Portugal: The Age of Discovery.
December 20th 2013 Let’s be honest, the term ‘faded grandeur’ is decidedly cliché. Though, as much as it’s gift-wrapped to apply to the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon’s fadedness has a very definite edge. It’s a fadedness of cracks rather than corrosion. It is as human as it is physical, and it’s alive, manifest in the problems of a 21st century nation state: spray-painted on the wall of a 16th [/s
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
Idyllic small towns and border crossings
Once again, I love your fabulous historical perspective and analysis, and great photos! In my few months in Portugal, I, too, visited incredibly charming small towns--Obidos, Evora, etc and didn't even bother with the crowded Algarve. The Portuguese prefer English partly as you said, because of that old treaty with England, but also because they were invaded and occupied by Spanish Felipe II-Felipe IV, 400 years ago--memories are long there. Regarding border crossing, it's not so easy for everyone. With the Schengen Treaty, we Americans are supposed to stay in Europe only 3 months, but I'd been there three years with no border problems. However, since Portugal wants to keep out the Spanish Roma and African immigrants, borders can be tighter. I was nabbed in 2004, crossing the border from Salamanca to Porto. Three Roma people and I were taken off the bus. While I was told to get to Lisbon immediately to clear this up, (which of course, I didn't do), the three Romas weren't allowed back on the bus.