Lisbon, capital and heart of Portugal
by Robert Carlton
Portugal has always been known as the land to the left of Spain on
the Iberian Peninsula, caught among its traditional way of life -
fishing and agriculture. But thanks to the technology and the
integration, Portugal´s 91.985 km2, of which 88.944 km2 correspond
to the mainland territory and the rest to the beautiful islands of the
Azores and Madeira. The country is divided into 11 regions, with 18
districts headed by a Governor and these districts each have their
own Town hall and Mayor.
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
from the 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 never regret 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 spellbinding scenery that this amazing place has to
offer. It is known as the country with 101 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 its surrounding towns. Lisbon is a city which makes you feel that
time has never gone by, not only because of its architecture but
thanks to the people themselves and 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
only a few hours to the south in the region called El Algarve. There
are incredible fishing towns and beautiful sandy beaches. Once you
have relax for a day or two, it would interesting to venture into the
countryside and take direction setting north to the Alentejo region.
The main city in this region is 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 a Pousada, reconverted castles
and palaces made into historical lodgings which are all over the
Portuguese geography. Still heading north but towards the Atlantic
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 burning desire to help someone with problems and the profound
religious ambience found here is very special. An from the religious
to the intellect when we feast our sight on the very old university city of
Coimbra. Just visiting the university grounds is a trip in itself. Still
going up the coast, we come to the River Duero and the city of Porto
or sometimes called Oporto. This area together with the Mino River
valley make up the fertile vineyards for the famous Oporto wine. Other
than enjoying the green vegetation which are the green grapes that
make up this delicious wine, we can sip a few samples of the
different varieties and see the process at some wine cellars.
Portuguese Cuisine
Lick your lips and dig in. Let´s see, I will try some Alentejana soup
which are morsel of bread with coriander herbs, garlic and poached
egg. Or maybe Cacao soup made from fresh fish. If it is chilly, I would
like to try a typical meat dish called Pork a la Alentejana which is pork
seasoned with wine, coriandro herb, onions and crushed almonds.
Rabbit, hare or partridge with white beans can also warm your heart
and stomach. Spread some creamy sheep cheese on some toasted
bread or some hard, cured cheese from Evora with a touch of olive
oil. Cod fish done in a hundred different ways, especially with
tomatoes, onions, garlic and boiled potatoes which are all national
products. To accompany all this scrumptious food we need the right
wine. And flaky almond pasties to finish it all off.
Let yourself be overwhelmed by Portugal´s picturesque details,
shades of green, enticing bodies of water, tiled murals, white
washed houses and thewarm feeling that the Portuguese offer to all
passer byer. 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
by Robert Carlton
Portugal has always been known as the land to the left of Spain on
the Iberian Peninsula, caught among its traditional way of life -
fishing and agriculture. But thanks to the technology and the
integration, Portugal´s 91.985 km2, of which 88.944 km2 correspond
to the mainland territory and the rest to the beautiful islands of the
Azores and Madeira. The country is divided into 11 regions, with 18
districts headed by a Governor and these districts each have their
own Town hall and Mayor.
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
from the 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 never regret 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 spellbinding scenery that this amazing place has to
offer. It is known as the country with 101 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 its surrounding towns. Lisbon is a city which makes you feel that
time has never gone by, not only because of its architecture but
thanks to the people themselves and 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
only a few hours to the south in the region called El Algarve. There
are incredible fishing towns and beautiful sandy beaches. Once you
have relax for a day or two, it would interesting to venture into the
countryside and take direction setting north to the Alentejo region.
The main city in this region is 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 a Pousada, reconverted castles
and palaces made into historical lodgings which are all over the
Portuguese geography. Still heading north but towards the Atlantic
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 burning desire to help someone with problems and the profound
religious ambience found here is very special. An from the religious
to the intellect when we feast our sight on the very old university city of
Coimbra. Just visiting the university grounds is a trip in itself. Still
going up the coast, we come to the River Duero and the city of Porto
or sometimes called Oporto. This area together with the Mino River
valley make up the fertile vineyards for the famous Oporto wine. Other
than enjoying the green vegetation which are the green grapes that
make up this delicious wine, we can sip a few samples of the
different varieties and see the process at some wine cellars.
Portuguese Cuisine
Lick your lips and dig in. Let´s see, I will try some Alentejana soup
which are morsel of bread with coriander herbs, garlic and poached
egg. Or maybe Cacao soup made from fresh fish. If it is chilly, I would
like to try a typical meat dish called Pork a la Alentejana which is pork
seasoned with wine, coriandro herb, onions and crushed almonds.
Rabbit, hare or partridge with white beans can also warm your heart
and stomach. Spread some creamy sheep cheese on some toasted
bread or some hard, cured cheese from Evora with a touch of olive
oil. Cod fish done in a hundred different ways, especially with
tomatoes, onions, garlic and boiled potatoes which are all national
products. To accompany all this scrumptious food we need the right
wine. And flaky almond pasties to finish it all off.
Let yourself be overwhelmed by Portugal´s picturesque details,
shades of green, enticing bodies of water, tiled murals, white
washed houses and thewarm feeling that the Portuguese offer to all
passer byer. 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
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