10 things we all hope don't change in Portugal

Alexander Ellis, the English Ambassador in Portugal who writes a column (brilliantly named Um bife mal passado) in a Portuguese newspaper recently wrote a piece called "Things that should never change in Portugal". I took the liberty of translating it.

People of Portugal: 2010 has been a difficult year for many, a year of uncertainty, change and anxiety about the future. The spirit of the moment is one of pessimism, not happiness. But the right mood to enter the holiday season should be different. So allow me, on the eve of my departure, for the second time, from this little garden, to pick ten things that I hope never change in Portugal:

1. The link between generations. Portugal is a country in which the young and old talk - usually within the family context. The grandfather figure has a very high status in portuguese society - and rightly so. The portuguese respect the children and the elderly, for the benefit of all.
2. The central place of food in daily life. Lunch matters - not a barely digested sandwich, eaten in a hurry, but a soup, a hot dish, etc., all at the table and eaten in company. This too, reinforces a connection with the family.
3. The variety of landscapes. I don't know any other country where you can see so many things in one day, from the grandeur of the river Douro to the beauty of the Alentejo plains, through the plateaus and mountains of the Beira Interior.
4. Tolerance. I have never lived in a country that accepts foreigners so well. It is no coincidence that Portugal is considered one of the countries most open to immigrants by the international study MIPEX.
5. Coffee and coffee houses. Simple, warm and cozy places, the drink is a small daily pleasure, especially when accompanied by a warm pastel de nata.
6. The innocence. It's hard to describe this idea in few words without sounding patronizing, but I saw on my first weekend in Portugal, a popular festival in Vila Real, teenagers dancing traditional dances with a joy and openness that, has at its root, a certain innocence.
7. A deep spirit of independence. Looking at the map of the Iberian Peninsula it seems strange that Portugal continues to be an independent country. But it still is and this is not by chance. At the core of every portuguese there is a deeply autonomous and independent spirit.
8. Women. Fifteen years ago, the Defense Attaché at the Embassy a precious piece of advice: "Young man, if you want something really well done in this country, give the task to a woman." I agreed so much that I married a portuguese woman.
9. The curiosity about and knowledge of the world. The influence of "abroad" is evident here, in the food, in the arts, in the names. Portugal is a connected country, that wants to stay connected, to the other continents of the world.
10. That money is not the most important thing in the world. Good things in Portugal are not expensive. On the contrary, there is nothing better than leaving the beach in at sunset and eat a grilled fish accompanied by a simple glass of wine.

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