macliam

I think you need to check out the rest of the country, Portugal is not the Algarve. What you say may be true of your area and moreso if it's a "tourist" restaurant, but it's not true elsewhere.

Have to say the TV dinner syndrome is a problem though..... even if the sound is off. However, hardly anyone notices as they're too busy checking Facebook! We were in Olhau last month and my wife called my attention to the fact that nobody in the restaurant was staring at their mobile!

Jonny22

No Portugal is not the Algarve, but that’s where we live so that’s what we get. I’ve had some exceptional food in Lisboa, Évora and Porto etc but you can’t just pop there for dinner. I’m not talking about ‘tourist’ restaurants but normal ‘off the track’ restaurants which are normally full of Portuguese. You could almost photocopy the menu and order before you get there, it’ll be the same everywhere. At least the fluorescent lighting has gone from most but the TV remains. I don’t know why as the only people who watch it are the staff. Restaurant last week, family of 6 around the table, both parents on mobiles all night and the 4 kids playing on iPads, don’t think they spoke more than a dozen words between them.....I must be missing something.

EMR

This summer in a popular bar we watched a family on holiday arrive.
Before we could get the words out, " I wonder how long ? before all were on one device or another.
A bar owner we know turned off his Wi-Fi in an attempt to get his customers talking to each other.
When friends come to stay we have a strict rule, no phones etc
during meals.

Jonny22

I think it’s a new drug, worries me though that kids today have lost the interpersonal skills and can only communicate through media and have lost / are losing the face to face skills. Good rule, we do the same, in fact I don’t give the kids the internet password. Doesn’t bother them though as it’s now free internet roaming .......

chislenko

Don't know if I am the exception to the rule but what do people find to look at for hours on end. I look at about two or three sites then after that I am bored stiff with it all.

Loafing Along

Welcome to the 21st Century - it's called communication but it is no longer spoken, it is written or described in pictures and exchanged with friends. Rather sad

Loafing Along

To add to the previous comment :

Heirarchy of Needs

macliam

Not sure those are in the right order.......

Loafing Along

The order is OK just a reflection on modern life

Pilou

With the 55 kilo, he has no overweight. It is a huge Bernese Mountain dog. We have a dog-ramp so that he can walk into the car. Too heavy to lift ..... and far too old to jump.

Pilou

The first step: we went the first morning to the Financas in Lagoa and 10 minutes later we had our fiscal number. Passport, proof of adresse (in our case Spanish resident card) and payment of EUR 20,40 for 2 pp.

Then we visited a house we already visited in February. We were sure we will buy it, but when we saw this again today, we said 'no'. This is not a house that will make us happy.

Maybe because we discovered that a house in a town without a garden is not what we like. The location is the most important and to have some land.
We saw a small house on a dream location. In principle above budget, but wooooooow. This felt good!!!
The 'basic' house is too small but the garden and the location was top.

Tomorrow we will see an architect to talk about the possibilities ........

EMR

Then go back to the Camara a determine if your plans will be approved before spending more money and time.

Pilou

The first meeting is free and only will give us some general info. Then we will definately go to the Camara and not sign anything before we have all the answers.

Johnboyuk

As was my experience. I have never been to the Algarve but I did work in Lisbon for six months. As a tight Yorkshireman, I never went to the mainstream restaurants but to the family restaurants down the back streets and had some of the best food I have had anywhere in the World.

What I did find was that the best places were run by the former Angolan or Mozambique Portuguese who I believe created the peri-peri dishes and their food definitely had more flair and variety.

macliam

The "retornados" who came back from the colonies post '74 had to find a way to make money - and boosted the restaurant scene. My wife has cousins who still speak with South African accents having lived there for several years before returning to Portugal.

The tascas have always served good food at low prices and still do - last summer I ate a sublime Arroz do Pato a stone's throw from the Sé in a place you would only find if it was recommended to you and I have fond memories of the Tasca do Isias in Estremoz, which taught a carnivore the delights of samphire soup ... even if it was advertised as asparagus!!

However, I must point out that the term in Portuguese cuisine is Piri-Piri, not Peri-Peri, Nando's notwithstanding. I ate Chicken Piri-Piri in Lisbon almost 30 years ago, so I stick to the original name. Peri-Peri seems to be favoured by the Spanish (and Pil Pil by the Basques), but for me, in Portugal, Piri-Piri reigns supreme!