Get a cup of coffee, tea or other refreshment - this will be a long installment!
Today we crossed the border from Spain to Portugal - what a process!
Actually I almost slept through it except for the fact that our guide, Alberto, announced over the speaker that as we crossed over the river on the bridge, we went through the border. No gates, no guards, no duties, we did not even slow down!
Such is the case for many of the EU countries (called the Schengen countries after the name of the agreement), which makes it great for those traveling between these countries.
For 16 of the 28 countries, you also don’t need to worry about converting currencies, because they all use the Euro as their currency, another wonderful convenience.
Today’s History Lesson (John, skip ahead to “Back to the Tour if you want)
The European Union has its root in various treaties and agreements between six countries that began after WWII. They wished to avoid future destruction and to work towards future integration. Today the EU consists of 28 countries as noted above.
In 1999, the Euro was born. For three years each of the 12 agreeing countries kept prices in both their local currencies and the Euro. On December 31, 2001, at 11:30 pm, all of the ATMs in Europe were shut down for 45 minutes. At 12:15 am on January 1, 2002, all of the machines had be re-programmed to display only Euros and provide bank balances in Euros. They also had to load all the machines with the Euros as well. What an accomplishment!
From the paper currency perspective, this was a major logistical feat, as all of the wealth of these 12 countries had to be converted from the local currency into Euros. Every bank and ATM, in every country, in even the most remote location, had to have Euros delivered to them, amounting to billions and billions being shipped by truck all over Europe in preparation for this day. It went flawlessly. For two months shop keepers accepted both currencies, but returned change only in Euros, and in a short time, the conversion was complete.
Back to the Tour
On our way to the Algarve, the Portuguese Riviera, we stopped in Tavira, a small town near the border for coffee. Now coffee in Europe is not a simple thing, particularly in Portugal. The Portuguese economy is fuelled by coffee and any excuse to have a coffee is a good one.
But, you must know what you want. There is a cafe curto, a cafe comprido, a cafe cheio, a carioca, a pingo or garoto, a galao, a meia de leite, a cafe com leite, and finally of course a descafeinado! This is quite possibly where Starbucks got its idea for all of the adjectives it uses for its coffee!
Here, Gord and I are sampling two of these coffees, you figure out which ones they are!
From here we went on to our evening on the seaside in the Algarve. In the 1970s, the Algarve had 25 tuna fish factories, today there are none! Instead, there are 43 golf courses as they transitioned from a fishing economy to a tourist economy. In fact tourism has increased dramatically throughout Portugal. In 2016, there were 4 Million tourists. By the end of June 2017, it had received 8 Million tourists, in just the first six months. The principal reason being that Northern Europeans who previously went to Turkey are now instead coming to Portugal! Now that kind of an increase is hard on the infrastructure - but what a construction opportunity!
We toured some of the coastal areas of the Algarve, with beautiful beaches and stunning coastlines. One of the beach areas won the most beautiful beach in the world competition in 2012 and 2013.
Here, you see some of the rock crags that form the most southwestern point of Europe. Try as you might, you cannot see North America, well, save for your imagination perhaps.
This stone outcrop resembles a Victorian era lady’s shoe:
That evening, we had a dinner at the restaurant that overlooked a tidal basin. It was wonderfully peaceful after what felt like a long day of travelling.
Next morning, on our way to Lisbon (Lisboa to the Portuguese and pronounced Leesh-BO-ah). Along the way we stopped at a ranch that raised Lusitano horses for the last 300 years. The name comes from the Roman name for the area - Lusitania.
The founder, a close friend of King Juan Carlos, fell in love with the Queen, his good friend’s wife. When asked, our guide Vera, said, “The Queen knew”, but she would say no more. I know, you want to know more, and so did we, but no more was said - family discretion is utmost!
Although Vera understands English very well, she eloquently and passionately provides her family’s history in Portuguese while our tour director Alberto translates for us.
Originally these horses were bred to fight in the war against Napoleon. In 1974, during the revolution in Portugal, the military gave the family two hours to leave and occupied the facility. The occupiers stayed for three years and destroyed much of the ranch. Upon return, they rebuilt and repurchased many of the horses from around the countryside. Today, they sell their horses all over the world. A three year old will sell for 25,000 euros or more. These horses are very versatile and acclimate to their environment very quickly and are therefore quite sought after. But when the time comes for the horses to retire, at about 20 years of age, they are brought back to the ranch on which they were born.
When we got to Lisbon, we went out that evening to a Fado show. The Fado is to Portugal what the Flamenco is to Spain or the Tango is to Argentina. The origin of the Fado is unclear, but everyone agrees it expresses the Portuguese soul. Fado means fate - how fate deals with Portuguese adventures and the women they leave behind - about sadness and hope - dreams of a better future, and for what might have been - had fate not intervened.
While listening, I could not help but think of the tango bars in Buenos Aires, where the themes are very similar. Leonor, our local guide, said that Argentinians “get” the Fado immediately. I guess that makes me an Argentinian, at least in part.
Perhaps a few of these pictures will help you understand the mood.
We did a tour of the Monastery of Jeronimos (St. Jerome). The monastery is built on ground that housed a small chapel where sailors would pray the night before they set off on their long adventure.
This beautiful building is here today because of the Portuguese penchant for exploration. They found a water route to India so that they could avoid paying the exorbitant prices for spices that were charged by the overland purveyors. The prices were significantly less, so the King saw an opportunity to charge a 5 % tax on the spices, called “pepper money”. It is with these taxes that they were able to build such a beautiful church. Vasco de Gama, one of Portugal’s great explorers, is buried here.
It is also at this monastery that the world famous Portuguese custard tarts were created. When we finished our tour, Alberto, our Tour Director, had tarts ready for all, they were still warm from the ovenand they were amazing!
Having feasted on the tarts, our next mission was to sample the Portuguese gelato. Dianna and Gord loved them, as did we! Notice the studious look Gord has as he inspects his Gelato.
OK, more steps required to work off the extra calories!
Our last evening in Portugal involved taking a ferry across the Tagus River to try out a traditional fish dinner at a riverside diner that the locals frequent. On the way over we enjoyed a sunset view of this world class working harbour.
It was great to see how the locals do it and to taste the food that they eat regularly.
Our last day in Portugal and we are off to Fatima. This place is home to the Miracle of Fatima, the visions of our Lady of Peace by three children in the fields in 1917.
On May 13, 1917, and for six months on the 13th of the month, the Virgin Mary appeared to three young shepherds making three prophecies:
1. Confirming the existence of Hell;
2. The end of the First World War, with Russia abandoning Christianity and embracing Communism;
3. A prediction of the attempted assassination of the Pope.
It was in 1930, after much investigation, that the Vatican accepted the miracle as legitimate.
Much later, on May 13, 1981, there was an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
On June 26, 2000, Pope John Paul II released the “Third Secret of Fatima”, in which he said that the assassination attempt was the fulfilment of this third Secret. May 13 (the date of the assassination attempt) is the anniversary of the first apparition of the
Virgin Mary to the three children of Fatima, something the Pope has always regarded as significant, attributing his survival on that day to her protection.
What happened to the children that received the apparitions? Two of them died as children. The third, Lucia, became a nun.
As you walk around the Basilica and its environs, you cannot help but be touched by the variety of emotions of those attending the place, many for very personal reasons. Everyone is respectful of everyone else and the experience was very moving.
It is a beautiful way to finish a short but very gratifying voyage to Portugal.
See you in Salamanca, Spain.
DGSP
