Who am I? Identification through Places. Portugal. Part 1

In 2014, I went to the conference in Portugal. It was my first time in that country. To be absolutely honest, I didn’t want to go at all. Why? 1. It was not the best period of my life as such. 2. The stereotypes I had were not that flavouring for Portugal… For me it was some place, where people don’t work, instead they chill at the beach, eat great seafood dishes (these are my envious feelings talking). And yes, I was scared of Portuguese men, who can’t control themselves when they see a blonde woman.

Despite the ‘wonderful’ set of stereotypes, I went to Portugal or Aveiro to be more specific. And you know what? It was the best decision in my life. The experience I got was completely the opposite from those silly stereotypes I had. Everyone was very friendly and respectful, Portuguese men turned out to be real gentlemen. Portuguese ladies were very feminine and stylish. The whole atmosphere of the city was magical, and the weather in December was 20 degrees Celsius above 0. The food was amazing. The city was full of historical and cultural places…

I came back to Portugal in 2015 and 2016, travelling in the north and south of the country, and my affection towards the country was only getting stronger and stronger.