Bit of History
It is the Western
most country of mainland Europe. To a large extent the history of Portugal in
intertwined with Spain due to its proximity. The country also came under the
influence of Moors.
Most
importantly, Portugal spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook
the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator, son of King Joao I, became
the main sponsor and patron of this endeavor.
Of interest to us, Gama landed in Calicut
on 20 May 1498.He landed once again in Calicut in October 1502. During both the
voyages he could not get the Zamorin to sign any treaty. For the next two
decades, Vasco da Gama lived out a quiet life, unwelcome in the royal court and
sidelined from Indian affairs. Setting out in April 1524, with a fleet of
fourteen ships on his last journey to India, Gama contracted malaria not long
after arriving, and died in the city of Kochi on Christmas Eve in three months
after his arrival. Vasco da Gama's body was first buried at St Francis Church,
which is located at Fort Kochi in the city of Kochi, but his remains were
returned to Portugal in 1539.
The Portuguese Navy has a Class of Frigates
named after him. There are three Vasco da Gama class frigates in total, of
which the first one also bears his name.
Disaster
fell upon Portugal in the morning of 1 November 1755, when Lisbon was struck by
a violent earthquake with an estimated Ritcher Scale magnitude of 9. The city
was razed to the ground by the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami and
ensuing fires.
Portugal
along with Spain was one of only five European countries to remain neutral in
World War II.
In 1986,
Portugal joined the European Economic Community (EEC) that later became the
European Union (EU). Portugal's last overseas territory, Macau, was peacefully
handed over to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1999. Mainland Portugal
is split by its main river, the Tagus that flows from Spain and disgorges in
Tagus Estuary, in Lisbon, before escaping into the Atlantic.
Portugal has been
a democratic republic since the ratification of the Constitution of 1976, with
Lisbon, the nation's largest city, as its capital.
Portugal is among the 20
most visited countries in the world, receiving an average of 13 million foreign
tourists each year. According to the 2011 Census, 81% of the Portuguese population
is Roman Catholic. Football is the most popular sport in Portugal. Spain is
five times larger than Portugal.
We Visited Lisbon – 27 April 2013
On our way to
Lisbon, David kept us busy with lots of info about Spain and Portugal. He
talked about the famous ‘Running of the
Bulls’ which is a practice that involves running in front of a small group of
bulls that have been let loose, The run in Pamplona is the most popular in Spain. Persons under
the age of 18 cannot participate in the run. Also people who have imbibed the
Elixir in a big way and those who are not in good shape are barred from the
run. It all started when the farmers brought the bulls to towns to sell and
butchers would run behind to select the best. This slowly developed into a
yearly festival.
La Tomatina
is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the
town of Bunol near to Valencia in Spain. Thousands upon thousands of people
make their way from all corners of the world to fight in this 'World's Biggest
Food Fight' where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are
thrown in the streets. Rules being – smash the tomato and then throw, secondly
throw it up, so that it falls naturally.
Average
salary in Spain is about 1200 Euros – that makes it 2400 for a couple. Rental
takes away 700 E, food etc another 200E, Car 150 E. Insurance 150, School 250.
Studies at the university costs between 800 to 1500 Euros per year. All the
citizens get medical coverage. Senior citizens have to pay a nominal sum for
medicines – to discourage wastage. They also pay 1 Euro to see the doctor.
A good
thing about Portugal - it allows city dwellers to rent a patch of land outside
the city limits to cultivate for 40 Euros a month. They visit their plots on
weekends to work and grow what they want. The whole family goes out to relax. A
brilliant idea.
David also
told us to be careful in the restaurants in Lisbon. If any item on display on
the table is consumed, one has to pay for it – do not touch.
Development
is generally slow in these parts due to down turn in the economy. Construction
of new roads and railways has stopped – the bullet train between these two
countries has also stopped.
Lisboa has
a population o 2million.A city built on hills. Compared to Spanish cities
Lisbon appeared a shade dirtier with a few beggars thrown in.
Interestingly
600,000 thousand people live in Lisbon and a staggering 900,000 commute ever
day for work.
A good
thing about the city - it is mandatory to retain the old façade of buildings,
houses and apartments. One is allowed to refurbish and renovate inside. This
has ensured the city retains its rich historical past. Wind power contributes
40% of the energy to the national grid.
Once again
the city is full of monuments and buildings entwined in history, reminding us
of the rich heritage of the city. We checked into Altis Park Hotel.
Figure 1 – Wind Mill on the way
Figure 2 – Cork packed in stacks for aging and curing
Figure 3 – With David Nadal during a technical stop
Figure 4 – Nair in a very pensive mood
Figure 5 – Relived after the technical halt
Figure 6 – Aqua duct bringing water to Lisbon. "Aqueduct
of the Free Waters" is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon. It is
one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering. The
main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km, but the whole network of canals
extends through nearly 58 km.
Figure 7 – This is bound to catch the attention of parents who have to look after naughty children.
Figure 8 – An ancient building with Islamic influence
Figure 9 – Rassio Square – City centre
Figure 10 – Parts of City centre
Figure 11 – Rassio Square
Figure 12 – Photo op before lunch
Figure 13 – Male models from India
We Visited Lisbon – 28 April 2013
Travelling in a Group
There are a
number of advantages travelling in a group – company, security , familiarity
and the very idea of being together – sharing the events with jokes and
anecdotes, easy banter and the rest. The girls also get a chance to indulge in
nonstop chit chat and catching up. There is always someone to relate to and
share the experience with.It is a very rewarding experience.
On the flip
side, one has to deal with a number of opinions on every subject – we were
twelve and generally ended up with at least a dozen plus views. One may easily
slip into endless discussions, weighing the pros and cons and so on. Lot of
precious time is lost in the mean time. Where to go, what to see, what to eat
are some of the common issues which occupy one’s mind. Ordering food is a
Herculean task – fraught with hidden dangers. Vegetarians have their own
difficulties in countries like Spain, Portugal or for that matter China. Some
wish to experiment, many want to tread the beaten path, few are indecisive and
the list is endless. How to spend the evening after a tiring day also becomes
an issue – some prefer a quiet evening in the hotel, the more energetic people
wish to explore the city by night, have a Porto wine in the room and retire as
against a drink in a cafe or a noisy pub. Lot of people plan their meals around
what is available in a food mall – cheese, cold cuts, fruit, bread, yogurt and
so on. On the other hand few want to taste the local food – Calamari, Pulpo a
la Gallega - Octopus, tapas, peri peri et al. Adding to all this confusion is
the factor of extreme closeness – seeing each other day and night - treading on
each other sensibilities.
There is no
golden rule which ensures a happy group travel. All have to work at it and
develop an inclusive attitude – I have a view but others too have their say.
Lot of give and take is essential in any travel. The essence is in the
participation.
After a
city tour, we visited ‘Cascais’ - is a coastal town 30 kilometres west of
Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the
Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities. The former fishing
village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal families in the late 19th
century.
City Tour
Figure 14 – Early morning freshness and
chill of Lisbon
Figure 15 – War memorial in the
background
Figure 16 – Suspension bridge on River
Tejo – similar to Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Built by the same
company – American Bridge Company.
Figure 17 – Very pleased with
themselves.
Figure 18 – Some have run away
Figure 19 - Hieronymites Monastery
Figure 20 – Tomb of
Vasco da Gama in the Jeronimus Monastery in Belém, Lisbon
Figure 21 – Sanctum Sanctorum Church of
Santa Maria
‘Cascais’
The drive
to Casais is excellent, another example of the mesmerizing Estroil coastline of
Portugal. The sea descends on the coast with a ferocious intent, followed by
gusty winds, bathing the sandy beaches and surfers alike. Casais is a hunting
ground for the rich and the famous, the jet set and the young merry makers. The
cocktail is volatile and it explodes at night in the cacophony of music dance,
drink and mayhem. Unfortunately we saw the town by day.
The
vegetarians from our group had a field day in an Indian restaurant run by Mr
Happy from Jalandar. Their joy knew no bounds, after nine days they got a
chance to belt down Maki Dal, Mixed Veg, Butter Tandoor Roti, Papad, Pickle and
Curd Rice. I understand they abandoned the ‘Fork and Spoon’ farce and went
straight with their fingers. Like the owner they also came back ‘Happy’.
Self and
Kats went in to have ‘Peri Peri’ chicken – the best I have tasted. Pili pili is the Swahili word for 'pepper
pepper'. This dish evolved in Angola and Mozambique, once Portuguese colonies.
Rooster is
the symbol of Portugal. The rooster of Barcelos comes with a story. A pilgrim
stayed in a room rented by a lady. Pilgrims always carry simple things - they
are supposed to be humble. In the morning she found some silver missing. She
accused the pilgrim, who claimed to be innocent. On the other hand the police
wanted him to show something to prove his innocence. On the way to the court they
passed by a restaurant. People were eating chicken – seeing that the pilgrim is
supposed to have told the police that “If I am innocent the chicken on the
plate is going to stand up and crow and it did. A legend of faith.
Figure 22 – Ceramic work in the city
depicting historic events.
Figure 23 – Beauty of the sea
Figure 24 – A hotel overlooking the
Atlantic
Figure 25 – The rugged coastline
Figure 26 – The main thoroughfare of
Cascais
Figure 27 – Navin with a shop keeper
who thought she was a priest –
language - ??
Figure 28 – Busy afternoon scene
outside a restaurant
Figure 29 – Peri Peri underway
Figure 30 – A view of the town
Figure 31 - The Cascais sky
Figure 32 – An imposing building
Figure 33 – The palace of Sintra
Figure 34 – One of the state rooms
Figure 35 – An imposing main dining
hall
Figure 36 – Saroja making a point
Figure 37 – 21 Swans in the Swan Room.
Figure 38 – View of the city
