motto of country and family.
There was a very infamous saying, sometimes even found at the entrance of houses in the typical blue tiles of Portuguese culture “She runs the house, but it’s me (the husband) who rules her.” Indeed this motto was found everywhere: the women took care of the family, but the men ruled the world.
Women’s rights were limited, if not nonexistent. And my grandmother is the personification of these ideals, which were also the Salazarist ideas, of which she doesn’t even know she was a part. She was the loving mother, the devoted wife, and the true fairy of the home. Without knowing it, she had been trained to perform this role.
Trained by her father, mother, and the winds of the times in which she lived. Her little schooling also made her accept it and never question things’ order. She never touched money, nor could she count it, because she was not allowed a paid job. That was only her husband’s right.
My grandmother didn’t aspire for more, but she didn’t know that even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to have it either. Like other women, she couldn’t be a merchant, leave the country alone, open a bank account, or take contraceptives without her husband’s permission.
From being dependent on a father, she would become dependent on a husband, never achieving adult status. Always keeping her in an inferior position and limiting her ambitions to advance the social hierarchy.
And even when the country needed women to work in factories, women did not achieve the same status as men, as they were paid half as much as men. Same work, different amount of pay. And if the written laws were not enough, then there were the laws of morality and the shame a man could feel if he knew his wife was earning as much as he was.
The “Estado Novo” (the name given to the Portuguese fascist regime) and the passivity of the general population agreeing with these norms made women submissive without knowing they were so.
Women lived in the shadows of men without any rights and in fear. In fear of domestic violence and under a Government that did not protect them. Fear even of their husbands, who, even if they murdered them, would not even go to jail.
They were second-class citizens.
My grandmother belonged to this category. She had been a farmer, a cleaner, an ironer, a laundress (how many times I saw her wash clothes in the cold winter putting her hands into the frozen water of the farm’s tank), and a cook, but she was not paid for it.
Many might say that she worked for herself and her family. But to say this is to devalue the value of her work. Nowadays, it is expensive to pay for t someone to clean our house. We pay dearly for someone to wash our clothes and iron them.
We pay for those who care for our children, and even more when we eat in good restaurants. All this was done by her and by others like her. We pay dearly for those who do this for us, but we devalue the work given to us as free— perhaps because of this.
And if this was the portrait of women in Portugal during fascism, it was not the sudden transition to democracy that changed the culture and way of looking at women overnight. Of course, it is undeniable how much the April 25, 1974 revolution benefited women.
More so in legal terms. Women began to be admitted to the judiciary, and divorce was finally possible, regardless of whether it was civil or Catholic. In 1978 the reform of Family Law came into force under the premise that everyone was equal.
This ended the man’s figure as head of the family and all others as his submissives. Little by little, equality at work regarding pay arrived through the laws of 1979 and 1983.
But if all this is innovative, if you ask my grandmother, my mother, or even my aunts who are younger, if they felt this change in their daily lives, the answer is probably no.
Making laws definitely helps to protect your citizens, but changing a culture takes years or a whole generation. My mother’s story might fit in here too. She got married very early, at seventeen. She had my brother at eighteen and me at twenty-four.
My father, a construction worker and a man who was also a victim of his times, never “allowed” my mother to enter working life. I put that in between commas because this was never said but always felt. We are already talking about the early nineties.
While in many other countries, such actions might be seen as absurd, I reiterate again that suddenly changing the culture of a people is no easy task. But, just like my grandmother, my mother always worked.
Taking care of the children, farming, cleaning the house, and being informally employed by my father in his construction company either as a secretary or someone who drove trucks with sand, cement, or bricks.
If my childhood memories of my grandmother were seeing her in front of sheep, my mother’s image is of a woman getting off the truck and unloading sand with other employees of my father or passing heavy bags of cement on her shoulders.
All this, of course, without being paid because all this had been seen as working for the family. At the beginning of the new millennium, and only years later, with the enormous financial crisis, my mother, almost in her forties, left home and got a job. A job which nonetheless is always meant for women since she is a cleaning lady in a factory.
But if the advent of democracy and all the passed laws benefited women, they found themselves at a tremendous crossroads. For if they were now admitted into the public space – something that, as I told you, my grandmother never achieved – and worked in jobs “like men,” their workload doubled.
All this because the domestic space and everything inherent to it continued (and continues for the most part) to be seen as assigned to women.
So, in addition to their work outside the house, they would arrive home only to continue working, neglecting their rest time, which is necessary for any human to be functional. And most of the time, in addition to their work being the same as men’s, wage differences persisted.
Men and women doing the same job were paid differently, with men often being paid twice as much as women. And as such, as women reached an advanced age and entered retirement, these differences became more pronounced.
Women always with lower pensions and men with higher allowances. Just look at the example of my grandmother. She worked as much or more than my grandfather, but she doesn’t have a pension because she was always in the informal market.
But when it comes to both of them going to the pharmacy and getting the same medicines, there is clearly no differentiation, which always makes women poorer. If democracy brought many rights to women, getting them out of poverty was not and is still not so easy.
Still, even in the new millennium, one finds reports like this of women earning less. And of women too, who have been swallowed up by the mentality of patriarchy and think it is customary to make less.
Women are, because of all this, exhausted. And I would also like to say that all this is just found in the past, or that I have never felt this discrimination happening. But I would be lying if I said so.
When I was employed, I always saw my male colleagues earning more without any plausible justification. The peak of my tolerance ended when I trained a male colleague, who was also younger than me, and he then joined the same company earning one hundred euros more than me.
I quit my job, angry at my country, where wage discrimination is forbidden by law but where it is still so easy to get around it all.
The conversation on my grandparents’ farm continued that afternoon between those three women, the two in the photograph and the one behind the camera. These three generations crossed paths that continue to witness similar problems like the lack of a voice in the public space.
It is crucial to hear conversations like this and just as important, if not more, to not give up or take anything for granted. And in the days we are all living in, with the winds of fascism blowing into the world, Portugal being no exception, we must continue the fight for equality.
As Simone de Beauvoir said to Claudine Monteil, a feminist of the women’s liberation movement, “Never take anything for granted. All it takes is a political, economic, or religious crisis for women’s rights to be questioned. All your life, you must remain vigilant! ( Monteil, Claudine 2009, Simone de Bauvoir; Modernité et engagemnet, Paris: L’Harmattan)
Porto is one of our favorite places in Europe to visit during the Winter. From traditional comfort food and the Christmas environment to loads of activities to warm you up, do consider visiting the city during this season.
While hoards of tourists primarily travel to Porto in the Summer, the Winter does not disappoint. You will also be able to take advantage of low-season prices and less chaos on the most popular streets!
Let’s take a look at our Winter Guide to Porto, including our top activities, what to pack, and the weather!
While Porto can be colder than cities like Lisbon in the winter, it still enjoys a moderate Mediterranean climate in the winter. Temperatures during the day range from 50-60F/10-18ºC. Nighttime temperatures are naturally much chiller, ranging from 40-50F/5-10ºC.
Temperatures are the coldest between December and January, with several rainy days. It rains the most in January, with an average of 13 rainy days a month, followed by November, December, and February, with 11 days a month.
One of the best ways to seek shelter from the rain and warm up on a chilly day is a Port wine tasting in a cellar. Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley. This wine is a sweet red wine that often pairs perfectly with dessert.
On a wine tour, you can also taste other Portuguese wines, including white and red wine. The best wine tastings are in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Dom Luis Bridge from Porto, over the Douro river. Our favorite cellars for Port wine tastings are Caves Ferreira and Ramos Pinto.
The mid-19th century Palacio da Bolsa is one of the most interesting buildings in Porto and the perfect plan for a winter day. The name Palácio da Bolsa translates into “Stock Exchange Palace”. Although it no longer functions as a stock exchange, it is still the headquarters of the Porto Commercial Association.
This building has been the setting of meaningful events in Porto throughout the ages, including Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1957. Palacio da Bolsa has welcomed Monarchs, Presidents, and Ministers from almost every country.
The building was built in neoclassic style on the ruins of the Saint Francis Covent. Inside, you will find furniture by Jose Marques da Silva and sculptures by Teixeira Lopes. There are 30-minute guided tours of the palace in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English.
What’s better than exploring a sea of books on a cold winter day? Livraria Lello is one of the oldest bookstores in the country, founded in 1906.
Multiple literary figures have visited this place, featuring beautiful stained glass features and a dramatic stairwell. The bookstore’s exterior has Neo-Gothic, and Art Noveau elements, and the two-story interior reflects Art Deco elements.
The internet might have told you that the author of Harry Potter, Jk Rowling, wrote the book series at Livraria Lello. This is unfortunately untrue, with Rowling herself denying these claims. However, it is still more than worth a visit!
Livraria Lello. Photo by Peter Justinger (Unsplash)
Who said you couldn’t enjoy the sea in the winter? In this case, it’s not the beach, but instead, Sea Life Porto, which is a lot more sheltered from the wind and rain. Sea Life has over 30 displays and 3,000 sea creatures. This place has an underwater tunnel you can walk through and observe the sea life.
There are plenty of aquarium zones: Douro river, rockpool, neptunes, exterior space, ocean cave, seahorse temple, and ray bay. You will also get to watch free educational talks, and feeding demonstrations and find out about the programs to conserve marine life.
If you want a surreal experience, book the VIP Turtle Feeding, where you can go backstage and feed Mariza, the green turtle.
Porto has a signature dish that will warm you up on a winter day called the Francesinha! This Porto classic is a Portuguese sandwich made with bread, ham, steak, linguica sausage, and melted cheese on top. The dish also contains a spiced tomato and beer sauce. Some restaurants in Porto will serve it with a fried egg on top and fries on the side.
The Francesinha was brought to Porto in the 1950s by Daniel Silva, a Portuguese immigrant living in France. Inspired by the French dish Croque Monsieur, Daniel adapted this dish into the francesinha by replacing its main ingredients with traditional Portuguese products.
However, while most Portuguese taverns in Porto always ace this dish, there are a few tourist traps to avoid. Here are our favorite Francesinha restaurants in Porto:
Fado is a style of Portuguese music that was sung in taverns beginning in the 19th century and is now a UNESCO-listed musical genre. While the city of Lisbon has closer historical roots to fado due to the birthplace of Amalia Rodrigues in Alfama, Porto does not fall behind.
A fado show in Porto is a great way to spend a cozy winter evening. Fado na Baixa hosts unique live fado shows, a form of Portuguese singing that is now part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The performance happens in a small auditorium, fusing popular versions of fado with the original style from the 1820s. This ticket includes a Tawny Port wine tasting while you witness the talented performers.
Alternatively, Fado at Calem offers a 45-minute fado show with a Calem Port wine tasting for an incredible experience by booking this ticket. The Port wine is locally grown in the vineyards of Porto and provides an authentic cultural experience. You will also get to explore the Calem wine cellar to find out more about the history of wine in Porto.
7. Take a Douro Valley Tour
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Douro Valley is a must-see if you are visiting Porto or the North of Portugal, even in the winter. One of the most popular tours starting in Porto is a 9.5 hour all-inclusive Douro river tour that allows guests to spend a full day discovering the landscapes of the Douro valley.
Hop on a traditional Portuguese Rabelo boat in Porto, which will take you to Peso da Regua, Pinhao, and Sabrosa. The cruise includes two spots to wine estates where you will get to taste some of the finest wines produced in the vineyards.
You will also get to stop at viewpoints to enjoy the scenery and taste a typical Douro lunch which includes an olive oil tasting. The whole river cruise includes a tour guide to teach you about the area, available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Christmas is probably the biggest and most important holiday in Portugal. The streets of Lisbon are lit up with Christmas lights, people gather at the best bakeries to buy Bolo Rei (King’s Cake), and families spend precious time together.
While Portugal is a predominantly Catholic country, Christmas is not all about religion. Many families that are not necessarily Catholic or even Christian will celebrate Christmas as a way to spend time together.
There are two main events: the night of the 24th of December and the 25th. In Portugal, it’s customary for families to gather for dinner on the 24th and open presents that night, sometimes waiting for midnight. The next day, Christmas Day, is often more laid back than the night before with a traditional Christmas lunch. In Portugal, the night of the 24th is usually the most important.
Porto Winter: What to Pack
While winters in Portugal are not as cold as elsewhere, you will still need to pack accordingly. Here is a list of items to pack for Porto in the winter:
Discovered in the 15th century with Flores, the island of Corvo in the Azores is the smallest island in the archipelago. Less than 500 people actually live on this island! It is also the most remote island of the archipelago, giving tourists an isolated getaway from the stresses of life.
Considered a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, this remote island features gorgeous green landscapes with contrasting dark blue sea views, as well as picturesque narrow streets and a strong-knit community.
If you are planning your next trip to Corvo island in the Azores and unsure what to do, you’ve come to the right place. There are so many enjoyable activities in Corvo. From marveling at astonishing species of birds to hiking trails with impressive landscapes, let’s take a look at the 6 best things to do in Corvo, Azores.
October is low season in all of the Azores, but you’ll find that Corvo could be all booked up for this month. Strange, right? This is because October is bird watching season in Corvo, where you’ll find hundreds of different bird species. For fanatic bird watchers, Corvo is set to be a bucket list destination.
As the island is close to the American continent, many American vagrants are spotted on this island, which you can never see in Europe or mainland Portugal. Here are some of the bird species you can find in Corvo during this season:
Double-crested Cormorant
Killdeer
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Cedar Waxwing
Hermit Thrush
White-eyed Vireo
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Parula
Northern Waterthrush
White-crowned Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
2. Explore Vila do Corvo
Vila do Corvo is the smallest municipality in all of the Azores and the only village in Corvo island. Its size is also proportional to its population. Vila do Corvo is the least populated municipality in all of Portugal!
This village has quaint small homes along narrow streets made of a traditional black stone. Vila do Corvo is home to significant religious buildings that you must visit, such as the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, an 18th-century church in Baroque style, and the Império of the Divino Espirito Santo, a church constructures in 1871.
We also recommend visiting the Windmills of Corvo, known as the Moinhos do Vento. These are three windmills located along the Caminhos dos Moinhos, built on volcanic rock with octagonal sails.
3. Walk the Corvo Caldera
The caldera in Corvo was formed 430,000 years ago during a Plinian eruption. It is 2,000 meters in diameter and 300 meters deep. Within the caldera, you will find different cinder and spatter cones that have given rise to small lakes and islets.
If you only do one hike in Corvo, the caldera walk is one you must not miss. It takes around 2h30 to walk up to the caldera, but the journey is worth it, filled with hydrangeas along the past. You will get one of the most beautiful views of a lifetime, particularly if you arrive in time for sunset.
If the hike is too difficult or you don’t feel like walking, you can get a taxi up to the caldera for a cheap price. Nevertheless, we do recommend taking the walk as the path is very much worth it.
Caldera Corvo. Photo by Manuel Garcia (Flickr)
4. Hike beautiful trails in Corvo
Corvo might not have a ton of hiking trails, but the two official ones on the island are still worth it. You can take a hike around the iconic caldera that is 4.8 kilometers long and goes around the crater. If you are more experienced, the Cara do Indio trail is a 10-kilometer hike that features gorgeous views of Flores island and takes around 3 hours.
Make sure to only hike on these official trails that are taken care of by the Azores Tourism Broad if you are a beginner. There might be other unofficial hiking trails, but without the correct signage, you risk getting lost. You can look up the official hike trails here. You can find the routes on a map, the duration of the hike, as well as the elevation levels, and more.
5. Experience the Holy Spirit Celebrations in Corvo
Corvo is one of the islands in the Azores that is most well known for religious celebrations and festivals. The Festas do Espirito Santo, translating to Holy Spirit Celebrations or Festivities, are celebrated per Azorean tradition during the summer.
It begins on the last Sunday of June to celebrate the Sao Pedro, with night festivities in the Outeiro plaza and a procession in Vila Nova do Corvo. On the third Sunday of July, there is another celebration to honor the Holy Family with a lively procession.
However, the largest celebration of all takes place on August 15th every year to honor Our Lady of Miracles. During these celebrations, along with processions, you will find amazing cuisine, music, and an authentic Azorean atmosphere.
6. Day trip to Flores
Flores is only a 40-minute ferry away that costs less than €10. One of the most remote islands in the Azores, Flores is the perfect spot for nature lovers. Its name translates to “flowers” for a reason. During the summer months, Flores island is covered with thousands of blue and pink hydrangeas, as well as yellow goldenrods.
Less than 4,000 people live on this island, making it a quaint destination to experience the Azorean way of life. The island spans a 141.4 km2 surface, making it a small island that is easy to drive around through. From natural pools to the seven lakes and natural pools, this island is the perfect spot for a full island experience. Here are some of our favorite activities in Flores:
Swim in the Poço do Bacalhau, located in Fajã Grande. You can swim in this pool surrounded by cliffs and let the 90-meter waterfall fall on you.
Visit the seven lakes, blue and green lakes that span the Caldera of Flores. The largest lake is Lagoa Negra which is over 100 meters deep.
Hike a trail from the seven lakes viewpoint to Poço do Bacalhau. It’s only 7 kilometers long and takes around 3 hours.
Book a canyoning experience for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where you’ll jump into pools and slide between rocks to experience the landscape to its fullest.
Traveling with kids can be stressful. Luckily, Lisbon is a very child-friendly capital and your trip to Lisbon can be stress-free if you plan accordingly. Lisbon gets over 4 million tourists a year, many of which are little ones. This cosmopolitan city with great cultural heritage, architecture, and cuisine caters to those of all ages, despite what most might think.
From fun family activities like the “hippo” amphibious sightseeing tour to independent activities for just the kids, the options are endless. Let’s take a look at the 7 best things to do in Lisbon with kids to make your trip memorable.
1. Ride the “Hippo” Amphibious Sightseeing Tour of Lisbon
Our top activity to do with kids in Lisbon is this “Hippo” tour, an amphibious sightseeing guided tour of Lisbon. The tour starts off in a vehicle that appears to be a bus, covering top attractions such as the Commerce Square and Avenida da Liberdade.
The “Hippo” bus later on rides onto the Tagus River, transforming into a boat! This trip is thus set to shock your kids in a positive way. Sailing through the Tagus River, you get a unique view of Lisbon from the water, passing by the Belem Tower and the Monument of the Discoveries.
There is an English and Portuguese guide available that will tell you all about the places you see and the history of Lisbon. However, keep in mind that only children over 2 years old are allowed on this tour.
The Oceanário de Lisboa in Parque das Nações, the city‘s aquarium, is one of the largest in Europe. This place has over 8,000 creatures from 500 species, making it the perfect activity for a date or family day. Over 17 million visitors from 140 countries have visited the aquarium since it opened in 1998. Every year, over 1 million people visit the aquarium.
The Oceanário de Lisboa is divided into 4 separate bodies of water, representing the North Atlantic, Antarctic, Temperate Pacific, and Tropical Indian Ocean. From cute otters to sharks, this aquarium has every animal you want to see. Buy your ticket here to skip the line at the entrance and enjoy free cancellation.
Lisbon Oceanarium. Photo by Max Kukurudziak (Unsplash)
This is one is especially fun for those who get easily bored at museums but need an activity in Lisbon on a rainy day. Your kids are set to get excited when they see the picturesque tuk tuk that will ride on! Book this private electric tuk tuk tour of Lisbon with a local guide. This tour is an eco-friendly way to visit the best sights in the city.
The tour stops at all the major attractions such as Alfama and Mouraria, the historic neighborhoods, as well as Praca do Comercio and Belem. The tuk tuk also stops at the best Lisbon viewpoints for photo ops of the city.
Kids love the beach and if you live somewhere far away from one, you’re in luck! Lisbon is only 15 minutes away from the sea and you can get there by public transportation. And you won’t be going to just any beaches, Lisbon has some of the best beaches in Europe, perfect for a city break.
Costa da Caparica is only 20 minutes away, an area with some of the best beaches in Greater Lisbon. Another alternative is going to Cascais or Sintra, where there are fewer busy beaches with loads of space.
If a tour is not really your style and you are looking for a more affordable way to see the city with your family, we recommend taking the 28 tram. Although the tram is a public transport service, due to the places it rides through, think of it as a cheap tourist tour.
This tram line connects Martim Moniz with Campo do Ourique. The tram stops in popular tourist districts such as Alfama, Baixa, Estrela, and grace. In a traditional yellow tram, you will ride a scenic route through Lisbon’s narrow and steep streets, the perfect fall morning in Lisbon.
We recommend riding the train early in the morning to avoid crowds. Make sure to beware of pickpocketers!
Lisbon Tram 28. Photo by Portuguese Gravity (Unsplash)
6. Learn about Lisbon history at S. Jorge Castle
Open every day of the week, Castelo de Sao Jorge is located in Santa Maria Maior and is open to visitors. The medieval castle overlooks the historical center of Lisbon and includes guided tours in various languages, allowing your kids to learn a bit about the local history.
The castle’s construction has an interesting history. First, a small fortress was built by the Visigoths during the fifth century. It was made larger by the Moors in the eleventh century, who invaded the Iberian peninsula.
During the reign of Afonso I of Portugal in the twelfth century, it was altered and made into an official Royal Palace. It was then completely restored in 1938 by the dictatorship of Salazar as part of a commemoration of Portuguese patriotism and independence.
Sao Jorge Castle. Photo by Susanne Nilsson (Flickr)
KidZania is literally a kid’s dream spot. Located in the UBBO shopping mall in Lisbon, KidZania is an interactive city made for children up to the age of 15 that combines fun and learning through realistic role plays.
Kids can explore a city independently, with more than 60 careers to try. Your kids can be doctors, scholars, lawyers, firefighters, and more. They earn Kidzos (the city’s currency) from their work, and they can then spend it on games. Not only is this a fun activity, but it teaches kids how to manage money and navigate the real world.
The KidZania site in Lisbon includes a hospital, airport, factories, shops, police station, TV studio, fire department, beauty salon, and more.
Portuguese singer Bárbara Bandeira won the MTV award for the Best Portuguese Act at the Europe Music Awards 2022 on Sunday. She had been previously nominated for this award in 2018 and 2020, but this is her first win at the EMAs.
The following artists were nominated for Best Portuguese Act this year: Ivandro, Julinho KSD, Syro, and T-Rex.
A Portuguese pop singer, Bárbara Bandeira participated in The Voice Kids Portugal in 2014 and has, since then, become a popular artist in Portugal.
On MTV Portugal’s Instagram, Bárbara Bandeira responded to the award by saying, “As the saying goes, the third time’s a charm. Thank you for voting for me, thank you for all the love. I am very very happy, and I hope to continue to fill a special place in your hearts.”
The EMAs took place in Germany. The top winner of the night was considered Taylor Swift, taking home four awards – best artist, best video, best pop, and best long-form video.
Take a look at some other EMAs winners from last night:
Best Latin – Anitta
Best Song – Nicki Minaj “Super Freaky Girl”
Best Collaboration – David Guetta and Bebe Rexha “Im Good (Blue)”
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