Where my hometown is depends largely on who you ask.
To my English friends, my hometown is really only Guildford. To my relatives, it’s a mix. It depends on whether they want to brag that they know someone who lives abroad, or if they’re too patriotic and demand that Portalegre, Portugal is still, and always will be, my hometown.
Listen to the author read this article:
Truthfully, they are both right.
Since I was two years old, I’ve lived in Guildford and it has always felt like home. But Portalegre does, too.
Even though I am not adapted to the way of life there, there is something special in going back to the place you’re from that means it will always feel like home.
Guildford and Portalegre are quite different. Guildford, on one hand, has a unique atmosphere. It feels like a cross between a calm village and a bustling town. I think this is due to Guildford’s layout.
As it is quite centralized around a couple of fairly small streets all next to each other – High Street and North Street being the main ones – Guildford seems quite small for a town boasting a population of 147,000.
The town of Guildford is beautifully surrounded by the South Surrey Downs, which have been officially recognized as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For those who don’t know, the South Surrey Downs are a collection of smooth hills in the county of Surrey in South East England and make for great hiking, picnics and sometimes even horse-riding spots.
As a result, local schools often organize big walks around these hills. The one closest to my house is the Hogsback, but there are many more, like Pewley Downs, which other Guildfordians know better.
Despite this, Guildford has plenty of urban beauty. Lots of houses around Guildford are in the Tudor style with exposed beams and white plaster, however there are many beautiful red brick Victorians and lovely limestone Georgian houses as well, especially near the town center.
Speaking of the town center, it is definitely my favorite thing in Guildford. Nestled among beautifully restored buildings, it has several delicious coffee shops, art galleries and clothes stores as well as bookstores. The restaurants are currently obsessed with Korean and Southeast Asian food, so if you like that, visit quick before the craze dies out.
There is also a perfectly located shopping center. This, combined with several cultural and historic buildings – including a Norman Castle, Alice in Wonderland gardens and the house of Lewis Carroll’s sisters – Guildford emits a relaxing and cozy aura which captivates many Londoners who prefer to live in Guildford.
It’s also a perfect hometown for anyone who wants a relaxing but not boring place to live, like me.
Portalegre, on the other hand, is definitely boring. Despite being a city and the capital of a Portuguese region, there isn’t much to do.
The city is devoid of historically significant sites with the only exception being a beautifully restored 16th century Catholic cathedral, which is actually worth a visit.
Similarly, despite having a clearly laid out center, there are more people on the outskirts of the city where you’ll find the supermarkets, which themselves are ugly buildings. Moreover, there is a lack of decent clothes shops with only one good one, and the coffee shops are nice but lack the hustle and bustle you would expect from being anywhere on a high street.
Nevertheless, I still love Portalegre because it is quintessentially Portuguese and is the perfect place to remind me of my roots.
Manuel Bernardo Tavares Moreira Belo Carmona is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
