The Good Morning Portugal! podcast with Carl Munson

The episode examines why fuel is so expensive in Portugal, noting that about 47 cents of every euro spent on petrol and around 42 cents on diesel goes to the state through stacked taxes.  Using AI research, it breaks down the main components: ISP fuel duty, a carbon tax added on top, and 23% VAT applied to the full price (effectively “tax on tax”).  A real-world example estimates that filling a 50...

On Monday 14th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news focuses on two big stories: the Sophia solar project being scaled down by 35% after environmental feedback, and Lightsource BP cancelling a Beiras solar plant. The other main theme is fuel prices, with an economist warning against cutting VAT on fuel amid a political dispute over the tax burden at the pump.  Additional headli...

In this episode, Filomena Pascoal - an experienced teacher of 38 years and a longtime mentor to the hosts - introduces her work teaching Portuguese to foreigners and English to Portuguese adults, running private one-to-one lessons and EU-sponsored A1/A2 group courses (including online courses with Expats Portugal - https://expatsportugal.com/fun-portuguese-language-course-for-expats-in-portugal-po...

Full story - https://www.portugalresident.com/environmental-groups-demand-action-after-fresh-wildlife-deaths-near-salgados-lagoon/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-morning-portugal-podcast-with-carl-munson--2903992/support . Get help moving to and living in Portugal

On Friday 11th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news reports that the Portuguese Armed Forces are strengthening cyber defences through partnerships with national firms BlackRoute and Ethiac, backed by more than €920,000.  Other headlines include President António José Seguro visiting the Algarve, a ministerial call for fiscal responsibility in the state budget, Portugal ranking...

Celebrating International Port Wine Day on 10 September, marking the 1756 anniversary when the Marquês de Pombal created the Companhia Geral de Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro and established Alto Douro as the world’s first officially demarcated, regulated wine region, later commemorated as Port Wine Day in 2014 by the Douro and Port Wine Institute. Ending with a Portuguese-learning “mission”...

Fizz: Automating Taxes & Cutting Business Bureaucracy in Portugal | Good Morning Portugal On the Good Morning Portugal show, Carl interviews Mike from Fizz, a tech-based financial assistant designed to reduce the bureaucracy of running a business in Portugal, especially around understanding, calculating, and filing taxes. Mike explains that Fizz automates tax calculations and filings, sends us...

Paul & Carl criticise supermarket and food-industry labelling as cynical and shameful, describing tactics like hiding product descriptions in cooking instructions and manipulating labelling laws to mislead consumers, especially around processed foods and ready meals.  They compare past openly “junk” foods with today’s products marketed as wholesome, arguing shoppers are now targeted with more...

Today, this monthly discussion reviews Bank of Portugal figures suggesting foreign real-estate investment fell from about 1.9 to 1.7 billion, questioning whether Portugal’s market is cooling or maturing.  Paul argues the data depends on what is counted, but says the headline “decline” is really a refinement as Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve have become unaffordable and yields in central Lisbon are...

In this live conversation, Carl interviews Ali Heathfield, author of “Not Done Yet,” about balancing digital tools with real-life community - especially for foreigners settling in Portugal.  Ali describes herself as an encourager and shares how redesigning her website and publishing three books, with AI used for editing but not writing, sparked reflections on time online and the “digital divide.” ...

On Wednesday 9th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news leads with the story of Pedro Sobchyshak, a Portuguese-born man who has lived 25 years without citizenship after repeated administrative failures; new legislation from 1 September now offers a possible path via 'stateless status'.  Other headlines include Portugal joining 12 countries in announcing sanctions on Israeli sett...

On Tuesday 8th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news reports that 21 finalists have been chosen for the new Seven Wonders of Portugal after a national semi-final at the Palácio Nacional de Sintra.  Other headlines include the no-confidence motion around Interior Minister Luís Neves creating an institutional challenge for the Prime Minister, with the Socialist Party set to absta...

In this episode, Carl talks with Stephen from Digital Serenity about the growing frustration of living in a digital world where apps, passwords, and account systems create constant friction, including real examples of being locked out of essential services like parking apps. They discuss why even tech-savvy people can get trapped by company-side login loops, and why using an agnostic password mana...

More and bookings - https://www.chronospherefestival.com/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-morning-portugal-podcast-with-carl-munson--2903992/support . Get help moving to and living in Portugal

https://www.skool.com/gmp-vips-1236/boa-segunda-vamos-embora-what-will-you-say-today Carl reframes learning Portuguese as an “A-Team” daily mission: take small steps every day to build vocabulary, confidence, and integration, using community encouragement and writing your intended Portuguese phrase, person, and context in the comments.  The format has shifted from a 90-day challenge to “Speak Port...

Carl recounts seeing a completely naked man in Lisbon’s Jardim Zoológico (Sete Rios) Metro station in mid-afternoon while with his three children, rebuking him to dress and suspecting a mental health episode. He uses the incident to explore how public standards, safety, and cultural norms around dress and behavior operate in Portugal, alongside a recent sighting of a topless woman on a beach and d...

On Monday 7th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news leads with the Socialist Party accusing the government of profiteering from fuel taxes, claiming more than €1 billion in extra revenue since April 2024.  Other headlines include a study highlighting regional disparities among two million students and higher dropout rates in Lisbon, Setúbal and the Algarve, artists withdrawing...

On Friday 4th September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news warns of a new “quishing” scam: fake personalised bank letters containing cards with malicious QR codes designed to steal banking credentials. Other headlines include scheduled E-Redes power maintenance in Sintra, Mafra and Palmela, a historic cork-industry archive donated to Silves, psychologists calling for better access to...

Keep in touch 24/7 - www.portugaltalkradio.com 3rd September 2026: highlighting cultural news and updates: sardine prices rising as Portugal’s 2026 quota is cut under an EU recovery plan amid global “tinned fish” demand and climate pressures; and Douro wine growers dumping about 300 kg of grapes in Régua to protest a crisis where grapes aren’t being bought and prices are uncertain.  Carl shares Po...

obby O'Reilly returns to discuss progress at Herdade do Meio, a 70-villa development with fewer than 10 units left to sell and completion expected in March, followed by a second phase adding hotel infrastructure and a sports complex for the local community.  He shares a personal update about giving up alcohol and improving his health to keep up with extensive travel.  The conversation then shifts...

On Thursday 3rd September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news reports that sardine prices are surging after Portugal’s 2026 EU quota was cut under a recovery plan, combining limited supply with booming global demand for artisanal tinned fish. Douro wine growers dumped around 300 kg of grapes in the streets of Régua as a protest over the regional crisis.  Other headlines include parliam...

Climate Change in Portugal (2026): El Niño, Storm Kristin, and Building Local Resilience In a 2026 conversation based in Portugal, Stewart and Carl discuss human-induced climate change, how the topic has become politically polarizing, and why they look to climate science - especially IPCC reports - while acknowledging public distrust of “science.” They compare their environmental backgrounds and f...

Follow the show, more content, news, weather & currency at www.portugaltalkradio.com Find Steven at https://digitalserenity.life Munson hosts the Good Morning Portugal Show, previewing guest Steven Shewack from Digital Serenity and leading with concerns that rising costs, drought, and global conflict could trigger bread and staple price hikes in October as Portugal produces only 20% of its cer...

Keep in touch and have your say 24/7 - www.portugaltalkradio.com Top news on an intense mainland Portugal heatwave with temperatures up to 42°C alongside continued expansion of onshore wind energy as Portugal pursues 2030 climate goals and net-zero by 2045.  Sharing headlines including a missing 23-year-old last seen in Lisbon, a woman’s death in an Albufeira hotel with a partner detained, book vo...

Portugal heatwave from today, as wind power grows. Temperatures to reach 40°+ in places! On Wednesday 2nd September 2026, Carl Munson’s Good Morning Portugal! news leads with an intense heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 42°C in several mainland regions, while Portugal’s onshore wind capacity has grown by 199 MW this year as the country pursues 2030 climate targets and net-zero emission...