Background: Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
March 14th 2008Europe » Portugal » Lisbon & Tagus Valley » Cascais Picking up a car at the aiport in Lisbon, we drove west along what is known as the Estoril Coast. Development along the coast started the same way it did in the Algarve: tiny fishing villages around ... [full story]
March 9th 2008Europe » Portugal » Lisbon & Tagus Valley » Cascais Forgive my not having blogged for nearly two weeks. My adventures will have to be condensed until I get back on track. IŽll pick up in Madrid, our first stop on our five-day sojourn back into Spain. ... [full story]
January 30th 2008Europe » Portugal » Lisbon & Tagus Valley » Cascais Along the road to Lisbon. After Cabo da Roca, and the drive along the beaches, we come to Cascais. A small fishing town. We were here just long enough to walk along the harbor, and through the litt ... 19 photos[full story]
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