The run up to Christmas this year feels rather flat and for the first time I feel homesick. Perhaps not “homesick” in the true sense of the word, but everything just feels alien.
I think it’s down to the fact that it does not feel Christmassy. Our nearest town has decided not to display any cheery Christmas lights due to budget restrictions and everything looks so grey and depressing. Weeks of heavy rain and strong winds, have not helped my mood. There’s no ambience. No sense of anticipation. No Christmas cheer…
As I wander round the supermarkets looking at all the traditional Portuguese Christmas fare it just compounds my “alien” feeling and I long for food which is traditionally English.
So what’s missing apart from my family?
Mince Pies – Pastry tarts with sweet mincemeat filling
Christmas pudding – A rich fruit pudding made with raisins, currents, sultanas, glace cherries et etc
Devonshire Fresh Double Cream to eat with the above
Christmas cake – A rich fruit cake with soft white royal icing and marzipan.
Scottish Shortbread Lovely buttery biscuits which just melt in your mouth
Sausage rolls – Pork sausage meat wrapped in pastry.
Parsnips
Gammon (This is cured pork)
What else do I miss?
Christmas lights and decorations in the streets.
Carol Singers knocking at the door singing their own rendition of Silent Night
Christmas shopping in familiar shops
Snow! The anticipation of snow on Christmas day. To coin a phrase “A White Christmas” I know it won’t snow here on the Algarve.
I’m normally a positive person, so with the December blues, you can imagine my delight when Mr Piglet surprised me this morning by producing a pack of imported Mr Kipling Mince Pies. I resisted the temptation to enquire as to the price but just indulged myself in the moment. mmmmm delicious…
What a lovely surprise and an immediate boost to the spirits! It suddenly seemed Christmassy and I’m motivated to make my own mincemeat and then mince pies. Priceless!
Thank you Mr Piglet!
Which foods do you miss from home ?
Piglet in Portugal 
Well (sorry for the late reply).. Lisbon, well not Lisbon, I will be studying there (masters) and I’m thinking of going somewhere “close”, just cross the Tagus river and Voila. Somewhere like in the Setubal area.
Kicking my ass off with the language now, I have a friend with whom I practice Portuguese and will be starting the classes in jan (also need the diploma for the interview), eh… you know what they say.. practice!
Btw. To make it “fun” I look for fun texts to read, like these ones:
http://www.contandohistoria.com/amigosdisney.htm
You will simply want the text to be longer and longer :”>
And seriously 😀 snow is good as long as it is outside and you are inside. Was -15 last night…brrrrr….
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Hehe.. Be strong 😀 try to take the most of it.
This is my last winter in my home-country, next year moving to Portugal. I keep telling myself to enjoy the cold, windy, snowish days, but really, who am I kidding? Snow is fun till the first 5 minutes when u stop feeling your fingers.
You can go somewhere where it snows in Portugal, get frozen and come back home charged with “positive” energy 😀
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Hi Bianca,
Nice to know my little blog is being read in Romania. The net certainly shrinks the world!
If I am totally honest with myself the thought and look of snow is more romantic than the reality and problems it presents … 😦 🙂
I would have to travel a long way up to the North of Portugal to find snow…
So which part of Portugal are you thinking of moving to next year?
kind regards
Pip
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