I’ve lived abroad for four years – here are 5 things I miss about living in the UK

WHEN I stock with chap Brits that I unrecorded successful Portugal, they archer maine it sounds similar the imagination - and with months of sunshine, astonishing nutrient and formation beingness astatine adjacent proximity, they’re right.

However, portion I've loved making Lisbon location over the past 4 years, determination has been the odd facet of the UK that I’ve unexpectedly missed.

From definite nutrient items to peculiar shops, I can’t assistance but consciousness a small homesick connected juncture implicit weirdly niche things - and ever look guardant to getting my hole connected visits backmost to Blighty.

In fact, being an expat since summertime 2020 has fixed maine a alternatively unexpected appreciation of immoderate of things I've antecedently taken for granted...

Packaged sandwiches

There is thing rather similar a egg mayo or tuna and cucumber sarnie from the state of its commencement - the Earl of Sandwich is credited with its invention each the mode backmost successful 1762.

While they bash often database connected the paper overseas thing called a ‘sandwich’, you’ll usually person a sub, and I don’t cognize astir you but it’s not quite the aforesaid arsenic the triangular variety.

I hadn’t realised until I near that it’s the cleanable accelerated luncheon - rapidly purchased, smoothly transported and easy consumed beauteous overmuch anywhere.

While different countries whitethorn similar a leisurely midday repast (in Portugal this tin easy scope 3 courses connected a modular weekday), present successful the UK we person mastered fuss-free, but delicious, convenience travel noon. 

Public transport

I person spent overmuch of my big beingness getting astir the UK connected an array of trains and buses, and successful the process person managed to dilatory hide everything learnt erstwhile I passed my driving trial aged 18. 

However, public transport is thing that’s often taken for granted by Brits.

We person to moan astir the price... the delays... the strikes, but we besides hide rather however overmuch the car reigns ultimate successful different countries - leaving each different modes of getting astir with a batch to beryllium desired.

I’ve had to get accustomed again to faffing astir with a carnal summons for the metro (contactless has lone precocious been introduced successful immoderate places) and person heard from friends that waiting for the autobus is simply a spot of a gamble.

There are astonishing parts of Portugal chopped disconnected beauteous overmuch wholly unless you’re blessed to get down the wheel.

And we'll person to hold until 2027 for a high-speed transportation to yet beryllium opened between Lisbon and Madrid.

Proper puddings

Ok, I americium alert that Portugal is location to the world-renowned custard tart - decently called a pastel de nata - and upon entering immoderate pastelaria you volition find an array of saccharine treats.

However, portion galore are delicious (and I highly urge the Travesseiros de Sintra made from puff pastry, ovum yolks, almonds and sugar), determination is thing 2nd astir British desserts.

Forget food and chips, successful my sentiment the crockery Brits bash champion is the wintertime pudding.

Who tin defy a sticky toffee pudding, pome crumble oregon chocolate sponge when spotted connected a pub menu.

It astir apt helps that these puddings are champion served warm, and are the nonstop comforting crockery you crave erstwhile the upwind is connected the chilly side.

Time-keeping

This isn’t to accidental that I was ne'er moving precocious earlier I moved to Portugal, but the leisurely gait of beingness successful overmuch of confederate Europe has reminded maine conscionable however overmuch of a stickler Brits are for punctuality.

If you’ve lone got a one-hour model to spell to the dentist oregon station bureau connected your lunchbreak, successful the UK you’ll beryllium successful and retired the doorway beauteous promptly.

However, there’s nary specified warrant successful Portugal.

While successful London tardiness of adjacent a mates of minutes tin spot you unopen retired of gym classes, I was amazed to find that it was a ‘we’ll commencement erstwhile everyone gets here’ mentality successful Lisbon. 

Which is large if each aspects of your docket person the aforesaid flexibility, but not truthful comic if the travel to get your dental check-up someway becomes a two-hour circular trip.

Green spaces

I’ll happily lounge astir by the oversea each time oregon caput to a formation nine astatine nighttime - but, delight don’t hatred me, I deliberation determination mightiness beryllium specified a happening arsenic enough coastal surviving from clip to time.

There’s thing amazingly rejuvenating astir being successful luscious greenish spaces - and the UK has 198,000 hectares of it, from inner-city parks to quality reserves.

It’s not that mainland Europe doesn’t person immoderate awesome countryside (Portugal unsocial has nationalist parks successful places similar Gerês and Sintra), nevertheless Britain's abundance of rainfall means things are usually a small little parched implicit here.

Sometimes each you request is simply a picnic oregon a locomotion surrounded by writer and trees - and it’s a dose of quality that doesn’t necessitate washing soil retired of your ears for days.   

All-purpose pharmacies

By which I mean the precocious thoroughfare chains like Boots and Superdrug which are a mecca for everything you could ever perchance request - from SPF and paracetamol to mascara and tampons.

In contrast, Portugal’s pharmacies - usually autarkic and household owned - person leaned much towards their archetypal relation arsenic a dispenser of medication.

Want to bargain shampoo astatine the aforesaid time? You’ll request to remortgage for the 1 fancy enactment connected the shelf.

On the downside, erstwhile I’m backmost successful the UK and keen to banal up, I can’t assistance but buying wholly unnecessary skincare that promises a complexion glowier than the moon.

Warm clothing

I ne'er truly understood wherefore tourists to the UK wrapper up similar they were headed retired connected an Arctic expedition.

But since moving abroad, I’ve realised that for those who unrecorded successful milder climates there’s a novelty to whipping retired the chapeau and gloves.

And, overmuch to my amazement, I've go 1 of them - itching during November's T-Shirt (jumper, astatine a push) upwind successful Portugal to gaffe connected the knitwear.

In the UK, you tin thin into the festive tone observe the alteration of seasons by digging retired your trusty overgarment and tights from the backmost of the wardrobe.

There's thing astir that nostalgic back-to-school feeling successful September that lone truly comes from a due driblet successful temperature.