Well put, danon. I agree.

My wife doesn't want to visit Germany.

Time for more flashing lights.

British humour alert.

Be prepared.

Be warned.

Find me country.

I'll find you some ethnic cleaning or genocide.

We're not a nice species.

I'll exclude Canadians from that observation, they are lovely.

Some fish go for every hook :-)

Flashing lights, silly yellow faces....
...how else would one recognize
sophisticated British humour?

Perhaps, some posters just chose to ignore it .

Dickie_GR, you probably don't know about the treatment of aboriginal people in Canada if you say that.

> I'll exclude Canadians from that observation, they are lovely.

Some times the Brits just don't get irony.

IMDonehere: I thought you were done here!!

Ironic, isn't it?

The discussion is over????? I'm feeling benigly morose today and in the mood to swap to the malignly morose mode.
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" or in other words, if there is nobody around, than it's time to start preparations for the week end.

No one is around.

It was my perception too. Thanks for everything.

Probably this would help in your decision:

1.
City of Porto
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-perfec...rto-1416518701
2.
World Golf Awards (WGA)Portugal World's Best Golf Destination 2014
3.
Wine Spectator's top 100 list 2014: 3 of the top 5 are Portuguese Wines, including the first one DOW Vintage Port
4.
Most beautiful wine country in the world
http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/...orld-22199.php
5.
Best european country (USA Today)
http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/...opean-country/
6.
Portugal wins 16 oscars - World Travel Awards 2014
http://goo.gl/aSYG9z
7.
Condé nast traveler best country destination 2014 portugal
http://www.traveler.es/viajes/mundo-...eler-2014/5300
8.
Portugal one of the best value destination 2015 (lonely Planet)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-t...tions-for-2015
9.
The city of Porto the best destination (European Consumers Choice)

And more...

You still have any doubts?

WillTravel, are you still out there? You mentioned in the original post "a number of cultural and historic and musical reasons". Cultural and historic reasons are obvious, but I'm curious about the musical reasons. Do you want to tell us what might those reasons be?

"The people are kind but benignly morose."

I have been to Portugal three times and I would love to go back. I have found those benignly morose people much to my liking, and they have gone out of their way to be friendly and helpful. They even put up with our hugging them when all they are really looking for is that double kiss that I have yet to master.

For a morose people, I have found them, or some portion of them, enthusiastic and garrulous. There was the taxi driver in Lisbon who decided to share the story of his weight loss, complete with photos and the name of his nutritionist, as he drove a group of us home from a restaurant. He was just trying to help.

There was the pharmacist who walked me to the hotel next door and had them get cash on my credit card when my debit card wouldn't work, not to mention the hotel desk clerk who complied happily with the request.

There was the waitress who, when asked to call us a taxi, left and then returned in the taxi itself, which she hopped out of with a big smile as she greeted us at the door.

There was the little restaurant surrounded by farms in the Alentejo, patronized mostly by the local farmers, some of whom insisted on getting up when we walked in so we could have the table under the air conditioners with the good view of the soap opera they were all watching on the TV. The inn manager who brought us there told us to order only two helpings of the day's only dinner offering as it would be more than enough for the three of us. It was delicious, and it was more than enough, but the owner kept coming around and offering us more.

When I was obviously enjoying the wonderful plums they brought out for dessert, they brought us out another plate of them.

And then there is the wonderful Portuguese friend whom I never would have met without this message board, with whom I have shared several of the most enthusiastically festive evenings in recent memory; who never ceases to amaze me with his and his family's generous hospitality; and who continues to impress me with his brave use of a language that is not his own to use humor and humility to be a virtual ambassador of his country and his culture to the Fodor's community.

Francis and Nikki, thanks for your posts. That's the impression we had of Lisbon, too. The "morose" description doesn't fit anyone we met there-- "Sullen and ill-tempered"? Uh, no.

It was glad one the lists of the " best...."supplied by Francis,
rated Madrid as the best city in Spain. ( one of my favourites anywhere)

According to many posters , Madrid is " just another big city" , " worth staying in only to visit Toledo, Segovia etc" ," only for those interested in museums ", " ....
I could go on...
It is all in the eye of the beholder.

lobo_mau,
> I'm curious about the musical reasons. Do you want to tell us what might those reasons be?

Fado for sure! I don't know much else about Portuguese music in Portugal. I love various types of Brazilian music also, but I don't know how available those are in Portugal. But I tend to think that given how much I love the Portuguese-language music that I have encountered, I would like the music available in Portugal.

WillTravel, in fado scene, the ruling queen is Ana Moura with a solid career. A new voice to follow is Carminho. Mariza is more known outside but she hasn't the "fadistic soul" of the previous. Dulce Pontes made a very funny recreation of a late 19th century fado house when fado singers were mostly women of questionable reputation: http://youtu.be/XYT4iQ8ukWE
Have you heard about "cante"? Watch this: http://youtu.be/yR1k193i888
If you have time and patience check Anthony Bourdain in Lisbon. It's dated, overly morose and pessimistic but can give you some insight about what's going on in Lisbon and Carminho appears there in her best to sing "escrevi teu nome no vento" and explains the lyrics in her own words.
Nikki, I believe your friend feels that only gave you a small fraction from what received in return.