Greetings, colorful friends across the globe!

I’m back from two weeks in Europe and sharing some color, language and travel tips as we journey together on the COLORING MY WAY ACROSS THE GLOBE series. Today we are exploring the colorfully painted front doors along the cobblestone streets of Porto, Portugal.

Bonus: I’m also sharing 3 key language tips for the culturally conscious world travelers out there. Vamos!

This violet-red door captured my attention as it looks so similar to Pantone’s new color of the year, VIVA MAGENTA.

The juxtaposition of old buildings and freshly painted doors fascinates me and reminds us that past and new worlds collide and interlock in such a historic city as Porto.

Let’s shift gears and talk language learning for a moment.

LANGUAGE TIP #1: Be a situational language learner.

Immerse yourself completely in the culture and moment by jumping right in and practicing the few words you may know in the destination language. Experiment. Talk to locals and struggle through it without fear or concern for judgment. In that situation, you will learn new, practical, conversational words! Language learning the fun way is what I call it.

I’ve traveled to several countries now and always make an effort to learn a few words beforehand. These words serve as catalysts to deeper conversations with locals, and interactions whereby I expand vocabulary based on real life social encounters.

Case in point: My meandering around the streets of Porto two weeks ago led to the discovery of a lunch spot, where I began conversing with a local in broken Portuguese and a lot of Portuñol, which is a comedic way of saying I was blending Portuguese and Spanish together to form semi-comprehensible sentences. This older gentlemen was having an early lunch and a drink. From him I learned about a traditional Portuguese liquor called Ginjinha or simply Ginja.

WIKIPEDIA defines it best: Ginja is a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherry, Prunus cerasus austera, the Morello cherry) in alcohol (aguardente) and adding sugar together with other ingredients, with cloves and/or cinnamon sticks being the most common. Ginjinha is served in a shot form with a piece of the fruit in the bottom of the cup. It is a favourite liqueur of many Portuguese and a typical drink in Lisbon, Alcobaça, Óbidos, Marvão, Covilhã and Algarve. The Serra da Estrela ginja, centered around Covilhã, has protected designation of origin.

[WIKIPEDIA language used verbatim above]

That fine day I learned how to toast in Portuguese (The locals say, “Saude!”) and had a shot of Ginja with a local. He of course spoke to me in Portuguese and I learned over 10 new vocabulary words easily in that one interaction!

Back to the doors………I couldn’t capture all that I saw throughout Porto. There were so many buildings and streets to traverse, but this door above may have been my favorite color placement. The pumpkin hue is just bright enough without overpowering the entire area. Well placed color such as this is warm, inviting, striking and timeless.

Fresh door colors are known to give exteriors a face lift, no? Do you know that I also offer a new color design package just for exterior doors? It is a valuable service if you want to refresh your home, add a bit of trend, and/or use color to boost curb appeal for a home sale. Call me today here or send over an email for us chat more about this service offering!

LANGUAGE TIP #2: Learn these basic phrases and greetings in your destination language before you arrive. They serve as the foundation for all other language learning and endear you to the locals.

1. Hello, goodbye

2. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening

3. Do you speak English (or whatever your native tongue is)?

4. Please, thank you (If you learn nothing else, then please learn these two simple words!)

5. I am visiting your country from______ and speak _______.

6. I do/don’t understand

This light, icy gray-blue door and shutter hue is a light and refreshing contrast to the gray concrete and cobblestone.

LANGUAGE TIP #3: Download podcasts, songs, and/or children’s books on audio prior to your trip abroad, and listen to them on the way!

You can practice listening to your target language being spoken prior to arrival and begin familiarizing yourself with some frequently used words. When I studied Spanish abroad decades ago, my Spanish professor recommended that I acclimate my ears to the language prior to the semester in Costa Rica. I wish I had heeded her advice. Haha!

Friends, I write to you today with a bit of jet lag but many warm memories in my heart from these European travels. Stay tuned for more color, travel, language and culture chronicles in the COLORING MY WAY ACROSS THE GLOBE series.

Today’s blog post is just a succinct burst of color and language learning tips for you to ponder. Have a wonderful week! There is so much more to follow

Colorfully yours,

Lauren