A passage to Portugal

For a brief period of history, Portugal emerged as the wealthiest nation in Europe, enriched by its new colonies and the lucrative trade —till stronger nations nibbled at its empire bit by bit. Glories of the Age of Discovery have waned. Still a certain grandeur lingers. And this is mostly reflected in the richness of numerous old palaces and castles, churches and monasteries, and museums with their precious antiques,
opines Mohinder Singh

OF all the foreign powers coming to India in the last five centuries, the Portuguese were the first to arrive and the last to leave. Despite these long links, few Indian tourists are visiting Portugal.

Conceded, Lisbon is a little off the beaten European track — Rome, Paris, London, even Madrid. But most of us aren’t as conversant with the attractions of Portugal.

Geographically Portugal is a land of contrasts, the variety out of proportion to its size — a little bigger than West Bengal. Mountains and forests in the north yield southward to wheat fields and vineyards. The Tagus river bifurcates the country from east to west, undulating dry lands with cork oak trees — the country is the world’s principal exporter of cork — and olive groves. And then miles of rugged coastline, broken by sandy beaches. Portugal is divided into six distinct regions, besides the islands of Madeira and Azores.

While other European cities may be grander, Lisbon has a character of its own. Sited over seven hills in the estuary of Tagus, it presents a captivating sight. The view from Castelo de Sao Jorge, the old Moorish castle set on top of the city’s highest hill, is simply breathtaking.

Lisbon’s central park — Parque Eduardo VII, named after a visit by the English king — is beautifully landscaped. It boasts of an extensive greenhouse/hothouse. Starting from the park, the broad, tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade (sometimes known as the Portuguese Champs-Elysees) leads to Rossio Square, the heart of downtown. And then Rua Augusta takes you through Baixa, the modern shopping and banking area, to Praca de Comercio, the great waterfront square — said to be the largest of its kind in Europe. Rua Augusta is now a walking street, dotted with outdoor cafes. The atmosphere is relaxed, almost festive.

An impressive sight is the towering suspension bridge over the Tagus, the longest suspension bridge in Europe. It’s modelled on the Golden Gate of San Francisco, and built by the same American company. Originally named Salazar Bridge, it’s now called April 25 Bridge (the date of the 1974 revolution).

Down the Tagus is the famous Belem Tower, built to commemorate the spot from where explorers set sail on their voyages. Across the tower, is Jeronimos monastery, an architectural achievement. It was built in the 16th century to honour the discoveries of great explorers such as Vasco da Gama, who is buried here.

Nearby is the modern Monument of Discovery. Portugal is celebrating the fifth centenary of its maritime expeditions.

It all started with Prince Henry, the Navigator, promoting ocean exploration in the 15th century. A new kind of ship, called Caravel, was designed. First it was Madeira, then Azores, then down the African coast till Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Later Vasco da Gama reached Mozambique. There he took a native of India as a pilot who directed the fleet to Goa. Other Portuguese explorers sailed to Ceylon, Macao, and eventually Japan. Meanwhile, Cabral by chance discovered Brazil.

Portugal’s national poet, Luis de Camoes (1524-1580), had also come to Goa. On one of his satirical poems earning the wrath of the Governor, he was exiled to Macao, returning to Portugal, he got shipwrecked. He was rescued and brought to Goa, where again he was imprisoned for debt. On return to his native land, he wrote Lusiades, the epic poems about explorations of Vasco da Gama and others.

For a brief period of history, Portugal emerged as the wealthiest nation in Europe, enriched by its new colonies and the lucrative trade — till stronger nations nibble d at its empire bit by bit.

Glories of the Age of Discovery have waned, still a certain grandeur lingers. And this is mostly reflected in the richness of numerous old palaces and castles, churches and monasteries, and museums with their precious antiques. For example, you see royal coaches in the Museu de Coaches, Lisbon. These carry wood carvings and statues made out of exotic Brazilian timbers, all covered with gold leaf.

Around Lisbon itself, you have the royal palaces at Queluz, the great monastery at Mafra and the castles at Sintra. The National Palace at Queluz was the former royal residence, partially inspired by Versailles. Though not as grand as the latter, you see interesting furniture and painted tiles, a Portuguese speciality. And wonderful gardens are all around.

Mafra Abbey, the most impressive edifice in the country (a frontage of 220 metres), is famous for its 114 bells and the precious manuscripts in its library.

Sintra town is located amidst the hills of intense greenery — Lord Byron describing it as "the glorious Eden". In the centre of the town is the royal palace, with two huge chimneys jutting out like champagne bottles. And on a nearby hilltop, there is the picturesque Pena Palace.

The prosperity of present day Portugal is more evident at Estoril and Cascais, the Lisbon neighbourhood that’s known as the Portuguese Riviera. This is the jet-set zone, with grand mansions, fabled hotels, a casino, a race-track, a championship golf course, and a multitude of pricey shops. And, of course, the beaches.

But now the top destination for foreign visitors to Portugal is the Algarve, country’s southernmost holiday resort, encompassing some 240 km of sun-drenched coast. It actually consists of half-a-dozen major resort towns, quite a few heavily developed. You see rows of high apartment buildings meant for hire.

Well known by Europeans as a holiday area of clean beaches of white soft sand, sheltered by numerous coves. A number of major golf courses have come and the place is ideal for water sports. While the days are warm and sunny, the evenings are invariably breezy and cool. No wonder, the country is now attracting over five million tourists every year.

Portugal is still cheaper than Germany or France by about a third. Hotels are cheaper, and so also buses and taxis. But what’s particularly attractive is the good quality of meals in modest restaurants. Excellent bread is and served before you order your meal along with some side dishes to nibble. This is a part of the cover charge. Soups are hearty enough for a light meal.

Fish is the best main course choice. Broiled or fried, its freshness comes as a revelation. You get the world’s best grilled sardines. Also good sole, mackerel and shell fish. But the most common is cod.

And even with an inexpensive meal, the house wine rarely fails to be of acceptable quality. Vintage port — fortified with brandy and aged for at least 10 years — is unique to the country. Only it’s as expensive as premium Scotch.

Your best bet to Lisbon nightlife are the adegas tipicas (wine cellars), where customers dine on Portuguese specialities, drink wine, and listen to Fado (those haunting melodies of Portuguese folk music).

Portuguese people are known as warm, and friendly to foreigners. There is little crime. And with schooling compulsory for eight years and English taught as a subject, most younger people understand English.

Portugal offers every promise of an enjoyable holiday. And a passage there can have a particular interest for us because of the historical associations.

This feature was published on March 7, 1999