2007 01 - 10 things you did not know about Portugal

Monday, 01 January 2007 00:00

Welcome to the second year of "Inside Portugal".  We started this newsletter last February to let you know about new offerings, hotels, packages, events, and off-the-beaten-path ideas on this emerging destination. You have responded with kindness, and for that we are grateful.

So, for 2007, we decided to start off with a little fun -  and show you a few of our favorite things and places in Portugal.

Let's start with 10 things you did not know about Portugal:

1. Portugal is the world's largest producer of cork. Cork oak trees are protected by law, and so the cork oak forests are some of the largest forests in southern Europe. They support dozens of endangered species.

2. Europe's only tea plantation, Gorreana, is found amidst the mild climate of the island of São Miguel, in the Azores. The climate contributes to the tea's outstanding flavor.

3. Portugal is "Pottery Heaven":  Regional pottery from Portugal shows up in gourmet shops like Williams-Sonoma because of its high quality and style. Check out "Provençal Platters" or "Alhambra Platters" at that store - just two examples of regional styles, which can also include the fine porcelain of  Vista Alegre, the earthen colors of Redondo, and the black pottery of the Centro de Portugal region.

4. Many gourmet and organic food shops in the U.S. offer Portuguese cheeses because of their quality, variety, and flavor, and the traditional methods still used to produce them. The best way to find the best cheeses is to travel the country and sample them. Look for the hardy goat's cheese of the Alentejo, the rich sheep's cheese of the Beiras, the sharp cow's cheese of the Azores, or the miraculous "Serra" cheese of the Estrela Mountains.

5.   Forget Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon—how about some new grapes? Fresh, complex and unique, distinctly Portuguese grapes include Touriga Nacional, Loureiro, Alvarinho, Bical, Arinto, Síria, Aragonez, Trincadeira, Castelão and Baga.

6. Portugal has about 530 miles of sandy beaches--all on the Atlantic and all inviting.

7. Some of Europe's coolest new spaces, such as Porto's Casa da Música and Lisbon's Casino, are in Portugal.

8. Portugal has its own architectural style, the Manueline, which was popular from 1498 to 1540, and transcended Gothic and Mannerist styles. 

9. Some of the best, most luxurious new hotels in Europe are being built in Portugal, from rural Montes in the Alentejo region, to the banks of the Douro River. One luxury hotel - the DouroQueen - is a floating one, a cruise on the Douro River.

10. Be cool.  Some of Europe's best new chefs, coolest new places to eat, and best nightclubs are in cities like Lisbon and Porto.

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1. THIS MONTH'S TRAVEL SECRET: Coimbra, city of scholars and poets
2. NEWS: Smithsonian exhibit features Portugal treasures; Lisbon will gain hotel rooms; Tourist visits increase; Try TurAventur for out of the ordinary; Chef of the Year named
3. PACKAGES/DEALS: Touring Unlimited to Pousadas; Spa & Valentine's Package at  Pestana Palace
4. EVENTS: Underwater museums to open; National railroad celebrates 150 years
5. EATS:  Portuguese Bread, region by region
6. VERSE: "Fado" by José Malhoa

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1. THIS MONTH'S TRAVEL SECRET: Coimbra, city of scholars and poets

"Coimbra is to Portugal, as the flower is to the garden, as the star is to the heaven…" so goes an old Fado of Coimbra. This, the home of the nation's oldest university, is a cultural treasure. Coimbra today is a city of gardens, romance, students, and impressive monuments, with cultural roots that go very deep. Since 1288, when the city became Portugal's second capital, the country's greatest minds, most celebrated writers, and most despotic rulers have spent time in its colleges and bars. Coimbra has sat atop its hill looming over the River Mondego for at least 4,000 years. Under the Romans, it was a place of some significance, with a forum, temple, and fortifications. Kings later set up a palace amidst the ruins of the Roman city. The palace then became the site of a law center and the birthplace of the city's university, today considered the most prestigious in the country. Its students wear the same black gowns of centuries past, a way to "equalize" the rich and the poor. Visitors often tour the University's historic center, which documents Portuguese history from the Age of Discovery to the fascist regime of Salazar that ended in 1968.  

You may know about the Lisbon version of Fado but the "Fado" of Coimbra is not a poor stepsister. Coimbra's song is distinct--always sung by a man (a tenor), and always by a student (or a former student) of the University. It is either a song of love or a song of friendship. Listeners can hear it near the University in a former chapel called A Capela, or at most cafés in the city center.

Romantics are also attracted to Coimbra for its gardens, which include an elegant botanical garden, the Garden of Tears, the gardens at the former Santa Cruz Monastery, and the Garden of Saudade,  which overlooks the city and is filled with the poetry of generations of students.

2. NEWS: Smithsonian exhibit features Portugal treasures; Lisbon will gain hotel rooms; Tourist visits increase; Try TurAventur for out of the ordinary; Chef of the Year named

+++ The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. will present "Encompassing  the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries," from June 23 to September 9, 2007 in its Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. This exhibit  features approximately 350 pieces from Portugal's historic vast network in world trade. The country's extensive commercial empire ultimately reached to Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Brazil. Portuguese influence extended into the art and culture of these regions. The pieces for this exhibit have been assembled from private collections and museums throughout the world and include paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, maps, early books and other objects providing a rich view of the developing "New World."

+++ Lisbon's supply of hotel rooms is about to expand by 50 percent, with some 41 new properties seeking licensure and another 43 existing properties undergoing expansion or renovations.  Among the proposed new hotels, more than half will be 4- or 5-star properties.  Currently Lisbon has about 95 hotels.  

+++ Tourism in the Porto and the North Region were up 20 percent in the third quarter of 2006, with traffic at Porto's newly renovated Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport jumping 139 percent on low fare flights from outside Portugal. TAP Portugal now offers regular service from Newark Liberty Airport to Porto.

+++ TurAventur offers up-close and fun adventures in the Alentejo region, and can accommodate any size group on its safaris, mountain bike or nature tours, off-road adventures, canoe trips on the River Guadiana, or cultural tours—all focusing on the beauty of the vast Alentejo region.

+++ The new Chef of the Year in Portugal is Nuno Mendes, who presides at the hot new Lisbon eatery,  Cop'3.  Address: Largo Vitorino Damásio, n.º 3. Tel.: +351 213 973 094

3. PACKAGES/DEALS: Touring Unlimited to Pousadas; Spa & Valentine's Package at Pestana Palace

+++ From now until the end of March 2007, the historic Pousadas of Portugal are offering a "Touring Unlimited" rental car package, with a selection of 9 different routes starting at the gateway cities.  The routes take visitors to the castles, manor houses and monasteries that make up Portugal's network of  Pousadas, and for just 294 Euros per person per week for lodging and car rental, winter is great time to ride the roads. The package includes a 10 percent food and beverage discount card for all Pousada restaurants. Touring children stay for free.

+++During February 2007, the Pestana Palace in Lisbon offers a Spa and Valentine's Package including 3 nights in a deluxe room, plus arrival treats and an American buffet breakfast. Or, choose a VIP suite with private massages. Couples can have a personal cooking lesson from Executive Chef Aimé Barroyer, then eat what they've made, served in the spa. Price is 521 Euros per person.

4. EVENTS: Underwater museums to open; National railroad celebrates 150 years

+++ Two sections of an underwater, archaeological park are about to open in the Azores, highlighting the importance of the port at the Angra do Heroísmo Bay during Portugal's maritime heyday. In the 15th century, the Azores—in the middle of the North Atlantic--became an obligatory stopover for sailors traveling from Europe, the coast of Africa, the East and the New World. Now, the seabed there harbors treasures from this maritime past in two underwater  museums—The "Shipwreck of the Steamer Lidador" and "The Cemetery of the Anchors." The museums, anchored to the sea floor, will allow visitors to walk through the ruins along an underwater route with helpful signs interpreting the sites.

+++ Portugal's national rail company, CP, is celebrating 150 years of railways in Portugal. The first train trip in Portugal took place between Lisbon and Carregado on October 28, 1856. CP has organized a series of fun events to commemorate the 150th anniversary. http://www.cp.pt

5. EATS:  Portuguese Bread, Region by Region

If you grew up in New England, you are probably familiar with the Portuguese Muffin, a name that fails to tell the whole story. These are called Bolos Levedo, a treat that originated in the Furnas Valley on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. They look like an oversized English muffin, but are not dry or crumbly, and are on the sweet side—perfect with Azorean butter and blackberry jam. This muffin is just one of dozens of varieties of breads in Portugal, where you can travel from region to region and never have the same bread twice. In the Azores alone there are a dozen unique breads, from the famous sweetbread to the flat bread of Pico. The island of Madeira is known for its Bolo de Caco, a huge flat loaf served with butter and garlic. The Porto area has a thick, rich, multi-grain bread, and the town of Tentugal near Coimbra is famed for its pumpkin bread. Rich wheat breads are found in the Alentejo region, and crusty breads like regueifa are typical of the area near Lisbon. Bread lovers would do well to sample any of the traditional breads of Portugal.

6. VERSE

José Malhoa, one of Portugal's great painters of the 19th century, was born in the pottery town of Caldas da Raínha . His acclaimed naturalist paintings show everyday Portuguese life, and his most famous one is the "Fado" (1910). While his work is seen in many Portuguese museums, there is a José Malhoa Museum, in Caldas da Raínha. The painter is also remembered in this "Fado Malhoa", made famous by the great Fadista, Amália Rodrigues:

…"He painted on canvas with art and with life
The sweetest song of the dearest land"
José in his samarra jacket,
With his lover at his side
With his fingers he grabs, and runs across the guitarra. And there you see the Fado
It may sound funny, the idea of hearing with the eyes. Perhaps… but not for one who has listened, in color.
There are voices of the Alfama in the painting.
That is of the neighborhood,
That is Lisbon.
Gypsy and Fadista,
That is of an artist,
And that is – Malhoa.