Good article about the increased tourism in Lisbon since the Euro. http://http://www.fvw.com/index.cfm?ID=49600
gypsies are one thing, the main problem is all these romanian immigrants and other east europeans who are only in portugal to steal. they're there illegally as well. the ones who actually work there and bring something to the country are welcome!!
Quaresma, a good thing you rectified that point cause I was gonna ask if you were Spanish or English (kidding). Ive never been to the continent but Ive been to the Azores ( Sao Miguel) twice and I always found it to be super safe. My aunt sent me a letter over the holidays telling me the crime rate is up and there are muggings in Ponta Delgada but although it is serious to them, thats what I consider Mickey Mouse crime compared to what goes on in America. (I cant take New York city after sundown and Ive never been able to stay in the city longer than a long weekend.) Its crime but hardly a threat and with the right precautions should never ruin a holiday. Also, as a general rule of thumb when traveling where ever you are in the world, try not too look too much like a tourist and blend in with the population. You are less likely to be hassled if someone thinks you are a local. Happy travels! I should be off to Portugal this year and I cant wait!
Interesting this topic will be on the Government table next week. Workshop: A criminalidade de estrangeiros em Portugal - um inquérito científico No dia 7 de Março o Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Minorias Étnicas (ACIME) e o Gabinete de Política Legislativa e Planeamento do Ministério da Justiça (GPLP) organizam um workshop dedicado ao estudo "A criminalidade de estrangeiros em Portugal - um inquérito científico", desenvolvido por Hugo Martinez de Seabra e Tiago Santos, sociólogos e investigadores da Númena - Centro de Investigação em Ciências Sociais e Humanas. For the full story click here: http://www.oi.acime.gov.pt/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=549
The location does say Montreal So I guess that yes, I am in Canada.... and it is wicked cold out here.
I live in the same area as you in the states. I go to Portugal about every couple of years (including last summer) and have 10 and a 2 year old. Generally I try to speak portuguese around the locals and fit in as best as I can. I'm from the Aveiro area and take daily trips to the beach (Barra) and never had any problems, except for parkind, rarely saw any crime at all. If you are concerned about pick pockets, here is some advice: go to BCP bank, open up a checking account, ask them to link it to a Millennium branch close to the area in Portugal you are visiting, have them get you a Millennium Cartão Visa Electron. Pick it up when you get there.You can use for just about all your transactions while there. Here is the link ito the card if you want to check it out: http://www.millenniumbcp.pt/site/conteudos/25/article.jhtml?articleID=220807
Great tip above me, I wasnt aware of that ....may I also add that bank debit cards from Canada ( I dont know about US) usually work in Portuguese ATM machines ( and the rest of Western Europe) Last time I was in Portugal I had no problem using it except sometimes you get a busy signal and have to wait. Theres no real reason to walk around with lots of money anyway but again, always excersise caution.
I was actually planning a trip to Portugal for this month, but nobody else is able to go with me, and I don't like travelling alone. It's much more fun to go with people. However I might make my usual road trip to Montreal. Beautiful city, great night life, and my favorite hockey team.
You are right. Montreal is a great city, but as you well know, right now there are no hockey teams. Except maybe for Hamilton or Kitchener!!!??? and they are closer to you.
Believe me, this whole hockey lockout fiasco is long out of my thoughts now. Stupid players should have taken the deal the league offered. Now they will never get anything again close to that. I love going to Montreal regardless of whether or not the Habs are playing.
Luis Camoes, I was actually born in Mass. but left when I was wee small so I doubt I picked up any of the slang. Its a bit of an English thing isnt, it? But Ill have to dissagree with you, all Romas (Gypsies) arent bad. Thats a stereotype. Im sure there are some good ones too. I doubt Quaresma is the anomaly. My mom used to tell me really nice stories about the Romas when they would go to Sao Miguel to sell their wares when she was a little child. She would tell me the women were exceptionally beautifull and no, she never told me they actually stole any children like the old wives tale. I recommend everyone read the book " Bury me standing" the author's last name is Fonseca, and its about the modern day struggle of the Romas in Eastern Europe. Excellent book. It just might give you a better perspective. Its easy to pen them all is criminals but that wont solve the problem and might help you understand their plight and why some have become the way they are...much like the problem with the natives here in Canada. They are the only disenfranshised "group" of people in the world who have no lobby. How many of us know that they were also killed in the concentration camps by the thousands. Its very easy to point the finger....alot harder to pick up a mirror. I will get off my soap box now
Guys there are Gypsies and Gypsies, most of the gypsies who live in Portugal are in fact Portuguese, many are "feirantes" sell clothes and other things in markets etc, others live from goverment money... others are drug dealers... but most of them are normal people with different way of living. Then we have the Romanian Gypsies...(not to confuse with the common Romanian emigrant) there only way of life is to steal and put their little children as beggers, if you come to Portugal take care with this people, NEVER give them money, you are helping their way of life, they travel arround all Europe as ilegal immigrants and wherever they are they will do the same thing, as you know Portugal is the "end of the line" in Europe so in the recent years a lot of them ended up here in Portugal, but there are hundreds of thousands arround Europe...
OK LDC I know we are really diverting way off topic ( and bless the internet, what a slow day at work....if I see one more receit $%&$*!!!!!) but to me it doesnt really matter if a "gypsie" is from Portugal or if hes from Romania, they are going to be treated the same from the casual observer who isnt going to bother to ask for a resedency card when they wish to put them down. To really understand why they are like that in Portugal, you have to look where they came from and why they chose to leave. Do you really think anyone is born with the ambition to be poor and become a beggar? Most of them do that because its the only thing they know how to do. Its kind of like the cycle of generational welfare here in Canada. Here is one example of their systematic mistreatement: http://sf.indymedia.org/print.php?id=1701624 But if you want more accurate info on them http://www.romani.org/ I like to champion the underdogs which is why I have an uncanny knowledge of the Romani people and they have custooms which I find to be really interesting ( and no not the stereotypical fortune telling and stuff like that) and beautifull but that gets lost in all the bad press. Before Quaresma ended up in Porto, my dad used to tell me about him when he was playing in Spain because of the aforementioned fact. But Id never catch him on tellie so I thought he was like snuffleuffaguss on sesame street ( only big bird ever sees him). I think its stupid if you are going to treat him right because hes an athlete but disrespect his peeps because they dont wear a sports jersey. Im sure he can tell us all a few grim tales about growing up with the stigma. Opre Roma!
Susiem, i only talk about what i see happening everyday, i am not judjing their way of life, they can live the way they want, what i can´t accept is that people from other countries come to Portugal to steal or live as beggers, i couldn´t care less if they are Gypsies or not but the truth is most of them are gypsies. There are millions of Portuguese who had to move to other nations to get a better life and i dare to say most of them fought hard against stereotyped views about their culture and values and even their economical situation but they adapted, they overcome the problems and turned into respectefull citizens, there is an old saying "em Roma sê Romano" in Rome be Roman", and thats the way it should be, there is an instituted way of life in Portugal, there are different values, anyone who come to Portugal has to adapt to our society. "to me it doesnt really matter if a "gypsie" is from Portugal or if hes from Romania" Well to me it matters a lot if they are Portugue gypsies, they still are Portuguese, if they are Romanian gypsies they aren´t Portuguese and certainly their values will differ even more.
I knew Hitler killed off thousands of ROma, (I took post colonial European History in college), along with gays and beleive it or not some catholics, never mind the millions of Russians he killed, sad world we live in. I knew you were from NE, face it spend ten mins in NE and wicked is in your vocabulary.
I'll be there too, I hadn't gone to Aveiro in like 20 years or so. Been there every year, and never gone there shame on me. We will be playing in the Torneio International de Aveiro. Cool Huh! Do you have more info on this tournament Frank? I've been told its pretty good teams from Portugal, and the rest of the world.