Spring Break in Portugal

Spring Break in Portugal 

One of the best things about being a student again is looking forward to spring break.  This year, even though our DC area winter wasn’t at all severe, I planned a getaway for my week-long break from George Mason University.  Instead of following in the footsteps of countless undergraduates who head to the beaches of Florida, I chose a different sunny destination.  Along with two friends, I embarked on a cultural adventure to Portugal, organized by George Mason University. 

For eight very full days, we visited historical sites, feasted on local cuisine, and soaked up the plentiful sunshine in a variety of settings.  Thanks to our knowledgeable guides, we learned a great deal about the long and complex history of Portugal, from its original Celtic and Iberian inhabitants, to the Romans, then the barbarians, the Moors, the Christian Reconquista, the 60-year period of rule by Spain, independence, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship, and finally the current republic.  With so much information to absorb in such a short amount of time, my head was swimming with various royal Manuels and Pedros and Joaos. 

Lisbon, where we were based for the first four nights of our trip, is a hilly city located on the Tagus River, not far from the Atlantic Ocean.  Because of its hills, trams and earthquakes, Lisbon is often compared to San Francisco.  On the day of our arrival, after checking into our hotel in the Baixa quarter, we set out in search of lunch.  A short walk brought us to the sprawling Comércio Plaza, with its statue of King Joao I.  Right away, we noticed one of the most striking features of the city, the ubiquitous black and white patterned limestone pavements.  Since the weather was sunny and in the low 60s, we sat at an outdoor table and learned how the Portuguese begin a meal, i.e. with excellent bread, olives, tapenade, fish spreads, and olive oil. 

Starting off lunch on our first day in the Praça do Comercio

Ignoring our jet lag, we summoned up the energy for a post-lunch exploratory walk through the city.  On our way to the Bairro Alto quarter, we made the first of our many sardine-shopping stops.  Throughout the city, you can find stores that specialize in the canned version of Portugal’s national fish.  Sardine shopping requires a lot of decision making: with bones and skin, or without? in olive oil, in lemon, in spicy tomato sauce?  And then there were multiple non-sardine options, such as mackerel, tuna, bacalao (salted dried codfish), squid and octopus.  There were even several varieties of fish patés.   

So many choices in the sardine shops!

Once each of us had purchased a few cans, we uphill into the Bairro Alto area where we found the Amorino ice cream shop.  Not only is their ice cream delicious but their ice cream creations are works of art.  (Note:  There are Amorino locations in several European and U.S. cities.)  Lack of sleep finally started to catch up with us at our group welcome dinner, where we struggled to stay awake long enough to sample more bread, sheep cheese, sausages, olives, whole grilled fish, potatoes, and plentiful wine.  

The following day was devoted to an in-depth tour of Lisbon, starting in the Belem (Portuguese for Bethlehem) district.  The main attraction was the Jeronimos Monastery, a complex begun in the early 16^th century at a time when Portugal’s stature was on the rise due to its sea trade with Asia and discoveries of new trading routes.  In fact, the motto of King Manuel I was “Master of the World.”  Looking at the façade of the monastery, our guide pointed out the distinctive features of the architectural style known as Manueline, such as nautical elements.  

Outside the Jeronimos Monastery

Just down the street from the monastery is the bakery believed to be the first to sell the pastel de nata, the custard tarts for which Lisbon is famous.  Supposedly, the original recipe was developed by one of the monks and passed on to the bakery owner.  Of course, I had to sample one.  Still warm from the oven, it was worth every calorie. 

Luscious custard tarts.  Mmmm.

We saw two additional sights in Belem.  One was the Belem Tower, built beside the Tagus River in 1515 by King Manuel I in order to control the entry of ships.  And not far from the tower, we stopped to take a look at the modern Discovery Monument, a tribute to the Portuguese explorers throughout the centuries.

Belem Tower on the Tagus River

In the Alfama district, the oldest quarter in the city, we took a walking tour of the narrow winding streets, concluding with a stop at Lisbon’s Sé (cathedral).  The oldest church in the city, it dates back to the middle of the 12^th century and is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. 

Narrow streets in the old Alfama quarter of Lisbon

Later that day, my friends and I took advantage of some free time to visit Lisbon’s National Tile Museum.  The history of tile work in Portugal goes back to time of the Moors (early 8^th century).  The earliest Moorish tile work, which is multi-colored, featured geometric designs.  Different techniques, brought to Portugal by the Dutch, were used for the later blue and white tile work, which often featured historical scenes. 

A sample of the beautiful work in the Tile Museum

Sightseeing builds up an appetite and we were ravenous by the time we walked to the Time Out Market, a sprawling indoor emporium of food stands with seating for hundreds of diners.  On this Sunday evening, it was mobbed with local families.  After surveying all the options, I ended up with a trio of traditional Portuguese favorites:  bacalao fritters, caldo verde (kale and potato) soup, and octopus salad.  Everything was fresh and flavorful.    

Time Out Market offered a huge range of eating options.

Our group spent most of the next day in the town of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about an hour north of Lisbon.  Because of its proximity to the ocean, Sintra was a favorite summer spot for royalty and wealthy residents of the capital.  Settlement of Sintra goes back several centuries.  In fact, at the top of Sintra mountain, you can still see the ruins of a Moorish castle fortress.  Our first stop in Sintra was the fascinating Quinta da Regaleira, a fascinating complex of gardens and structures that were built a little over a hundred years ago.  The owner, Carvalho Monteiro, was a Freemason and many of the structures were used for Masonic rituals.  It was spooky going down the winding stairs into an underground chamber that was completely dark, and from there we followed a maze-like route to find our way out into the light.  

At the Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra

Also in Sintra, we visited the royal summer palace.  But the most memorable sight was the dazzling Pena palace, built as a summer residence for the mid-18^th century rulers of Portugal, Queen Maria II and her German-born husband, King Fernando II.  The brilliant yellow and orange palace, with its multiple towers and turrets in the German Romantic style, is set against a background of the lush green landscape.

Pena Palace in Sintra

Courtyard in Pena Palace

Although we’d had a very busy day, we made sure to fit in a visit to hear traditional Portuguese fado music that evening in Lisbon.  Our taxi wove its way through the maze of narrow steep cobblestone streets in Bairro Alto, finally locating Faia, one of the best known places in the city to hear fado.  The ride was slightly terrifying (drivers tend to treat stop signs and red lights merely as a suggestion), but we never would have been able to find the restaurant on our own.  Although it was a Monday evening, the streets were filled with people and the restaurant was filled to capacity.  We were treated to a fine meal (note the presentation of the octopus) and some wonderful fado music performed by several different singers accompanied by the 12-string Portuguese guitar. 

The following day, we set out early from Lisbon, traveling south for a visit to the town of Évora in the Alentejo area.  This part of the country is agricultural, with rolling green hills dotted with sheep, brown and white cows, and black pigs.  Wheat and grapes are two main crops. The region is also filled with cork trees, olive trees, pines and eucalyptus trees.  Portugal is one of the world’s major cork producers.  Some interesting facts about cork:  when you plant a cork tree, it takes 125 years before you can harvest any of the cork.  Once the tree is mature, the cork can be removed every nine years.  Thus, the trunks of the trees are all marked with numbers signifying when the cork was last harvested. With winemakers turning to non-cork materials as stoppers for wine bottles, the Portuguese have developed some ingenious ways to use cork.  Every city and town has shops and street vendors selling cork purses, wallets, hats, backpacks and more. 

 Cork trees (photo taken from inside the bus)

Évora was settled in pre-Roman times and has always been an important city.  You can still see a Roman temple and Roman walls dating back to the 1^st century CE in the historic center of the town.  The Visigoths added walls between the columns of the temple, and the Moors, who arrived in the 8^th century, used it as a storehouse.  Other interesting sights in Évora included the Gothic cathedral, and the Baroque St. Francis Church, built from the 16-18^th centuries, along with its bone chapel.  A reminder that no matter how wealthy or important we are, we all meet the same end.  We had lunch at a charming little restaurant where we dined on the ultimate comfort food, bacalao and vegetables in a creamy sauce.  

Inside the bone chapel

Then it was back onto the bus for an hour-long drive to the very distant past.  At Almendres Cromlech, we stood among the prehistoric menhirs that are older than Stonehenge.  This complex of over 500 massive stones was discovered in 1960.  Researchers, who are still studying how the site was used, suspect that it has some relationship to the sun and moon.  

Menhirs that are over 5000 years old

The next morning, after four nights in Lisbon, we checked out of our hotel and headed north once again.  Our first stop was the charming and picturesque hillside town of Obidos.  Its medieval flavor reminded me of the French village where I lived in the 1980s.  In Obidos, you can find the remains of city walls, a castle and, of course, a church.  The fragrance of orange trees perfumed the air.  The town is famous for its fruit and vegetable shaped ceramic dishes and for ginja, a cherry liqueur that is traditionally served in edible chocolate cups.  Although it was 10:30 in the morning when we arrived, I was more than ready to try some ginja.  I even bought a ginja set (a small bottle of liqueur and three chocolate cups) to bring home.  

At the entrance to the oldest section of Obidos

Typical street scene in Obidos

The blue paint is supposed to keep evil spirits from entering the house.

A place to drink ginja

I wouldn’t have minded lingering in Obidos, but we were on a fairly tight schedule. Soon we were back on the bus and on our way to Alcobaça.  Alcobaça’s claim to fame is the Monastery of Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, built in the mid-12^th century by the first Portuguese king.  Its church is Portugal’s largest in the Gothic style.  The monastery was home to 600-700 Cistercian monks who brought agriculture, including fruit trees and vineyards, to the area. By the way, it’s worth noting that the Portuguese kings “nationalized” the religious orders in the 1830s.  All monasteries and abbeys were closed and became property of the state.  

A beautiful tile façade in Alcobaça

In Alcobaça's Monastery of Santa Clara

After a busy morning, we took our lunch break in the nearby seaside fishing village of Nazaré.  This was the perfect place to sample calderada, a fish stew served in a clay pot.  Along with the wonderful bread, cheese and olives, it made for a very satisfying meal.  Along the beach, we watched Portuguese women setting out fish on racks to dry in the sun.  

On the beach in Nazaré

Our final stop of the day was the Monastery of Batalha, which translates to Monastery of the Battle.  This Dominican monastery commemorates a Portuguese victory over a Castilian force in 1385.  Like all of the other monasteries and churches we’d seen, this one was very impressive.  At this point, though, it was getting hard to keep track of all the religious buildings.  

The imposing Batalha Monastery

Intricately carved limestone at Batalha (an example of Manueline style)

We had been doing intensive sightseeing for four days and we were all in need of a little downtime.  But not yet!  The next morning, we awoke in Coimbra, where we fortified ourselves at the hotel’s lavish breakfast buffet before another activity-packed day.  Coimbra was the first capital of Portugal but it is best known today for its university, the oldest in Portugal, and its medical facilities.  Dating back to 1290, the university has 23,000 students.  Law is the most popular field of study.  We were also shocked to learn from our guide that women were not allowed to attend the university until Portugal joined the European Union in 1986.  

The professors at University of Coimbra wear long black capes.

The highlight of our university tour was a visit to its18^th century library building.  The main room of the interior is made of beautifully carved wood and much is covered with pure gold.  Unfortunately, we weren’t permitted to take photos there.  The oldest book in the collection is a 10^th century volume in Arabic.  It also contains a Gutenberg Bible and illuminated Hebrew Bible from Genoa. In addition, we saw Coimbra’s 12^th century St. Anthony church and 16^th century St. Michael chapel.  A delightful surprise was an short impromptu fado performance at the local fado school associated with the university.  The fado tradition in Coimbra is unique in that it features only male singers.  

The interior of the St. Michael Chapel at the University of Coimbra

Street scene in Coimbra

When we left Coimbra, we headed for the town of Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal because of its canals.  Actually, the waterways are more reminiscent of Amsterdam.  At one time, large boats carrying salt and seaweed plied the canals, while smaller boats were used by fishermen.  Today, there are fewer boats in commercial use but many colorful vessels are available to take tourists around the city’s waterways.  

A colorful scene on the waterways of Aveiro

We were pretty exhausted from playing tourist all day when we finally arrived at our next hotel, in city of Porto.  It was 6 pm and all we wanted was a simple dinner followed by a good night’s sleep.  Most evenings, we’d say to ourselves, “Let’s just get something light for dinner tonight.”  And then we’d invariably end up with a multi-course Portuguese meal.  Of course, this happened once again on our first night in Porto.  Before we could stop, we’d gone through bread, olive oil, olives, cheese, fish pate, soup, lightly fried fish, boiled potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, wine, and coffee. 

Speaking of food, after eating fish at nearly every lunch and dinner since our arrival, I was actually beginning to crave chicken.  But the most tantalizing items on the menu were always the multiple fish/seafood options.  I came to realize that while Portuguese cuisine is constrained by the limited number of ingredients, they show great respect for the things that are available.  

Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, is located in the northern part of the country, on the Douro River near the Atlantic coast.  In its historic center, we saw many lovely older three or four story buildings, often with tile facades.  We started our walking tour on a hill near the river, the site of the pre-Roman settlement.  The Romans defeated the original inhabitants, built walls (now in ruins) and made improvements before being driven out by the Visigoths and other barbarian tribes.  At the top of the hill we visited the 12^th century cathedral, built in Romanesque style.  As this was a period of instability, it resembles a fortress.  Because there are few windows, the interior of the church is quite dark.  Inside, we noted a marble baptismal font from the 16^th century, a silver altar from the 17^th-18^th centuries, and an 18^th century main altar made of exotic Brazilian wood covered with gold leaf.  

View from the site of the cathedral on a hilltop in Porto

Interior of Porto's cathedral

After visiting the cathedral, we trudged downhill to the river and walked alongside the tram tracks on the King Luis I bridge.  The midday sun splashed over the mosaic of colorful houses crowded into the oldest section of Porto.  We gazed across to the wine cellars and warehouses lining the opposite riverbank.  We’d be visiting later them in the day. 

After a coffee break with pastry in Porto’s main square (early 20^th century, with neo-classical buildings), we continued exploring the historic center of the city on foot.  Our guide brought us to Porto’s train station to marvel at the walls covered with scenes of Portuguese history rendered in blue and white tiles.  Then it was back on the bus for a 5-kilometer drive down the Avenue Boa Vista, past the spacious 19^th century homes of Porto’s elite, before arriving at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.  I stood looking out at the blue waters, imagining that if I sailed straight west, I’d come ashore somewhere near New York City.  

At the western edge of Porto, on the Atlantic Ocean

We returned to an area of the city center near the University of Porto in time for a late lunch.  After so many heavy meals, I was happy to order a simple salad with sardines.  But one of my friends decided to try the artery-clogging local specialty, called francesinha.  This dish is basically a melted steak (or pork) and cheese sandwich made with a secret sauce and topped with a fried egg.  It is always served with French fries and accompanied by a beer.  I was not at all tempted to try it, nor was I interested in another specialty of Porto, tripe with carrots and white beans.  

Francesihna, a specialty of Porto

As soon as we finished lunch, we walked over to the renowned Lello bookstore, one of the oldest in Portugal.  It isn’t often that a bookstore becomes a tourist attraction, but this wasn’t any ordinary bookstore.  There was a 4 Euro admission fee just to enter the shop (creditable to any book purchase).  Some consider it the most beautiful bookstore in the world.  It certainly is ornate, with a stained glass roof and sensuously curving red staircase.  Author J.K. Rowling, who spent several years living in Porto, supposedly was inspired by the Lello bookstore when she created her Harry Potter series.

Interior of Lello Bookstore

Exterior of Lello Bookstore

Another long, long walk downhill brought our group back to the King Luis I bridge.  This time, we crossed to the opposite side of the Douro River, to the city of Gaia where the wine cellars and warehouses for the famous Port wine are located.  During a tour of the Burmester cellars (established by two Englishmen in 1730), we learned that Portugal produces about 245 million bottles of Port annually.  The grapes are grown in the Douro Valley and brought to Gaia for aging.  The three types of Port are white (usually an aperitif, served chilled), tawny (a golden brown color, served at room temperature), and ruby (a deep red color with stronger tannins).  Of course, we tasted a couple of varieties during our tour.  My preference was for the tawny port, which goes well with chocolate. 

King Luis I Bridge over the Douro  River, view of Porto taken from Gaia

Casks of Port wine aging in oak barrels

A couple enjoys a quiet moment by the Douro River in the late afternoon

After sampling the wine, we crossed back to the Porto side of the river.  The sun was starting to sink and its golden light cast a romantic glow.  Along the banks of the river, people were strolling or sitting at open-air cafes.  Gulls were swooping from on high.  Music filled the air.  It was a perfect moment, one that encapsulates what I loved about Portugal. 

It was nearly dark by the time we turned back uphill and found an outside table at a tapas restaurant.  This less traditional take on Portuguese food was a welcome change from the heavier meals we’d been devouring.  Among the dishes we enjoyed were sliced octopus and sweet potato in a Port wine sauce and Portabello mushroom with goat cheese, bacon and red pepper jam. 

On our final full day in Portugal, we took a two-hour bus ride to Tomar to see the monastery of the Knights Templar.  Actually, this Convent of Christ is a military complex as well as a monastery.  I’m still not clear about the role of the Templars in Portuguese history.  From what our guide said, it sounds like they were the first Portuguese army.  Starting in the early 12^th century, they fought against the Moors and helped secure the area around Tomar for the Christians.  At some point, the Templars clashed with the Pope and their order was dissolved.  The Portuguese branch of the Templars became the Knights of the Order of Christ.  In any case, their distinctive cross was easily recognizable. 

The approach to the Templar complex in Tomar

The enormous complex includes a round Romanesque-style church, the ruins of a castle from the 12^th century, and numerous cloisters.  The church, supposedly modeled after the Dome of the Rock and the original Jewish temple in Jerusalem, was built in the 12^th century.  The magnificent and lavish interior, however, dates from the time of King Manuel I (early 16^th century).  The one exception is a single fresco painted in the 12^th century.  Actually, the 15^th and 16^th century cloisters were my favorite part of the complex.  I’ve always fantasized about living in such a blissfully peaceful environment.  

Interior tile work

A peaceful cloister

The interior of the Templar church

Detail of the interior of the Templar church

While we were at the monastery, our guide recounted an interesting story that I’d never heard before about the Spanish Armada.  You may (or may not) remember learning in school that in 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent out the mighty Armada, which was destroyed by the English.  I learned that Portugal played a pivotal role in this event.  At this time, Portugal was chafing under Spanish rule, and they were willing to do almost anything to free themselves.  When Spain decided to set sail from Portugal’s Atlantic coast, they first sent out the Portuguese fleet to do battle with the British.  The Portuguese, however, had no interest in fighting for Spain.  As a way of asserting their independence, they sabotaged the Spanish plan by destroying their own ships.  So it was really the Portuguese Armada, at least according to the Portuguese version of the story.  

After one last Portuguese lunch (octopus with rice), we spent our final daylight hours in the town of Estoril, a popular beach resort just outside of Lisbon.  The sky was pure cerulean, a nice contrast to the pale ochre and pink houses with their white trim and terra cotta tile roofs.  Bypassing the casino, which is Europe’s largest, I immediately headed towards the palm-tree lined seaside promenade.  Since it was the weekend, families, couples and large numbers of young people were out in force, enjoying the warm sunny weather.  Jovial groups gathered under umbrellas for beer, pizza, and the simple tasty foods of the Portuguese kitchen.  I stopped at an ice cream kiosk although I wasn’t really hungry.  The vanilla on my tongue tasted especially rich in the salty sea air.  

Sunny afternoon at the beach in Estoril

Here on the edge of the European continent, I sat on some rocks for a few minutes of rest and reflection. Waves were crashing right in front of me, seagulls were crying out, and sailboats were gliding past.  On the distant horizon was the hulking silhouette of a mammoth container ship.  Where was it going, I wondered.  Before I could make too many guesses, it was time to pack up and change for our group’s farewell dinner.  I took one last look across the chilly blue-green Atlantic.  Early tomorrow, I’d be flying back home over these very waters.  

Now that I’m back in Virginia, I’ve been thinking about my spring break adventure.  It seems like I was in Portugal much longer than 8 days.  The trip was so packed with sightseeing and travel that it certainly wasn’t relaxing, but it was a true cultural experience.  How many churches and monasteries did we see?  Probably too many, but it underscored the idea that the Catholic Church played a critical role in Portugal’s history.  The relationship between religion and the state has always interested me.  The Inquisition, which was established in 1537, at the behest of the Spanish monarch, left a legacy that can still be felt today.  The Inquisition wasn’t officially terminated until 1739.  As a result, the country suffered the loss of its Muslim and Jewish communities and the richness that characterized the cultural life of Portugal before the Reconquista.  

Perhaps I was additionally sensitive to the intolerance shown to Jews and Muslims during much of Portugal's history because of the upsurge in hate crimes directed against religious minorities in the U.S. today.  I couldn’t stop thinking about the fate of Portugal’s Jews.  In Porto, I walked the narrow streets of what was the Jewish quarter over 500 years ago.  In Lisbon, I strolled across Rossio Square, where the fires of the Inquisition once consumed converted Jews denounced as heretics.  In the Alfama quarter, where many of Lisbon’s Jews lived until about 1500, there’s a billboard announcing a future museum of the Jews of Lisbon.  Otherwise, there’s no recognition of the role the Jewish community played in Portugal’s long history.  

This old section of Porto was once the center of the Jewish community.

Overall, however, Portugal was a delightful destination for a vacation.  There were so many positive aspects to our spring break trip.  We saw a tremendous number of interesting sights and learned a great deal about the country.  The hotels, food and weather were fine.  We had a wonderful group leader and local guides.  The one negative was that it felt too rushed.  I would have liked to linger in several of the cities and towns, to spend enough time in different locales to absorb the rhythm of daily life.  Of course, I can always return to Portugal but I already have a lengthy list of other places I hope to visit in the next few years.  I’ll certainly be considering future trips organized by George Mason University’s office of global studies, as our tour was extremely well organized and a terrific value as well.  

Right now, it just feels good to be home again.  I was even brave enough to step on the scale this morning.  And much to my surprise, all that bread and all those custard tarts (and wine and ice cream) hadn’t translated into a major weight gain.  I attribute that to the nearly non-stop walking we did.  Writing this blog post has allowed me to relive the excitement of my time in Portugal, so I’m already planning a Portugal party right here in Fairfax.  I’ll have family visiting this coming weekend and we’ll certainly dig into those sardines (and octopus and bacalao) and open that bottle of Port.