Travel and Vacation Information & Articles

Since Early Times
At the beginning, Portugal was not differentiated from the northern part ofSpain called Galicia because it was a homogeneous cultural unit. The firstboundary stone was initiated in the Neolithic period when the Castrena Culturebegan with fortified huts in a circular pattern topped with cone shaped strawroofs. While in the fertile southern plains the Tartarians, Greeks and Phoeniciansstarted rich colonies, in the rough and granate like north of Portugal, theLusitanians presented their resistance. The Roman conquest put an end to thisdomain and for the first time in history, the Portuguese territory was separatedfrom the Galician. Braga was named the first capital of the Swabian kings whoreigned in Portugal from 408 to 585. Later the Visigods, who had been establishedin Spain expanded their land into Portugal. But as all the Iberian Peninsula,the Arabs extended their powerful arm and in 711 also reach the south. Butfor unknown reasons, the Arabs left Portugal, only leaving behind their cultureand architecture.

But Henry of Borgona, who was Earl of Portugal and the father-in-law of KingAlfonso VI of Castilla had his own plans for Portugal and it was his son, AlfonsoHenry, after a decisive battle in Guimaraes was proclaimed King of Portugalin 1128. From here, his successors extended the territory up until in the XIIIthe Portuguese territory was completed.

In 1415, King Joao I wanted to conquer more lands and started a campaign intothe African territories. This impulse also sent Portuguese naval ships to occupyMadeira in 1418 and the Azores in 1427. But they did not stop there, as weall know they reached the Brazilian coast too.

Leaving Portugal without any heirs, Philip II of Spain, who was born fromthe daughter of the king of Portugal, was proclaimed King in 1580. But in 1640with the Treaty of Lisbon, Spain gave it its independence.

Coming up to more modern times, Portugal joined the Atlantic Treaty in 1949and the United Nations in 1955. After having gone through many types of politicalparties, Portugal nowadays is a stable country open to the world.

A Quick over view of Portugal
Portugal has a seducing enchantment and anyone who surrenders to it will neverregret it. The best way to see Portugal is to do it by car and very slowly.By car because it is the most comfortable way to stop and see all the spellbindingscenery that this amazing place has to offer. It is known as the country with101 castle and we would like to see quite a few. Slowly, because the road ways,not main highways, are very sinuous.

Lisbon capital and heart of Portugal
I would recommend starting out from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and itssurrounding towns. Lisbon is a city which makes you feel that time has nevergone by, not only because of its architecture but thanks to the people themselvesand for not being in a hurry. You can begin at the center in the Plaza do Comercio,set right on the River Tajo and either head down towards the water and alongthe port promenade or into the hub of the city to visit the numerous churches,monuments and living history unfolding before your eyes.

Once you have visited the city, I would head for the surrounding towns onlya few hours to the south in the region called El Algarve. There areincredible fishing towns and beautiful sandy beaches. Once you have relax fora day or two, it would interesting to venture into the countryside and takedirection setting north to the Alentejo region. The main city in this regionis called Evora. The oldest monument in the town dates back to the II or IIIc. and it is the temple of Diana - A real architectural beauty. There is aPousada, reconverted castles and palaces made into historical lodgings whichare all over the Portuguese geography. Still heading north but towards theAtlantic we come across One of the most symbolic Catholic cities in the world,Fatima. Whether you are a believer or not, everyone has a favor or burningdesire to help someone with problems and the profound religious ambience foundhere is very special. An from the religious to the intellect when we feastour sight on the very old university city of Coimbra. Just visiting the universitygrounds is a trip in itself. Still going up the coast, we come to the RiverDuero and the city of Porto or sometimes called Oporto. This area togetherwith the Mino River valley make up the fertile vineyards for the famous Oportowine. Other than enjoying the green vegetation which are the green grapes thatmake up this delicious wine, we can sip a few samples of the different varietiesand see the process at some wine cellars.

Portuguese Cuisine
Lick your lips and dig in. Let´s see, I will try some Alentejana soupwhich are morsel of bread with coriander herbs, garlic and poached egg. Ormaybe Cacao soup made from fresh fish. If it is chilly, I would like to trya typical meat dish called Pork a la Alentejana which is pork seasoned withwine, coriandro herb, onions and crushed almonds. Rabbit, hare or partridgewith white beans can also warm your heart and stomach. Spread some creamysheep cheese on some toasted bread or some hard, cured cheese from Evora witha touch of olive oil. Cod fish done in a hundred different ways, especiallywith tomatoes, onions, garlic and boiled potatoes which are all national products.To accompany all this scrumptious food we need the right wine. And flaky almondpasties to finish it all off.

Let yourself be overwhelmed by Portugal´s picturesque details, shadesof green, enticing bodies of water, tiled murals, white washed houses and thewarm feeling that the Portuguese offer to all passerbyer. The result is a total success, living up to your every dream.

Robert Carlton writes articles about Lisbon and Portugal. You can reach him via his website http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com