In the southwestern corner of the magical continent that is Europe is this unique and beautiful country called Portugal. It is a country of fairytale castles, picture perfect coastlines and a countryside that could rival even Switzerland on a good day. But in spite of all the charm and warmth that Portugal has to offer, it is indeed the consistency and freshness of its coffee and fish and the spotless facilities in the tiniest of places that stood out for me in this perfect holiday destination.
But let’s not delve into these seemingly minor aberrations for the moment and instead I would like to draw your attention to the anomaly that is Portugal. The uniqueness of this country lies in its laidback atmosphere where you are transported back in time.
Take for example, Portugal’s capital – Lisbon. One of the smallest capitals in Europe, this city feels more like a sprawling village than a capital. All of Lisbon’s quaint buildings with their colorful door and window frames and tiled exteriors are capped with bright red roofs. So when standing from one of the gorgeous viewpoints near the city castle all you see is this huge expanse of red roofs hugging the glittering blue coastline. This idyllic setting spells out anything but “big city” and Lisbon sure clings to its culture magnificently.
Then there is Alfama. A district in Lisbon that is made up of winding streets with no names and through which no map will probably ever be able to guide you. Your only option is to explore, get lost, meet a few helpful locals and get back out. (No I’m not talking about India, we’re still in Europe). In this little neighborhood, you will find mamas cooking traditional Portuguese fare with children serving and lots of children running around on the street in their nappies with grandmothers running after them.
All this in the very heart of Portugal’s biggest city. Immediately you feel welcome and accepted as this is where real people lead their simple lives. And while you’re getting lost and being transported in the 19th century in the streets of Alfama, come evening and the streets of Barrio Alto will challenge even Paris and London with its countless pubs, restaurants and energy all night long.
Don’t let Lisbon’s lazy ways with its antique trams dotting its little streets fool you though. There is absolutely nothing rustic about Portugal’s modern highways, helpful road signs and organized traffic. While driving out of Lisbon on the longest bridge in Europe at 17.2 km – the Vasco the Gama bridge - is testament to this diverse mélange of a country which lives up to its worthy past title of being the world’s major political and economic power.
Driving south towards the Atlantic coast, the little seaside villages are spotless white with their doors and window frames painted in bright colors and their characteristic red roofs. With little cove like beaches glittering like diamonds set against the dark brown cliffs, it really doesn’t get more picturesque than this.
At the South Westernmost tip of Portugal and indeed Europe is a little town called Sagres which was once thought to be the end of the world. Today, centuries after the age of discoveries is past and when you know exactly what lies beyond these sheer cliffs you still get a feeling like you are standing at the edge of the world while the wind lashes all around you and a feeling of eerie isolation takes over.
Or go north, where the scenery changes to the sea on one side and flower covered hills with wild horses rollicking on the other side. Porto, the capital of the north is home to the world famous flavorful Port wine and is set on the scenic Duoro River.
Wherever you go it is not difficult to wander into some little known place and get a feeling of discovery, a sentiment very close to the Portuguese heart. Portugal’s entire coastline takes about eight hours to drive but the diverse landscape in this little country is probably unparalleled. The ancient magical charm with its medieval castles and old fashioned villages really does have the power to transport you back in time. This can be felt everywhere you go from the delightful walled city of Evora, a UNESCO heritage site to the fairytale town of Sintra with its mystical hills and gorgeous palaces and castles.
But the charm lies in the fact that in spite of all its old world opulence Portugal has a small town feel about it very distinct from most historic countries around the world. Here you won’t see huge multinationals competing for your patronage but instead small family run establishments with one family member serving and another one cooking the freshest of fish and meat you can find. Proof of this is the lone standing McDonalds at Rossio, the only one downtown. Consistently good food, the best ever coffee in even the tiniest of places; and how can one forget the mouth-watering pasties (Portuguese cream tarts) in the numerous bakeries across town.
Maybe it’s the laidback atmosphere, maybe it’s the dramatic end-of-the-world landscape or the sense of the unknown still lurking behind the surface; well whatever it is, Portugal will stay in your heart long after you leave and is still waiting to be discovered.
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—About our writer:
Aloka is an MBA in Marketing and has worked for 5 years in advertising and marketing. She quit corporate life in 2009 to travel and work with animals. She is now a dog groomer working with a prominent vet in Mumbai and manages to get out of the city/ country as often as once in two months at the very least. She is a completely insatiable reader, an avid traveler and has recently begun to freelance as a writer with a pet magazine. While she enjoys writing about her two favourite subjects - dogs and travel - she would also like to foray into writing for children as well as human nature as she is fascinated with studying and analyzing the human mind and its complexities.
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