Saudade and Pastéis de Nata
At the west end of Europe sits a little rectangle of land called Portugal. It’s my home. We’re one of those little countries that most have never heard about and those who have don’t really know much about, but it’s also a country that, once visited, becomes a point of reference and stirs the desire to return. Portugal is the oldest country in Europe, existing as such since 1143. There are 864 years of history in this land, which makes the 10 million of us Portuguese privileged since we have in almost every corner a little piece of that “yesterday” that reminds us of who we are and where we come from.
The language – Portuguese – is the third most spoken European language in the world, known to about 200 million people. Countries with Portuguese as their official language are spread around the world and Portuguese is spoken in Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea, Mozambique and São Tome e Principe), in South America (Brazil) and in Asia (East Timor). That’s because the Portuguese “kinda” got around. Our geographical location caused our ancestors not to resist the adventure of setting out to sea, and from early on there were Portuguese ships sailing around the world in the era we so proudly call the “Discoveries” when, for instance, Vasco da Gama discovered the route to India in 1498, and Pedro Álvares Cabral stumbled upon Brazil in 1500.
We don’t do much nautical discovering nowadays, but the typical Portuguese will go to the beach as much as possible and as often as possible. I think that we must be a genetic cross of some kind between a lizard and a fish; we just love to sit out in the sun and when we’re warm enough we go swimming in the sea. Good thing the weather allows us to do so (it’s almost always warm and sunny around here) and from north to south there are wonderful beaches to go to, accessible within minutes. I must say that it’s an amazing feeling to be living in the capital, Lisbon, and right after work being able to watch the sunset at the beach after just a 5 minute drive… You can’t snorkel and see gazillions of little coloured fish in our beaches like you can in the Pacific or the Indian oceans, but did you know that the Azores (one of the groups of islands that are part of the Portuguese territory) are one of the best places for whale spotting? And did you know that you can see dolphins from the Sado, one of our rivers? How couldn’t we be in love with the sea…
But Portugal isn’t just about the sea and the water. There’s much much more! If you go to the interior, the plains of the Alentejo will certainly charm you. With a “The Simpson’s sky” in the background (you know, when it’s perfectly blue and has bubbly clouds), there is nothing more thrilling than a drive trough the countryside. And the Portuguese food! We’ve had centuries of experience in cooking, especially the experiments made from the catholic monks and nuns’ in monasteries around the country, who excelled at sweets and pastries. But most of all, I have to say that this country wouldn’t be half as interesting if it weren’t for the people. The Portuguese are of the warmest nature and our constant smiles (well, except on those harsh days during winter when it rains and the sun seems to not to want to come out) make of us great company. We’re considered very hospitable by other peoples, and we try to lend a hand as often as we can, but we’re very hard on ourselves as we remember our past and fear our future. “Saudade” is the word that most clearly defines us and the feeling that is most sung in our traditional music, the “Fado”. I’ve never really found a good translation for it, but think of it as a mixture between a warm feeling of nostalgia and the adventurous desire to go forward. Enchantment, I suppose.
I’ve travelled my share around the world. I’ve loved to see other cities, other beaches, other plains, to talk to other people, experience other cultures. But I have to tell you… There’s no place like my home.
Won’t you stop by one of these days, drive through the plains of the Alentejo, enjoy the vast history of this country, and join me for a Pastel de Belém right after a swim at the beach one of these days?
Filipa Almeida Santos
Chair of the Board of Intercultura-AFS Portugal
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