In a PIGS Eye

It was only a few years ago that so-called analysts dubbed Portugal one of the EU's "PIGS." As is too often the case, how cruel and how wrong they were.

Did you read Jancis Robinson's FT Weekend column, "The Pride of Portugal"? She focused on the country's surging, high-quality wine industry. She added that overall, however, "The Portuguese are on a roll. Their football prowess is beyond question. Their two biggest cities are tourist meccas." She further indicated that Madonna has moved to Lisbon, but don't let that dissuade you otherwise.

You can feel the pride and energy in Portugal. It's that palpable. Lisbon is booming. Real estate values are soaring, for better and worse. Portugal was recently the first country to run completely on renewable energy for five consecutive days. And Portugal is paying its bills.

So next time you hear some talking head broad-brush an entire, remarkable civilization with an ugly sobriquet such as PIGS (Italy, Greece and Spain are included, too), keep in mind that these are people. These are human beings with pride and confidence who made the tragic mistake of voting fools into office who made matters much worse. We Americans know something about this subject, too.

Lisbon image shot in September 2017.