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Recommendations - the perfect climate?
...My experience was colored by a very difficult time getting a cab at the
pier to take me up to the castle, and an impossible time getting a cab to take me anywhere from the castle... Apparently there is no enforcement of laws in Lisbon that require a cab to take you where you want to go. Cab drivers certainly can be a bit "crazy-making", can't they? I don't know much [oh, let's be honest here, I know nothing] about Lisbon's taxi laws. They [drivers] undoubtedly pay no attention to them anyhow... kind of like NYC cabbies. Trying to get a Manhattan cabbie to take you into Brooklyn can be maddening. (I do, by the way [and it's way too complicated a story to get into here] have reason to know that certain "contracts" [presumably, even verbal ones] there are only considered binding if in Portuguese.} I do recall the most annoying place, for me, to get a cab being around the train station... and, on the off-chance one is successful, a direct route to one's destination is unlikely. My experiences with cab drivers at many ports have frequently been less than satisfactory. Let's face it, they know you're at their mercy, and that there are other, probably more gullible, potential fares lining up right behind you. Mila "Howie" wrote in message ... Of course you know much more about Portugal than I do, Nina. And I would harly use my one day visit to Lisbon as a basis for making broad generalizations. My experience was colored by a very difficult time getting a cab at the pier to take me up to the castle, and an impossible time getting a cab to take me anywhere from the castle. All of the drivers were only interested in taking folks on a full day tour. Apparently there is no enforcement of laws in Lisbon that require a cab to take you where you want to go. Howie BTC/TAK on ACK wrote: the... Azores... seemed young, friendly, and hip. My personal experience with folks in Lisbon, was not at all pleasant... I agree with your take on the Azores... but I notice you specify "young". I was, in fact, a bit surprised by how "hip" the young folk seem [are?]. But, on getting just the tiniest bit into "local" territory [even just as far as that fantastic produce market, or shops not geared to tourists] the not-so-young folks seem more "formal". I've had really wonderful times in Lisbon, but I can imagine it feeling less than "welcoming". I have the advantage of speaking practically no Portuguese... and slaughtering the pronunciation of the little I dare try. I think the fact that, by Portuguese standards, Lisbon is a big city, it has some of that "big city attitude". I found enjoying their goofing on my dreadful attempts at using their language was a great ice-breaker... and usually resulted in their speaking back to me in more than fair English. In fact, I was totally taken back recently, when visiting after not having been to Lisbon in several years. I used to go to the same coffee shop every morning during a month long visit a while back. The owner used to take particular pleasure in making me order in Portuguese, then teasing me [in fine English] in how silly I sounded. I went by for a coffee during my last visit, and she [still there!] remarked that she wasn't surprised I still hadn't learned a think about the language. I was very touched to be remembered after such a long time. I also had the dubious pleasure of having to use a city clinic [having developed pneumonia] during a visit there. I was very impressed by how kind and helpful everyone was... even to finding an English speaking doctor to see me. I have a hard time imagining that happening in any major city here. It also is a good idea to remember that they are, as a group, very "well informed" people [notice that you rarely see anyone sitting alone in a cafe without their nose stuck in a newspaper], have strong opinions, and, like most Europeans, know waaaay more about our politics than we know about theirs. I usually played "dumb" [not all that much of a stretch, I guess], and never left a conversation without having learned something. I hope you'll give Lisbon another try... I've found myself most welcome there, by the way, in the kinds of places the fewest number of tourists venture. Mila "Howie" wrote in message ... BTC/TAK on ACK wrote: ...my dentist told me... the people on Madeira... were very cold. I'd be more inclined to say or "formal", which can, of course, seem "cold", but is an essentially different mind-set. My experience in Portuguese influenced cultures has been the "reserved" style of the locals, and their use of "old-fashioned manners" [especially in public] can be charming. It takes a little time to get used to... especially for those of us used to the more "gregarious" American style. Mila Yes, on Madiera, the locals did seem rather "old-fashioned", but that was not the case in that Azores, which seemed young, friendly, and hip. My personal experience with folks in Lisbon, was not at all pleasant, but there is really no way to generalize from one brief visit to a big city. Howie "strawberry icecream" wrote in message ... Howie wrote in : strawberry icecream wrote: the best areas seem to be Magnetic island off western australia..and Madeira island off Portugal. Been to Madeira. It is really lovely, but kind of dull. Howie, I am glad that you said that...my dentist told me, a few weeks ago, that he didn't like the people on Madeira. He has been all over the world....but said that the folks on Madeira were very cold. But I always loved the idea of southern CA. Weather is near perfect, but earthquakes and high prices are real downside. very true. The west coast is so expensive compared to the east coast of the usa. Funny enough, any tv travel program here in the UK, or magazine, ALWAYS focuses on Florida. And so many folks here are taken in. Whewwww.....I would hate to be living in that heat and humidity. |
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