Hey folk don’t despair. Yes trying to understand some spoken Portuguese is hard (impossible?) but I press on.
I have been a regular in most parts of Portugal for holidays for 30 years and my understanding of the language has grown year by year. But to quote Paige “I still feel like a toddler” sometimes even though the Portuguese are kind about my efforts to speak their language.
As an example we were bothered by a mentally challenged individual in one of the remote mountain towns. Could I remember anything else except “Nao”…No. Of course “vá embora” came back to me 10 minutes after the event!!
I spent the last few days speaking Portuguese (or a version of it) to my hosts, their retired parents and some workers in the tiny sitio of Cruz de Baixo. I joined them in their vines to start the Colheita de uva and was rewarded by lunch with the family, workers and neighbours who were helping. It was lovely. My language improved when we moved to the cevada laced with the local aguardente!!
They were very kind. “English people don’t speak other languages”, they said. “You do very well”. Untrue of course but that was some motivation!
Trying is so rewarding. Be proud of your own efforts. There are English folk living in the Algarve for 40 years who can’t even order a draught beer in Portuguese!!
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