Week in Portugal

Tuesday May 19th, 2009

Castelo de Sao Jorge (5 Euros)
Saint George Castle was once used as a fortress, today it is home to many local families and a place that certainly deserves a visit.Visitors can climb the towers and walk along the reconstructed ramparts of the castle walls and wonder at the spectacular views over Lisbon and the Tagus river. Conquered by the Moors in 1147, Saint George Castle has an area of around 6000 square meters with several towers, look-outs, a dry moat and two squares divided by an internal wall with a connecting door. Also not to be missed on this castle is the Ogival House, with its five ogival arches, where you can see the 17th-century door that made the connection to the jails once located here. The symbiosis between the castle and the landscape couldn't be better. Due to its historical background and the dazzling views it offers.
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (6 euros) and Torre de Belem (3 euros)
The Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and the Torre de Belem are the supreme architectural representatives of a period in which the Portuguese nation played a leading role, expanding the horizons of both Europe and the world. They were erected symbolically in Belem, which, in the sixteenth century, was the site of the port from which the caravelas and other large ships set sail on the great voyages of the Portuguese maritime discoveries.
A small chapel - Santa Maria de Belem - was built here at the behest of Prince Henry the Navigator on the site where the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos now stands. The monastery was itself commissioned by D. Manuel I. The magnificence of the building reflects the universalist vision of its founder and the powerful financial resources that the Portuguese crown then enjoyed.
The monument's original design is the work of the architect Boytac, and its construction began in I502. This was the initial phase of building work that was to be continued by other Masters, namely Joao de Castilho and, in the middle of the century, Diogo de Torralva.

Wednesday May 20th, 2009
Sintra National Palace (4 euros)

The Sintra National Palace, also called Village Palace (Palácio da Vila) is located in the village of Sintra.
It is the best preserved mediaeval Royal Palace in Portugal, having been inhabited more or less continuously at least from the early 15th up to the late 19th century. It is an important tourist attraction and is part of the Cultural landscape of Sintra, designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Pena Palace (4 euros)
Pena perches above Sintra on a plateau about 450m (1,476 ft.) above sea level. Part of the fun of visiting the castle is the ride up the verdant, winding road through the Parque das Merendas.
The inspiration behind this castle in the sky was Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the husband of Maria II. Ferdinand called on a fellow German, Baron Eschwege, to help him build his fantasy.
Pena Park was designed and planted for more than 4 years, beginning in 1846. Ferdinand was the force behind the landscaping. He built one of the most spectacular parks in Portugal, known for the scope of its shrub and tree life. Admission to the park is included in the price of a ticket for entrance to the palace.
Castle of the Moors (3.5 euros)
The Castle of the Moors was built sometime between the 8th and 9th centuries in a position 412m (1,351 ft.) above sea level. In 1147, Scandinavian crusaders besieged and captured it from its Moorish occupants. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the royal consort responsible for Pena palace, attempted to restore the castle in the 19th century. He was relatively unsuccessful. From the parking area, a guide will send you in the right direction. From the royal tower, the view of Sintra, its palace and castle, and the Atlantic coast is stunning.

Thursday May 21st 2009

Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória (or Monastery of Batalha) 3 Euros
On 14 August 1385, close to the site of the monastery at Batalha, an event took place that was to prove decisive for the consolidation of the Portuguese nation. D. João, the Master of Avis and the future King of Portugal, defeated the Castilian army at the Battle of Aljubarrota. This victory brought an end to a dynastic crisis that had dragged on since 1383, when the King D. Fernando had died. His only daughter was married to the King of Castile, who laid claim to the throne of Portugal. D. João dedicated the monastery to the Virgin Mary, whom he had called upon to beseech God to grant him victory. He gave the monastery to the Dominican Order, to which his confessor belonged. This was the beginning of a project whose construction work would last for almost two centuries and resulted in one of the most fascinating Gothic monuments in the Iberian Peninsula. Its great architectural value and historical significance led to the building being classified as World Heritage in 1983.
Fatima
With its origins deep in history, it was during the Arabian occupation that this settlement developed and was named. According to legend, during the Christian Reconquest, the Templar knight Gonçalo Hermingues, also known as Bringer-of-Moors, fell in love with Fátima, a Moor captured in the course of an ambush. Reciprocating the love, the young woman converted to Christianity and adopted the name Oureana. In the sixteenth century, the settlement became a parish in the collegiate church of Ourém within the Diocese of Leiria. Its subsequent development dates from the events known as the Apparitions of Fátima, in the early part of the twentieth century. It has become one of the key centers for the Cult of the Virgin Mary in Portugal and has been recognized world-wide by the Catholic Church. The first apparition took place in 1917, in Cova da Iria, at the site of the current Sanctuary. For those interested in the historical context of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima, visits can be made to the houses of the shepherd witnesses in the village of Aljustrel. In the gardens of Casa de Lúcia, there is a monument commemorating the second apparition of the Angel of Peace and the end of the Via Sacra which begins in the Sanctuary. Along this route, there are 14 chapels donated by Hungarian Catholic refugees in the West. Of particular note is Valinhos, 400 meters from the village where monuments commemorate the fourth apparition in 1917 as well as the place chosen by the angel. Here, in 1916, the shepherds saw the Angel of Peace for the first and third times.

Portuguese National Tourist Office - 590 Fifth Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036-4704 telephone: 212 -354-4403
Helpful Websites
www.portugal.org: Investments, Trade, and Tourism of Portugal, a government agency, maintains this site. It is a general information resource, providing data about tourism and attractions, among other information.
www.portugal-info.net: This site provides an encyclopedic range of information about accommodations, restaurants and cuisine, events, entertainment, and sports. Its focus is on Lisbon and the Algarve, and it's of special use to visitors from the United Kingdom.
www.pousadas.pt: This site provides the best details on pousadas (government-sponsored inns scattered throughout the country). It offers geographic details, current rates, information on online bookings, and even photographs.
www.tap-airportugal.us: This site provides data about TAP's (Portuguese Air Transportation) flights in Portugal and online reservations. New features include all published fares and data about how to change reservations.
Road Maps
Michelin publishes the best Portugal road maps, and they're available at many stores and map shops throughout Europe and in the U.S. and Canada. Or you can order them from Michelin, P.O. Box 19008, Greenville, SC 29602-9008 (tel. 866/866-6605) The maps are updated every year; always try to obtain the latest copy because Portugal's roads are undergoing tremendous changes. One of the best Michelin maps to Portugal is no. 440 (on a scale of 1:400,000, or 1 inch = 9.8km/6 miles).
Telephones
To call Portugal:
1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.
2. Dial the country code 351.
3. Dial the city code 00 and then the number.
To make international calls: To make international calls from Portugal, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. 1). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.
For directory assistance: Dial 118 if you're looking for a number inside Portugal, and dial 177 for numbers to all other countries.
For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial 171.
Toll-free numbers: Calling a 1-800 number in the States from Portugal is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Almeirim (borough where my parents live)
Of very ancient origin, this region was already populated in prehistoric times, but it was in the 16th century that Almeirim underwent major development, at a time when the Portuguese Court chose it as a favorite summer resort. The journey was made in brigantines that went up the River Tagus. King Dom Manuel I, the King of Portugal at this time, ordered a Royal Palace to be built here, which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Farming is still the region’s main economic activity, with the cultivation of tomatoes, melons and huge vineyards that produce the renowned and very popular mature red wines. Typical of Almeirim is the famous sopa da pedra (stone soup), the recipe for which, according to tradition, was invented by a cunning friar who visited the houses of the area with a stone, with which he would show how it was possible to make an excellent soup. When the water of the pan in which the stone was "cooking" had started boiling, he would ask for one more ingredient to give it flavor (which might be salt, sausage, beans, potatoes...) and in this way he tricked the local people.
Tourism Office: 243 594 107
Municipal pool: Avenida D. João I, 2080 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 594 130Police: Rua António Sérgio, 2080-062 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 570 690Fire Department: Rua Condessa da Junqueira, 2080-069 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 592 122Drug Stores
Farmácia BARRETO DO CARMO - Praça da República nº45, 2080-044 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 592 379Farmácia CENTRAL - Rua 5 de Outubro nº58 R/C, 2080-052 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 570 570Farmácia MENDONÇA - Praça da República, 2080-044 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 592 265Farmácia MODERNA - Rua Dr. Guilherme Nunes Godinho nº504 r/c, 2080-562 Fazendas de Almeirim, Telefone: 243 599 309
Taxi Cabs
AlmeirimPraça de Táxis de Almeirim: 243 592 300Arsénio Marques e Filhos, Lda: 96 403 29 85Auto Rocha Oliveira e Figueiredo. Lda: 96 600 70 48Auto Táxi Leonor e Cristina, Lda: 96 451 28 70Fernanda e Joaquim Ladeira, Lda: 96 901 71 17Simões, Lda: 91 729 98 01Transp. Almeirinense Pardal, Lda: 91 763 3938Fazendas de AlmeirimAlferrent Automóveis de Aluguer, Lda: 96 277 21 59; 96 450 01 86; 243 599 172Auto Táxi Fazendense, Lda................. 91 970 06 17; 243 592 304
Health ClinicsCentro de Saúde de Almeirim - Canto do Jardim, 2080-011 Almeirim, Telefone: 243 594 350Extensão de Saúde de Fazendas de Almeirim - Rua João da Silva Pombas nº12, 2080 Fazendas de Almeirim, Telefone: 243 599 114
Saturday May 16th (only if there’s time to do so)
The Convent of Christ (5 euros) In 1983, UNESCO awarded the classification of world heritage to the Templar Castle and the Convent of the Knights of Christ in Tomar, a unique monument in the history of the western world. Built on a site that was originally used for Roman worship, this vast monumental complex illustrates seven centuries of Portugal's history and contains several important mementoes of decisive moments in the history of the western world. The Order of the Temple was disbanded in 1314 as a result of its persecution by the French king Philip IV, the Fair. However, at the wishes of the Portuguese king D. Dinis, the members of the order, its property and privileges were all totally integrated into a new order - the Militia of the Knights of Christ in 1319. The Templars were thus able to continue their sacred mission of Chivalry in Portugal. Outwardly, the main sign marking the change was to be seen in the Order's cross, which now had straight arms instead of the curved arms of the Templar cross. Together with Prince Henry the Navigator, the new military Order began to prepare the Portuguese nation for the great enterprise of the maritime discoveries of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Tomar Castle was by then a Convent and the headquarters of the Order, and Prince Henry was made its governor and perpetual administrator. The lay master transformed the knights into navigators whose mission it was to expand the kingdom and spread the faith through the maritime discoveries. This was why the caravels bore the Cross of the Knights of Christ on their sails, and this sign was to be carved into various stone landmarks all around the world.

Reception / Recepcao

Our reception will take place at Quinta da Feteira http://www.quintadafeteira.pt/. This site is in portuguese but you can look at the pictures.

A nossa recepcao sera na Quinta da Feteira http://www.quintadafeteira.pt/.

Ceremony / Ceremonia

Our wedding will take place at a chapel built in the 17th century, in the town where I grew up. This is the same chapel where my parents got married.

O nosso casamento sera numa capela construida no seculo 17, na terra onde eu cresci. Esta e a mesma capela onde os meus pais casaram.

Onde Dormir... / Where to Sleep

Hotel Novo Principe (Almeirim) - +351 243 570 600

Corinthia Santarem Hotel (Santarem) - www.corinthia.com

Hotel Alfageme (Santarem) - www.hotelalfageme.com

Quinta do Casalinho (TR - Benfica do Ribatejo) - +351 243 589 618

Casa de Alcacova (TH - Santarem) - www.alcacova.com

Para quem nao quer gastar muito dinheiro.... ha vagas em casa de familiares da Marcia... facam a sua reserva quanto antes.

For those who don't want to spend a lot of money... there are openings in houses of Marcia's relatives... make your reservation asap.

Dia do Casamento / Wedding Date

Casamento marcado para dia 17 de Maio de 2009. Comecem os planos.

Wedding date set for May 17th 2009. Start planning.

Flying out...

For those of you flying to Portugal. Hang in there. I got some information about prices, but I'm still looking around. I don't have any answers yet about tickets. But, we are only able to purchuse them a year before. As soon as I have that information I will let you know.

Things to consider:
1) transportation to Newark airport;
2) what to bring - keep in mind the weather is always warmer during the day and chilly at night;
3) only 2 airline companies fly direct into Lisbon - Continental and TAP

Nos / Us

Nos os dois / The two of us