British Expats - Weather in Portugal

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- Portugal (https://britishexpats.com/forum/portugal-89/)

- - Weather in Portugal (https://britishexpats.com/forum/portugal-89/weather-portugal-945597/)

Weather in Portugal

Summer has arrived with a vengeance here in Hong Kong, and right now it's 34 degrees C outside (in the shade...). There is a nice wind blowing and so the humidity is in the 60s, but this morning when we were dog walking it was in the 80s and later this evening it will shoot up to the 90s. When the wind stops the humidity rockets and stays high and horrible. The sad thing about this is that it will stay like this until the middle of October, but in July and August it will be even hotter and the humidity will still be crazy high. The only respite we will get is when it rains, and in the middle of summer we pray for rain, but then we get typhoons... When does summer start in Portugal? Is it burning hot there yet? Is it humid? Is there much difference in the temperature between the geographical areas such as the Algarve and Lisbon? Is it different from one side of the Algarve to the other?

I posted the above message in December 2019 and received some very interesting replies. Sadly the final one came in ages ago and the thread was automatically closed. I can reply to my own message having been here for more than two years now and can say with confidence that the climate here is near perfect. Some people comment that July and August are too hot but having now endured two summers I don't find the temperature to be a problem as the heat only seems to last for a few days before dropping back down again. The uncomfortable stuff seemed to blow up from North Africa and bring with it a hot wind and filthy dust, but only for a few days. The "normal" wind is indeed a blessing.

I've missed December during both years but I can't see that being much different to November or January. On the morning I flew into Lisbon in January last year it was 3 degrees C but the sun was shining and after checking into my hotel I changed into shorts and a tee shirt and went out to explore the city, as by then it was well warm enough. I've been in shorts ever since. This morning when I waked to the municipal pool at 8am I told myself I might need to start wearing a sleeveless top, but it wasn't really cold at 17 degrees. The wind had an edge to it.

Apart from the weather, I'm more than happy with what I've found in Portugal. The cost of living is considerably less than it is in HK, where everything is imported, and the air is clean. The municipal facilities we have (in Lagos) are pretty much excellent. The swimming pool and gym are as good as anything we had in HK and are well maintained.

Before I got here I'd read numerous comments about the poor quality of local driving, but having just gone through what others have called a "proper summer" (meaning with tourists) I'm not so critical. One big surprise on arrival here was drivers stopping to allow me to use a pedestrian crossing, something that just does not happen in HK. And then the summer came. I've lost count of the times I've been halfway across a pedestrian crossing to then have a car come charging along and almost take me out. Every single time this has happened the licence plate has been prefixed with the letter F or E.

I had no intention of trying out the local hospitals or of buying a bike, but one of them resulted in the necessity of the other and so I got to witness first hand how things happen in Portimao Hospital. While the building itself is somewhat depressing, the staff were all very professional and managed to put me back together again. Most spoke quite good English so communication was not a problem.

As a result of this horrible incident I got to meet two of the best people on the planet and who have since become my very best friends. I would rather have met them in a bar, but...

Despite serious experimentation I have not yet found a decent red wine at an affordable price, so the search still goes on. And despite Red Eric telling me that my taste buds have been assaulted by the good Australian Shiraz I drank in HK, I wish I could find some of it here (at the right price) because it really is the best red in the world. As far as the beer goes, I've found the local lagers to be a bit gassy and flat tasting and much refer the Spanish Estrella Damme, particularly in draught.

So, two years in and I'm glad I made the move. With the HK house not yet sold I'm still on my own, which sucks, but at least wife has now visited me here and I think she liked what she found (I was too scared to ask in case she said she hated it...). And she's happy enough to make a return in a couple of weeks after our son gets married in the UK. All of this is made easier now that the HK government has finally knocked off the stupid hotel quarantine. Masks outside are still mandatory, though. When I think of this and then look back on how the Portuguese government handled the pandemic I'm even more glad I got on the plane when I did.

The ID card thing is not being handled in the same efficient manner, but from posts on BE it seems we are soon to be called in to provide the necessary details and the card should follow in the post soon behind.

Most of the information and help I've requested on the BE site has helped me to do/find things that would otherwise have been a nightmare. Thanks to all who have helped out!

Re: Weather in Portugal

Pleased you have settled here Sportpix. We have been permanent residents for 14 years having first bought here in 1988. We haven't touched foot in the UK since 2006 and have no intentions of ever returning. I have had five major operations here (two at Portimao) and Hubby one in Lisbon. Pleased we were here for them. Hope your wife gets to join you soon. Wonderful country and people.

Re: Weather in Portugal

I think the weather is too "good"!
That is to say, it feels very pleasant but the lack of rain is a serious problem.

Anyway, glad you (almost) made it out of China. I wish you a happy life here in Portugal!

Re: Weather in Portugal

Thanks, Sportpix, for a lovely summary of your findings so far in Lagos. Nice to know you are settling in and that your OH will be with you soon. Good luck with the house sale in HK!
Cheers
RA

Re: Weather in Portugal

I agree with Sportpix about the Portuguese lagers. Thank goodness for Estrella Damme and some good beers in Lidl.

Re: Weather in Portugal

I can solve your wine problem easily : Just read the wine correspondent in Portugal Resident [ the weekly English lang. paper ] and follow his recommendations. Whatever your taste preferences there is zero need to buy non Portuguese wines.

From time to time various organisations set up wine tastings : you might like to sign up for one or two.

Just for a few days more Pingo Doce have a wine promotion with some extraordinarily large discounts ~like wines normally at €15 or €18 for €6 or €7. Check out a few and stock up before the promotion ends ( 3 Oct from memory but check it ).

Re: Weather in Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by riv (Post 13144374)

If only it was that simple … Do you mean the Portugal News? If so I have to confess to not reading anything about the local wines. I was in Pingo this morning to buy fresh orange juice but once again some heavy handed tourist has broken the machine 😩. Probably has an E or and F on his/her licence plate. Our new continente on the edge of town has been having wine promotions and I’ve tried a few reds but with little success. I also saw some Australian Cabsavs in the English shop in portimao the other day for not much more than we pay in HK where there is zero duty on wine. On Monday I will fly to the uk for my son’s wedding, fourth attempt with the same girl, Covid restrictions wiping out the first three. I’m hoping I will be able to find a decent pint of English bitter, but am not holding my breath. The last time I was there, top end of Leicestershire, I visited about half a dozen rural pubs and they all sold stuff that tasted like dish water. Fancy names and strange colours on the taps but the stuff that came out wasn’t even close to a good English pint 🍺 😢

Re: Weather in Portugal

Portugal news newspaper is not the same one as Portugal Resident ... https://www.portugalresident.com/

Re: Weather in Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportpix (Post 13144389)

If you are talking about real ale in pubs, I usually find some good ones in Hampshire and Sussex. Not sure where Leicestershire is but a good beer depends to a large extent on the local water they use in the brewery.

Re: Weather in Portugal

I used to read the resident, but the annoying (to me) antivax slant became impossible to ignore so I switched to the Portugal news.

Hey, I'm not the one who went off topic first!

Re: Weather in Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rambling archer (Post 13144394)

Portugal news newspaper is not the same one as Portugal Resident ... https://www.portugalresident.com/

online only or print as well? I’ve only ever seen Portugal News given out for free in the supermarket, and if they charge for it I won’t buy it. Maybe Lisbon area only?

Re: Weather in Portugal

In my view both Portugal News and Portugal Resident are well worth buying. Good summaries of the main Portuguese news, plus items of interest to expats. Plus listings for exhibitions / concerts / organized walks / cycle rides / and a whole lot more. Oh, did I mention classified ads ? lol.

If you were in PIngo didn't you notice the wine promotion ? And the comprehensive booklet available on entering listing the wines for sale ?

Re: Weather in Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by riv (Post 13144611)

I was interested in organised walks before I broke my leg but since recovering they all seem to be three hours and the leg is only good for two hours. Cycle rides are a painful reminder of the past. To be honest I can’t remember going into Pingo when they didn’t have one wine sale or another going on, but on your suggestion I went in on Saturday and bought a dozen bottles for just shy of 23 euro. This morning I went in again to get some fresh bread for breakfast and noticed that the free orange juice machine has been repaired so I filled a one litre bottle and headed for the check out with my two items. I nearly choked at the bill of five euro something and when I looked at the receipt I saw the OJ was priced at 5.09 euro!!! Could have got two bottles of red for that 😡

Re: Weather in Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportpix (Post 13145122)

One thing I've never understood in Portugal is the relationship with citrus..... any good value juice seems to be imported - into a country whose very name translates to "sweet orange" in Arabic!!

In the past I recall my FiL having trees dropping juicy oranges to rot on the ground, whilst the local supermarket sold oranges from Uruguay! Algarve oranges are rightly famous for their juice and flavour, but it seems we must have unknown-source oranges, juiced and packed in Germany......

Re: Weather in Portugal

As a follow-up...... beware of wine "sales" - like all sales, it's a good opportunity to dispose of stuff nobody wanted to buy at full price! Having said which, if you know what you're buying, there are some good opportunities - but the issue is the knowledge.

This is why I somewhat dismiss the view that Portuguese wine is in any way inferior to foreign stuff...... particularly at the "value" end of the market. Obviously it depends on personal taste, etc. but as I spend time in the UK, with limited access to Portuguese wine, I certainly notice much more than the higher prices.... I too like a good Shiraz, but I have had some that are an overdose of vanillin... even at the same price point there are definite "goods" and "bads" and many can taste decidedly "industrial", IMO.

I also like Rioja, but, being an old hand in that market, I know very well that the "green" version is the current discard previously supplied to the harvesters but now bottled to trade on the name..... "Rioja" is basically Crianza, so if you don't like Oak, look elsewhere.... even the "Reservas" are often just proof that bottling wine from a single year and keeping it a long time doesn't impart quality.

By contrast, thanks to its lesser marketing, Portuguese wine is relatively "pure" from these marketing scams..... but only relatively. A good Douro or Dão will stand comparison with any other wine but there are many that are so-so.Sometimes good ones of old trade on the name and produce inferior wine, sometimes people try to cut corners. Wine should either be from the dominant castes from that area, or from a specific caste.... or else you're relying on the maker's opinion.

Alentejo wine was a huge leap forward when the Australians arrived to modernize winemaking..... but again, too many are trading on the name. On this I'd like to test the "memories" of those with long experience of vinho tinto..... when I was first introduced to Alentejo wine, it was in a Restaurant called "A casa da Avo" (Grandma's house) in Albufeira, getting on for 30 years ago. SWMBO asked the waiter for a recommendation and he said "Vinho é vinho, mas Borba é sempre Borba"! At that time, the "holy trinity" of Alentejo castes were Periquita, Trincadeira and Aragonês. This mix was used in Borba in Reguengos, in Redondo, everywhere. Periquita was the Alentejo name for Castelão Francês, used extensively elsewhere, Trincadeira is another name for Tinta Amarela, used in Port and Aragonês is a synonym for Tinta Roriz used in Douro and Dão - and this is basically the same grape as Tempranillo in Spain. So the names got "standardised.... Periquita became Castelão, and Aragonês became the more-Spanish looking Aragonez (or, confusingly. Aragonêz) - and that was only the start. In almost all cases this original "trinity" has been replaced in recent years by Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez and Trincadeira - as in the "standard output from the Adega de Borba.

Now Alicante Bouschet is a fine grape (as is Castelão) and makes fine single-varietals. I have been told that Castelão crops poorly and/or has issues in the Alentejo climate, whereas Alicante Bouschet is high yielding, so that's reason #1, not a quality, but a quantity issue. Secondly, Alicante Bouschet is a rare grape, a "tintorera", with red juice - so it doesn't need to be kept in contact with the skins to impart colour (unlike Pinot Noir for example)..... so it reduces the production time.... again, an advantage on cost, rather than quality. Interestingly, it is called Garnacha Tintorera in Spain.... and has become a staple mix, with Tempranillo, in Rioja. The problem with all of this is that you can't produce a "cheap" version of anything without compromise... and not everything remains the same. Go to your supermarket and look at your Porco Preto, is it from pigs fed on Belota? If not it's a cheap version. How long has it been matured? Again, maturation costs.... The other "issue" for me is that we are starting to see a move from the vast wealth of varieties in Portugal, towards those that are popular worldwide.... so much as I might like Cabernet, or Merlot or Garnacha or Syrah/Shiraz, I weep a little when I see those used......

If the Portuguese fail at anything, it's business sense and marketing expertise, not the quality of their product. My local "Porco Preto" factory exports 80% of it's product to Spain, yet all I can buy in the UK is "Porco Iberico" from Spain......... odd, eh? Just like the ever-present Tapas against Portuguese "Petiscos", so prevalent that "Tapas" is now starting to be used in Portugal!! Likewise, suggesting that a wine mass-produced in a factory in south Australia and transported in stainless-steel barrels is of better quality than a low-quantity, traditionally produced wine, is obviously illogical. If anyone hasn't found their favourite yet, keep trying (PS Dão reds can be very good.... not all, but many - of late they have become my goto in Portugal, even though I live in the Alentejo!)