The country is reopening – how is life in Portugal?
Portugal is reopening slowly but surely. And we all hope all the precautions the Government took will be of good use in September.
It is 4th of May 2021 and as I write this article the borders with Spain are open and a lot of Spanish people crossed the border into Vila Real de Santo Antonio to enjoy a nice Portuguese meal and overall the Portuguese life. They even said that they feel safer in Portugal because in Spain the rules are not really respected and in Portugal people are actually very keen on respecting the rules: they wear masks, they respect the distances and overall they are responsible, at least comparing to other countries.
And I can absolutely confirm this from my own experience! I feel so safe in Portugal, even now, when we are totally open.
This means we go to restaurants, to malls and do shopping, we go to hotels, brunches and beaches. And still, the majority of people are respecting the safety rules: you see masks everywhere and they are wore correctly. Also all the tables are disinfected, even at malls in rush hour. The shops have rules, and people wait outside if the maximum number of people have already entered. Also they separated the way in and the way out, so the flow of people don’t meet. So yes, Portugal is reopening but safety is the first concern here.
What about flying in?
A lot of people are waiting to see if they can fly into Portugal any time soon for tourism, if they can book their summer vacations. I receive a lot of emails and messages with this question. The fact of the matter is that depending from what country you are coming here, you have to see both the regulation of that country as well as the regulation of Portugal for that country. That’s right! Portugal has different rules for different countries, so to know something sure about your specific situation will be impossible.
But what I can do is to recommend you this FB page, Safe Communities Portugal, with very good information about the situation in Portugal. And all the documents and charts are translated in English.
Going back home – is it a good idea?
Soon, at the end of May we will be going back to our country and I am so scared. Because my country is one of those countries who doesn’t believe in the virus, and the general idea there is that everything is a big conspiracy. So they don’t respect the rules, they don’t wear masks, they don’t take precautions. They are in the business of breaking every rule just to spite the authorities. At the opposite side, here I am in Portugal, the country who not only respected the restrictions, but asked for it! Asked that the country not to be reopened too soon!
It turns out that life in Portugal in 2021 is the best life you can live right now! Portugal remains one of the safest country in the world and I have no idea why we are going back. It seems reckless, pointless and a little bit like we try our luck. We have been doing so good for so long and we didn’t get sick. and now we are getting back to a place I consider dangerous.
Actually, we have a few reasons for leaving Portugal in the summer, but I will write a separate article about this topic. Still, I am so bummed that we have to go!
3 more weeks to go – we will make the most of it!
In the meantime we still have around 3 weeks here, the weather is wonderful, not to hot and not to cold, a little windy, but the wind helps around 2 pm in the afternoon, when you have 25 degrees in the sun, and it feels like 30 degrees. Again, for someone born and raised here, might not feel like that, but for us is getting hotter. For example, every time we get in the car we have to let the car with the air conditioning on for a few minutes before we are able to actually get in the car, because we get sick from the very hot air inside.
But to end the article in the happy note, the restaurants by the sea are opened and the best thing you can do here is to sip a cocktail watching the ocean. The best medicine ever if you fell depressed or you just don’t find your way in life. Life in Portugal in 2021 is good!
Go somewhere and stare at the sea for a few days. The meaning of life will come to you.