Lisbon, Portugal
Posted by Taylor , Dec, 2008 @ 1:13 am
Lisbon – A Touch of Background….
For history buffs, this is a great place to visit. The following is a summary from the ol’ ‘pedia about some of the many events that occurred:
Lisbon was under Roman rule from 205 BC; Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriquesreconquered the city for the Christians and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural center of Portugal. Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon’s status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially—by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.
Currently, Lisbon is an important city for politics and economics. It is the location of two European Union committees, and is considered to be the second most important financial center in the Iberian peninsula.
If you find yourself in the area, check it out. From there will have easy access other great cities in Portugal.
Stories from our Lisbon, Portual stop during the Trans-Iberian road trip…
We got a late start in Salamanca (we rolled out of bed around noon after our intense evening), had lunch, and headed onwards to Porto in what will hopefully be the longest leg of our trip, clocking in at around 7 hours. The drive into Porto was wonderful – for the last hour or so, all we could see were vineyards along the sides of mountains that lined the Douro River – this is where the world´s Port wine is made. Porto itself is quite pretty – some say it reminds them a lot of Prague in terms of the feel of the streets and the architecture. Lots of small cobblestone streets leading into more open plazas, and then a very pretty waterfront area along the river where we sat for a while and had a drink while taking in the scenery. For a Saturday night, however, there didn´t seem to be too much going on. It´s possible that we missed the craziest areas of town, but nothing was too busy tonight (save a rock band playing a live show in the middle of a small street), certainly nothing compared to the activity we saw in Spain. Maybe the Portuguese are a little less crazy than their neighbors to the east.
The next day, we had a chance to see a little more of Porto, sample some of its fine Port, and then hopped back into Berthão (our car) and headed to Lisbon by way of Coimbra, and spend the next night or two in Lisbon.
All in all, having a great time. The Euro is the devil, however. Whereas Berthão and I developed a bit of a love/hate relationship, there existed no such ambiguity in my feelings towards the currency that rapidly drains our wallets and, albeit more slowly, our souls. The cheapest meals we can ever find are around $7… if we go to a proper restaurant (which we have only done once so far) we have to expect to pay $15-16 each, which is completely unsustainable twice a day. This trip around the world ain´t gonna come cheap.
Tags: Europe, Lisbon, Portugal, travel
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