Journey to Portugal: Part 15, Aveiro
- Written by Lynne Booker, Algarve History Association
Aveiro: Seaweed, Salt and a Saint. Quirkiness is one of Portugal´s best loved features, and I have no misgivings about using the word quirky again to describe the city of Aveiro. Aveiro has been called the Amsterdam of Portugal and the Venice of Portugal as well as the most attractive town in Beira Litoral (Lonely Planet 1999).
The Golegã Horse Fair
- Written by Martin Northey
The Golegã Horse Fair which is also known as the National Horse Fair held every year in November, is a celebration of the Lusitano breed. The fair is held at Golegã in the Ribatejo region of Portugal. Golegã is 133 km north east of Lisbon on the west side of the river Tejo.
The Iron Lady, What if.....
- Written by Patrick Street
Now the dust has settled historians will endlessly debate Baroness Thatcher’s legacy. But hardly anything will be said about “what if? What if she hadn’t won the 1979 General Election ...
Faro, April 25th - is this what we have come to?
- Written by Paul Rees
As key political figures in Lisbon prepared for today’s celebration of the anniversary of April 25th 1974, revolution was in the air in Faro last night.
Vasco da Gama: Where are you now?
- Written by Lynne Booker, Algarve History Association
In the game of nominating as many famous Portuguese as you can, it is certain that Gama will be one of the few remembered, along with Henry the Navigator and perhaps the Marquês de Pombal, Salazar, Magellan, Eusébio and Christiano Ronaldo. Yet Gama is known for one event only, that of his command of the pioneering sea voyage between Europe and India in 1497 -1499. So what was so special about him and the voyage?
The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and the Algarve
- Written by Lynne Booker, Algarve History Association
For any week in the year there are about 200 earthquakes above 2.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale around the world - mostly around the Pacific Rim. And earthquakes are not uncommon in the Algarve. But just how significant was the Lisbon earthquake of 1755? Known as the Lisbon earthquake because Lisbon suffered immense damage, it also affected areas such as the Algarve which were closer to its epicentre.
Journey to Portugal: Part 14, Sintra
- Written by Lynne Booker, Algarve history Association
Sintra: On the Mountain on the Moon. An old Spanish proverb suggests to see the world and leave out Sintra is to go blind. Situated on the northern slopes of the craggy Serra de Sintra with spectacular views towards the coast and rampant verdant vegetation, the Sintra area has been an attraction to the early Iberians, the Romans, the Moors and Portuguese royalty. Nowadays hordes of visitors cram its narrow lanes for its spectacular setting and magnificent palaces and monasteries.
Martin's Motorcycle Travels - Coimbra
- Written by Martin Northey
We visited Coimbra on our way south from the north of Portugal in November 2006, we were there for a night and a day, which was only long enough to take photographs of some of the principal buildings and absorb a little of the atmosphere of the city and university.
