6th-9th February 2014

6th-9th February 2014

Tejo River is as large as the sea & coffee is as good as the Italian one! Tram 28 is only here, in the most romantic city in the world! Fado- UNESCO’s world Intangible patrimony- gets into you and remains! If you search the sea you’ll find the ocean & You never get lost as, going down,all streets lead to Tejo! Custard tarts have a sublime perfume & Here you find the most beautiful sidewalks in the world!The Portuguese “Saudade" is a beautiful way of well-being & Even before you leave you will already want to return!

You just want us to explain it all & break the spell?

Come to Lisbon, Come to Portugal!Give us righteous! Discover! Feel! Enjoy! Taste it as… yes! As a glass of Port wine!

Come to Lisbon because…

Estoril CoastThis well-known resort area is famed for its society of exiled nobility and also for the Casino Estoril. The ideal place to enjoy a holiday, golfing, swimming or even walking in and around Cascais, in its original character and not having lost its pretty charm. Colourful fishing boats still bringing catch of the day to the little harbour beside the elegant yachts.The town’s fashionable shopping streets (closed to traffic) are lined with boutiques, gift shops, handicrafts, bars and restaurants. The climate is mild and sunny, considered to be one of the mildest in all Europe. Still belonging to the Estoril Coast is Guincho beach, at the Sintra foothills, facing the Atlantic, where the sand dunes blend with pines;

rushes and the famous cavern of Boca do Inferno.The vegetation is varied and beautiful, of the Mediterranean type. Guincho is ideal for surfing owing to large waves.A large variety of restaurants, with different types of cuisine can be easily reached in Cascais centre as well as bars, nightclubs and summer time esplanades facing the ocean with until late night. A visit to the Estoril Coast is a must!

http://www.portugal.org/tourism/

ESTORIL COAST WELCOMES YOU!!!

ESTORIL COAST WELCOMES YOU!!!

ESTORIL COAST WELCOMES YOU!!!

SIGHTSEEING LISBON & ESTORIL COAST BY

HALF DAY MONUMENTAL LISBONDepart from the Hotel by coach with guides towards downtown Lisbon, passing the lovely Liberdade Avenue, Restauradores Square and the busy Rossio, heart of the commercial area of Lisbon. Spreading out along the right bank of the Tagus, Lisbon is the city of seven hills. Its downtown, nicknamed ‘Baixa’, is at the 18th century area of Rossio.

We will walk through the Rua Augusta to reach the arcaded Praça do Comércio.

Driving towards West side of Lisbon, will arrive to the historical Belém Quarter, a pleasant riverside area, linked with the Portuguese Navigations, and where the most famous Lisbon’s landmarks are located: The Monastery of Jerónimos (visit), the Belém Tower and Discoveries Monument with Caravel’s shape (old sailing boat) and dedicated to the great Prince Henry “The Navigator”.

HALF DAY MEDIEVAL LISBONDepart from the Hotel by coach with guides towards downtown Lisbon, passing the lovely Liberdade Avenue, Restauradores Square and the busy Rossio, heart of the commercial area of Lisbon. Spreading out along the right bank of the Tagus, Lisbon is the city of seven hills. Its downtown, nicknamed ‘Baixa’, is at the 18th century area of Rossio. We will walk through the Rua Augusta to reach the arcaded Praça do Comércio.

Driving towards the east side of Lisbon, will arrive to the historical castle quarter.From the Castle walls, the view of Lisbon is magnificent.Alfama, is the most ancient Quarter of Lisbon, the Moorish quarter.

Day 4

MODERN LISBON

An outline of this day is a visit to the Oceanarium at Park of Nations. Here, you will be able to experience the ocean life. Follow TOPMIC guide on a worldwide sea journey!

This modern area of Lisbon underwent a tremendous transformation in the 1990s when it was chosen as the location for the Expo '98 World Exhibition After the exhibition, the area got its current name & more transformations occurred such as the new Vasco da Gama shopping mall, the Lisbon's International Fair complex, hotels and many new office and residential buildings. Many attractions built for the Expo '98 remained and keep drawing visitors, such as the Oceanarium, one of the world's biggest aquariums. Taking advantage of its geographical position, Parque das Nações is also proud of its brand new Marina. There is a lot more to see & offer in the white city. We at TOPMIC are sure by now you will wish to return soon for more discoveries!

LISBON OCEANARIUMImpressive high construction, designed by the architect Peter Chermayeff, the Lisbon Oceanarium is the second largest in the World, after Osaka /Japan.The central tank features a volume of water equal to six Olympic-sized swimming pools, and the Oceanarium aims to represent the five oceans’ own ecosystems i.e. The Pacific, the Atlantic, the Artic, the Indic and the Antarctic, not only by its flora and fauna but also by its own environment, i.e. Including the right temperatures that visitors do feel during the visit.

Sintra is a place to be felt! Stroll around Sintra, in the good company of TOPMIC professional guide a charming town dotted of royal retreats, palaces, castles and buildings from past centuries, such as the Castelo dos Mouros, the Pena National Palace and the Sintra National Palace, resulting in its classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Visit Pena Palace & Gardens and Mystic Regaleira.Enjoy lunch !

PORTUGUESE GLORIOUS EDEN: SINTRA, CASCAIS ESTORIL

The westernmost point on the continent of Europe, which the poet Camões defined as

"where the land ends and the sea begins".

Due to Portugal being Neutral during the 2nd World War ,several Kings and Heads of countries sought refuge in Cascais & Estoril. With these people came other aristocrats, politicians, actors and writers - so many that the population increased by 20,000 people between 1939 to 1946 . Names of important exiles such as Duke of Windsor, King Umberto of Italy, Princess Joana of Italy, King Carol II of Romania, Prince Juan of Spain, Count Henri of France, part of the Hapsburg family, Regent Horthy of Hungary, can all be associated with the history of both this town and that of neighbouring Estoril. Follow TOPMIC guide, on a relaxing walking tour!

NAUTICAL CASCAIS & COSMOPOLITAN ESTORIL

PORTUGUESE GLORIOUS EDEN: SINTRA, CASCAIS ESTORIL

Activity: Rally Paper in Jeeps. Navigation by road-books, questions and enigmas RELATED TO MUSIC, and tastings (Regional pastry, and Porto Wine), with characters.Degree of Difficulty: Anyone can join in.Monitoring: Will be conducted by jeep drivers themselves. Jeeps seating 6 participants.Includes: Porto wine tasting; Tasting of regional pastry; JEEP RALLY production and coordination. Monitoring by experienced monitors; Jeeps with drivers; All documentation and technical material supplied for routes; Communications backup; Participation Diplomas; Personal accident insurance. Backup: A specially devised communications-link guarantees full control of the JEEP RALLY. Aside from explanations given by drivers, whenever stops occur the group will be gathered together by the monitor in charge.

4X4 OFF ROAD JEEP RALLYE SINTRA

DISCOVER THE MAGNIFICENT SUNSETS OF LISBONYou always get surprised by the singularity and diversity of Lisbon’s natural lights. The sun's reflection from a thousand panes of glass spreads light into every corner, earning Lisbon its nickname - the white city (a cidade branca). We, at TOPMIC, strongly believe that -Pure, bright & warm- the light of Lisbon magically defines the silhouette of a unique & fantastic city.From the pink silver light of dawn reflected from the river Tagus, to the glowing golden purple light of dusk, Lisbon is an extraordinary nostalgic & romantic city embraced by FADO:

DISCOVER THE UNIQUENESS OF FADO

FADO: World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage – UNESCO

UNESCO describes Fado as the ”urband popular song of Portugal,” stating Fado is a performance genre incorporating music and poetry widely practiced by various communities in Lisbon. It represents a Portuguese multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian sung dances, local traditional genres of song and dance, musical traditions from rural areas of the country brought by successive waves of internal immigration, and the cosmopolitan urban song patterns of the early nineteenth century.

Fado songs are usually performed by a solo singer, male or female, traditionally accompanied by a wire-strung acoustic guitar and the Portuguese guitarra – a pear-shaped lute with twelve wire strings, unique to Portugal, which also has an extensive solo repertoire.

The past few decades have witnessed this instrumental accompaniment expanded to two Portuguese guitars, a guitar and a bass guitar.

Fado is performed professionally on the concert circuit and in small ‘Fado houses’, and by amateurs in numerous grass-root associations located throughout older neighborhoods of Lisbon. Informal tuition by older, respected exponents takes place in traditional performance spaces and often over successive generations within the same families. The dissemination of Fado through emigration and the world music circuit has reinforced its image as a symbol of Portuguese identity, leading to a process of cross-cultural exchange involving other musical traditions.

FADO EXPERIENCE AT BACALHAU DE MOLHO

Located in the foundations of the Casa dos Condes de Linhares, the remaining of an Renascence building that fell into ruins with the 1755 earthquake, the room depicts the whole structure of the time of its construction: vaults with the height of seven meters, built in red- brick and supported by stone columns, where there is an outstanding fireplace of great dimensions.

The importance of the Counts that inhabited the Palace was such, that the tunnels of military defence of Lisbon, had direct access to the House, a net of tunnels that crossed the underground of Alfama and the Castle, ending at the Tejo River. The Counts of Linhares didn't just outstand for their noble importance. They were great patrons of the arts, they sheltered to the famous poet Luis Vaz of Camões, a distant cousin.

To honour the past of this building, the restaurant Bacalhau de Molho presents an informal atmosphere, but yet a service of great quality respecting the best of the Portuguese tradition: from the Marinha Grande glasses with medieval drawings, to the linens from the North and the leather chairs and of course …Fado, the unique song from Lisbon. The restaurant Bacalhau de Molho, it is also a landmark in the Portuguese gastronomy and in the art of well serving, having already been invited to participate in the International Who's Who of Cookers.

FADO EXPERIENCE AT BACALHAU DE MOLHO

PATEO ALFAMAOur restaurant is situated in Alfama, on the first floor at the old Murça Count's Palace. It's location is adjacent to "Cerca Velha" the roman - Mourish wall in Lisbon. Here, in beautiful surroundings, next to a wall that once protected this city, you can dine on traditional hand-painted dishes from Alentejo set with true northern embroidery.It is in this context, that Páteo de Alfama is proud to present a luxurious cast of performers, including Cidália Moreira, the artist with most performances in Portugal, and who's voice mirrors the true sadness that fado requires, as well as expressing the joyful soul needed during cheerful fados

PATEO ALFAMAAt Páteo de Alfama, you'll witness the magnificently coloured outfits from Minho and it's joyful dances and enjoy the "cortizen influences" of the "Estremenhas Dance". Come feel the simplicity and coloured rhythm from the "People of Nazaré" and rejoice with the"Pauliteiros de Miranda" and the masculine "Fandango Ribatejano" performance! All this presented to you in a seamless show filled with, dance, music, colour and above all,

the true heart of Portuguese heritage!

Pré and post-congress tours available on demand:1 – North of Portugal2 – Centre3 – South

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