No one gives you any rules until you break one

There are many things to amaze you here. Breathtaking landscapes, castles everywhere, and wine and food that are out of this world. I have never enjoyed more fresh seafood, cheese, olive oil, bread, tomatoes, and vegetables in all of my life. There are quite a few small towns that do not even have a traffic light, so if your soul is craving a truly peaceful life with little crime, and vendors who will give you the service and let you pay tomorrow, Portugal is definitely the spot. But every rose has its thorns. One goes through all these steps and no one gives you a list of laws, rules, or codes of conduct until you trespass one — so here are the rules we learned, admittedly the hard way. This is not an exhaustive list; it is what we have learned until now.

1. Do not yell in public. This is a code, not a law, but trespass it and the embarrassment will last for some time.
2. No dogs allowed in the front seat of the vehicle. It is viewed as an obstruction in both Portugal and Spain. In Portugal it is a €120 fine; in Spain, €40, doubling if it is not paid in full within a few days.
3. Cars older than 8 years must be inspected annually. If not, the GNR or Polícia can pull you over, take your car documents and issue a €250 fine, payable on the spot. If you cannot pay, they keep your registration documents until it is settled at the municipality.
4. Walk inside the crosswalk. If you are a pedestrian, cars must stop for you to pass.
5. When using a public laundry facility, stay put. If you fail to remove your clothes, others will take the liberty of doing it for you.
6. On the road, the left lane is a passing lane. If a vehicle is coming up behind you, move over and let it pass. Failing to do this ignites a level of vitriol that feels uncalled for.
7. “Priority” is given to the elderly, women and men with children or minors, the infirm and other groups. If you are in a queue, people with priority status go ahead of you — in any queue. These rules are absolute.
8. It is illegal to urinate in the ocean, to keep the waterways family friendly.
9. The foreign flag rule. You can fly another nation's flag, but in Portugal it is illegal to do so without also flying a Portuguese flag alongside it.
10. Bread is never free here. In North America bread is given as a courtesy; here the “couvert” — bread, butter, olives, cheese — is not free.
11. Eating while walking is considered poor form. Normal elsewhere, definitely frowned upon here.
12. The Portuguese word “você”, meaning you. North Americans use “you” to address everyone, but to a Portuguese person this can come across as rude, aggressive and far too direct. Use the third person or the person's given name instead.
13. Prostitution is legal between consenting adults, but third-party profiting is not — pimping, brothels and organized rings are all illegal.
14. Alcohol consumption: whatever one consumes in public must be consumed responsibly, without causing a disturbance or public nuisance.

On the possession and use of illicit drugs: the substances are not legal, but one can use and possess up to a ten-day supply. In 2001 the government took a decriminalization position.