maniac

Hi Tourist Trap,

to point 3: let's hope it will still take some decades until the beaches in Portugal look like the "Ballermann" in Mallorca or the city beach of Barcelona.
to point 9: yes, you are right. But the big difference is that "[...]The bull is not killed in the ring and the fight is accordingly referred to as a "bloodless bullfight". [...]" (http://www.lisbon-guide.info/about-p...l/bullfighting).
to point 10: Well I just meant I like Fado more than Flamenco. I could say as well I like Bossa Nova more than Hip-Hop although obviously both are completely different music styles.

CHOPPER

We have now been here 10 weeks and have no regrets so far, but a couple of points that are annoying, firstly after leaving Scotland with its no smoking policy in public places we are having to cope with people smoking in bars and restaurants, but we believe that Portugal has introduced a no smoking ban on premises under a certain size so we will get by with that one. The main problem we have is barking dogs all hours day and night, they say that the crime rate is low here so why do people have dogs tied or chained up and allow them to bark all the time.

maniac

Wow, barking dogs and smokers... I just hope that at least the waves don't make to much noise when they break on the reefs and yes, it is hard to understand why they allow their dogs to bark. Maybe you should talk to the dogs, I am sure they'll understand you. ,-)

Mitzyboy

Errrrrr .... well ..... thats the way it is over there I guess. You're in Portugal now, and if its much like it is over here in Spain then smoking & noise are two of the things you have to accept in your stride and get used to

In Spain one of the annoyances is that bike riders seem to take every single form of noise supressant off their bikes with a view to terrifying any passing pensioners, but after a while you learn to ignore it

Odd Balls

Hi Chopper, there is a cultural difference with dogs in Portugal, they are seen as animals to guard property and so the way they in part achieve this is to let them do what comes naturally, bark. Just be careful when walking to close to a property! Could be worse, a donkeys noise is horrible. Have fun you lucky */*/?>~ OB

TaviraTrog

It's a bit of a British thing really. We regard dogs and cats as pets (in some cases people) whereas in most continental countries they are seen as what they really are: animals for mankind's exploitation.
Where else would animal activists dump a load of manure on somebody's doorstep because he had featured horse meat in a tv programme?

Cleri

Its a fact of life here,you will get used to it.
I would rather have barking dogs than yobs throwing their kebab wrappers in my garden,and vomiting outside the houseah good old Uk

CHOPPER

Thanks for your replies, we are living in the middle of a building site at the moment and that does not bother us,yes as you say get on with it, the only reason I put a thread in that day was I had not been into the site for a while and I noticed a star under my name and got all excited.

Cleri

Ive lived on a building site for 3 years,enough was enough,Im off

TaviraTrog

But just think of all those builders' bums.

TouristTrap

I live in the most obese country in the world.

*vomit*

Caja

Just to go back to the Spain/Portugal thing. Has anyone been to Galicia, though I know they don't think of themselves as Spanish, they are part of Spain. It was absolutely beautiful. Fantastic coastline. Friendly people. Great food, though a little repetative in restaurants.Gorgeous weather, well if you don't mind a little rain now and again. We have just bought a vacation place in Portugal but if we had extra money I would seriously consider buying in Galicia.
Fado versus Spanish guitar! Spanish guitar would win hands down.
Bull fighting, to kill or not to kill? Why do we even find the need to stress the bull to exhaustion,to torture it with spears, come on people where is the fun in that?!!! Death under those terms probably comes as a relief to the bull. Anyway you won't find me at a bullring, I don't care where it is.

TaviraTrog

America?

Cleri

Yep poor luv lives in Florida

TaviraTrog

That explains it; when we were there I noticed a fair few outsize asses (and that's not the four-legged kind).