Portugal starts off initially as
a small county in the region of Porto in the 11th century. It is not until two
generations later that the country finally gains independence and establishes
its capital in Coimbra before spreading further south. Great royal monasteries
are founded as historical landmarks in the face of their secular enemies, the
Arabs and Castile. Once consolidated, they gave rise to a series of ports that
would direct the Portuguese towards their great epic, the Atlantic, Africa and
India. Their expansion will culminate in Lisbon in the 16th century when a devastating
earthquake breaks the pervasive decadence and allows for a new beginning. We will
attempt to see this evolution within the parameters of modern Portugal.
Arrival in Porto and overnight
A scenic tour through the portside city of Porto will allow
us to discover its Romanesque Cathedral, the Torre dos Clerigos, the Cristal Palace,
the Stock Exchange and the districts on the banks of the Douro river. The second
city of Portugal has always been the most important industrial center of the country,
thanks in part to the benefits obtained by the wine commerce with England. The
cellars where the production of Port wines has always taken place are on the river
banks opposite the Douro, in Vila Nova de Gaia. Possibility of visiting a winery
with Port-wine tasting Our most indelible memory will be the magnificent views
of the city of Porto, its bridges and historical district, during a panoramic
cruise. Overnight in Porto
The cod fishermen turned to the Aveiro estuaries because
its salt production. As a result, the city experienced significant prosperity
during the Middle Ages. Over the canal we will visit the main streets with the
Gothic cathedral and the Mannerist style church of Misericordia. Further on we
will stroll along the Buçaco Park, a former monastic refuge filled with exotic
plants. Possibility of organizing a typical fisherman lunch in Aveiro Coimbra,
the former capital city for more than one hundred years, boasts the oldest university
of Portugal, and even today the cheerful ambiance of the students permeates the
city. We will see the university’s library and Romanesque Cathedral, the purest
expression in all of Portugal, prior to strolling down the narrow streets to the
Carmelite Convent where Sor Lucía, one of the Fátima shepherds lived and died.
Overnight in Coimbra
The appearance of the Virgin in 1917 transformed the small town of Fátima into
the destination of the millions of Portuguese and foreign believers who make the
pilgrimage every year. Batalha is a Gothic Dominican monastery that was begun
towards the end of the Gothic period and contains many Manuelino style elements.
Its founding commemorates the victory over Castile in the neighboring Aljubarrota
in 1385. The Cistercian monastery Alcobaça, the largest church in Portugal, recalls
another victory, this time over the Arabs in 1147. We will finish our day by the
Atlantic Ocean in Nazaré, a small fishing village situated on a cliff where the
fish are still dried out in the ancient tradition. Overnight in Nazaré
We will continue our visit along the Portuguese side of Estremadura as we visit
the city of Caldas da Rainha, with its important 15th century baths and the Manuelino
style Populo Church. All around we will see the renowned local pottery. We will
arrive at the ancient port city of Óbidos that seems to have been trapped in the
Middle Ages. The city maintains the integral 14th century walls and the castle.
Notable as well are the pillory and the Renaissance style church. We will also
enjoy a stroll in the walled fishing village of Peniche, located on a peninsula.
On the way to Lisbon we will make a quick stop in Cabo da Roca, the westernmost
point of the European continent. Overnight in Lisbon
The morning will be spent visiting the different districts
of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon such as La Alfama -with its Cathedral, the San Antonio
Church, the fortress, narrow streets and trolleys-, El Chiado -with its bohemian
character-, and La Baixa with its urban development subsequent to the 1755 earthquake.
The evening will take us to the Tejo estuary in Belém where we will visit the
Belém Tower and the Hieronymites Monastery, pantheon to both the Royal family
and Vasco da Gama. Both sites are expressions of the Manuelino style from the
early 16th century. With every step Portuguese history comes alive in our minds
and can be easily understood at the Monument of the Discoveries. Overnight in
Lisbon
Today’s
day trip will have us passing by Portuguese seemingly endless cork oak groves
until we arrive at Évora, a former Roman settlement and World Heritage City where
we will discover its past visiting the temple from the Roman Age, the Cathedral,
the University of the Jesuits and the San Francisco Church with its Chapel of
Bones. Return to Lisbon for overnight. Possibility of organizing a special farewell
dinner and attending a Fado performance
Transfer to the Lisbon Airport
