BELLSPIRATION CLUB - Joana Freitas, Portugal: Portugal is a very "homely" country (Part 3/4)

1) Dear Joana, Bellspiration readers are coming from all around the world. So would you share with us things about your country, Portugal? Food, people, tradition, amenities, language… If we want to travel there, what can we expect?

Portugal is a very "homely" country. A friend of mine visited the city I live in while I was in the Czech Republic and she told me she loved that it was "very hot". I was confused because January in Porto is cold and rainy and she said she meant warm, because going out of the touristic routes, she could find big warm meals in local restaurants, good typical food and products and welcoming authentic people, from people in the street who will give you directions to old ladies in the bus stop you will strike a conversation with just about anyone, even if they don't speak the language… Although people can usually speak English or some improvisation of it. Of course, the attitude you find in locals, like anywhere, changes from place to place but Portuguese people like to host, to show off our landscapes (we have different types of nature, rural areas, forests, lagoons, ocean, sea, rivers, historical villages, monuments… even snow!), our culture (it's likely someone will try to teach you some words in Portuguese, tell you about typical music - fado, cante alentejano, both UNESCO heritage, or the fun "pimba") and, of course, the food. We really have hotels and restaurants for all price ranges and tastes, as well as activities, so there's something for everyone. Also, have I said food? We have thousands of traditional dishes, sweets, that change from region to region so you'll never need to eat the same thing twice. We take food so seriously, we even elected the 7 Wonders of Portuguese Cuisine.

2) I know you traveled to other countries. Can you make some comparisons between your Portugal and other countries? What makes Portugal so specific?

I try to focus on what the countries have to offer themselves and the vibe I get out of just walking around and meeting people, and not compare them. However, I have been to 22 other countries, all EU except Turkey and Macedonia and, funny enough, those were the ones that remind me the most of Portugal because even though we have different typical food, religion, history, or traditions, I feel like all of these play a big role on how families and people relate to each other. For example, that meals are very important and are the moment when people get together, and that people really want you to get to know their country and welcome you with open arms, just like in my view of Portugal. Not saying that other countries are not nice, just these two felt more like "home" to me. Repeating a bit of what I said, I think Portugal's uniqueness comes from its diversity. You can really find almost any landscape or food… from dream beaches where you can eat fresh fish or seafood, to entire villages made of stone where they will serve you homemade sausages or big thick steaks (posta). You will find posh and humble people, thick and unapologetic accents from different regions, museums of all sorts, a wide range of activities (from winemaking to skiing). It's a really enjoyable country!

3) Would you like to move to another country or city and why or why not?

I have lived in the Czech Republic, in Brno, for 6 months as an Erasmus student in 2016 and in Belgium, in Brussels, for a year, while doing my European Voluntary Service (now ESC) in 2017/18. I loved both experiences and I would love to go back to Brussels because it is really a city with the world inside of it. There is something different to do all the time, there are big celebrations in the streets from different cultures, various communities (including Portuguese), restaurants, etc. I also have this dream of living in Ireland, just out of curiosity. However, when I moved to Belgium it was really harsh because I didn't speak French or knew the culture. It took me a while to feel okay there because I had to "rebuild" everything around me and I was an outsider all the time. For the reasons I explained and others (ex. Starting to volunteer at ESN where I made awesome friends and met tons of internationals), when my time there ended I felt so good I wanted to stay there. However, I wasn't managing to find a job so my holidays in Portugal turned into a longer stay while job hunting, and I ended up finding a great opportunity in Porto and have lived here ever since. In the past year, I thought a lot about moving abroad again and for every part of me that wants adventure, there are the parts that just need the comfort of being close to my family, the safety of being part of the culture, and keep building on what I have been creating - friendships, networks, career, etc. I got a new opportunity these days in Porto, and I took it, so I am sticking around… But who knows what the future holds? Maybe the adventurer side of me will get its turn and I will finally do a year of slow-traveling!

CONTACT Joana:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/joanaafreitas/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/joana.freitas.ts LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/joanarfreitas

Previous parts of Joana's interview:

Interview PART 1/4: https://bellspiration.blogspot.com/2021/05/bellspiration-club-joana-freitas.html
Interview PART 2/4: https://bellspiration.blogspot.com/2021/05/bellspiration-club-joana-freitas_11.html