About Portugal Project done by: Rafael Sousa, 11TGSI-2 Tiago Costa, 11TGSI-2 Revised by: Cristina Pureza, English Teacher
Jan 08, 2016
About Portugal
Project done by:Rafael Sousa, 11TGSI-2Tiago Costa, 11TGSI-2
Revised by:Cristina Pureza, English Teacher
Culture and Traditions
Location
Portugal is located at the south west
point of Europe and it includes the Madeira and
Azores archipelagos in the
Atlantic Ocean.
Language
Portuguese is the native tongue of about 200 million
people. The Portuguese speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is
spoken in Africa, in South America and Asia.
History and Monuments
Portugal has been independent since
1143 and its borders have
remained unchanged for
centuries. But it’s the sea that has
played a large part in its history.
Situated in the far west corner of Europe and with a long coastline,
Portugal has always felt an urge to venture
across the seas.We were the first Europeans to
arrive in India, Brazil and Japan.
Portugal’s relationship with the sea is recorded in the
Manueline style of some of Portugal’s
most distinctive monuments. The monasteries of
Batalha, Tomar, Jerónimos and Torre de Belém are some
examples.
Batalha’s Monastery
The maritime Voyages of
Discovery turned Lisbon into one of the world’s
great ports and the centre of an
empire that stretched from
Brazil in the West to India in
the East.
Manueline details.
That relationship still continues today and
the Parque das Nações, the site of
the last World Exhibition of the 20th century, is dedicated to that very theme. There are some fine
examples of contemporary
Portuguese architecture to be
found here.
Another distinctive feature of our
architecture is the famous decorative tile known as the
azulejo, which can be seen covering walls all over the
country. If you travel on the underground
in Lisbon, take a good look around you to
see how some of our finest contemporary artists have used the tile to decorate the
stations.
Fado
But the sea has also left its mark on our national psyche. We sometimes allow ourselves to be
overcome by a sense of melancholy that we can’t
explain. This is the nostalgic sadness that we
call saudade and is a distinctive feature of the
Portuguese. We sing about it in a Fado, just
as we sing about joy when we’re feeling
happy.
The music’s fame was gradually built up in the Fado houses, restaurants where
you can listen to Fado while you have a traditional meal.
Amália was the most charismatic of these early Fado singers
and the first to take the music overseas.Amália left us with
the classical image of the traditional Fado
singer in a black dress and shawl.
Contemporary Fado singers such as
Mariza are getting widely known.
Lisbon’s Old Quarters
Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in
Lisbon. It has maintained its Arab structure,
with its labyrinthine
streets, courtyards and
lanes.
The Sé (Cathedral) is
wonderful, and the Feira
da Ladra (flea market)
also takes place here.
Next to Alfama are the quarters of Castelo and of
Mouraria. Throughout the month of June,
during the Santos Populares (Saints’ days) celebrations, these quarters are packed with music, dancing and food.
Bairro Alto dates back to the 16th
century but is today one of the city’s most animated quarters, with trendy bars,
restaurants and shops.
Chiado is one of the city’s most
attractive quarters. It has long been a cultural hot spot,
easily illustrated by its theatres,
literary cafés (like A Brasileira) and
antique bookstores.
The Baixa (downtown), rebuilt by the Marquis of Pombal following
the 1755 earthquake, is a commercial and financial district
characterised by the geometrical layout of its streets. It is in the
busy Baixa that we can find the typical hustle and bustle of city life
and Lisbon’s oldest and most traditional shops
and cafés.
There is another side to these old parts of town: trendy and versatile shops where you can buy vintage and new designers’ clothes and
accessories, vinyl records, designer objects, browse the net, have an
herbal tea and have your hair cut by stylists, all in the same place. Tattoos
and piercing shops also coexist in these flourishing cool places.
Popular Festivities
In June we celebrate Saints’ days in Portugal.
Saints’ days are full of fun.The streets are
decorated with balloons and arches made out of brightly-coloured paper;
people dance in the city’s small squares, and altars,
dedicated to the saints, are put up as a way of asking
for good fortune.
Lisbon celebrates the day of St. Anthony the
matchmaker from 12th to 13th June. "Santo António,
Santo Antoninho, Arranja-me lá um maridinho..." (St. Anthony, my dear St. Anthony. Find me a
husband...) is one of the oldest and most popular
chants in the city.
In Avenida da Liberdade, there are the Marchas, a parade of the inhabitants from the city’s different
traditional quarters. There are hundreds of singers and dancers and a vast audience
applauds their favourite participants.
Meanwhile if you are attracted to
someone, declare yourself to them in
the heat of the festivities and offer them a manjerico (a flower-pot with a basil plant) and a
love poem.
St. John is celebrated in Porto, from 23rd to 24th June. It is a festival that is lived to the full in the streets, where anything
is permitted. People carry a leek with them, which they use to hit
their neighbours over the head, all in a healthy
spirit of fun. There is also dancing, while the
highlight of the night is the firework display over
the River Douro.
And when you’ve worked up an appetite
choose something to eat from the traditional
menu for these festivities: Caldo Verde, Sardinha
Assada, bread and red wine or Sangria.
Delicious!
GastronomyWith a vast coastline, seafood plays a major part
in Portuguese cuisine and the quality of our seafood and freshly caught grilled fish is
beyond compare. Our traditional cuisine includes the famous bacalhau, dried and salted cod (it is said that we can cook it in 365 different ways, as
many as the days of the year). Our desserts, made according to the ancient recipes of monks and nuns are delicious. In Lisbon there’s an old café known for the Pasteis de Belém delicious
pastries filled with custard and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Having only one is never
enough. For those who have a sweet tooth this is a delicacy not to be missed.
Our wines are of exceptional quality too. Our Port and Madeira wines are appreciated worldwide.
Places of Interest
North of Portugal
It was in the north that Portugal came into being as a country,
which is why the region has such a rich
and fascinating heritage.
Trás-os-Montes region is located in the
far east part of Portugal and it’s full of
hidden natural and historic treasures.
Miranda do Douro is a land packed with
individuality.
The Celtic bagpipes, the “Pauliteiro” stick dancers and
"Mirandês”, a dialect unique to this region of Portugal, are all
part of very old traditions
Guimarães is a very special town.
UNESCO declared it World Heritage.
It was in its medieval castle
that Afonso Henriques, would become the first
king of Portugal in 1143.
Minho is famous for Parque
Natural Peneda Gerês.
Unfortunately, a big part of our
forest is devastated every summer by fires.
Another World Heritage site, PORTO is an historic city with
rare architectural value. The medieval
town tumbles down to the river Douro, with
narrow, twisting streets leading into
Renaissance squares, and Baroque monuments.
BEIRASBuilt from granite and schist, our villages have witnessed
over 900 years of Portuguese history. In the past these
villages, played a crucial role in protecting the surrounding
lands. One such example is the village of Almeida, whose
formidable fortress capitulated to the French in the 19th century after heroically resisting for 17 days.
Piodão is beautiful with its amphitheatre-like layout.
Belmonte was the birthplace of the navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brazil in
1500.A significant Jewish
community settled in Belmonte, mainly in the
fifteenth century, when Jews fleeing persecution in
Castile took refuge here. Symbols of their
professions, such as the tailor’s scissors, can still be
seen engraved on the doorposts.
BuçacoBuçaco Forest is a magical
place - a 16th century monastic retreat isolated from the rest of the world.The Serra do Buçaco is a
botanical garden, containing around 700
native and exotic species of plants. It is protected by
a 17th century papal decree that threatens to ex-communicate anyone
who damages it.
Centre of Portugal
CoimbraWith its university students, black
capes, its loves stories and its fado, Coimbra is also a modern, cosmopolitan place. There are many good restaurants
offering mouth-watering regional delicacies, in addition to bars and cafés
with large esplanades, bookstores, galleries and nightclubs.
ÓbidosThis medieval walled town
is stunning, full of well-preserved white houses with Manueline pórticos and flower-laden window
boxes; sinuous streets with romantic recesses; arcades; small squares
and churches.Numerous bars offer you a
taste of ginjinha, a traditional liqueur.
Sintra which is in the Lisbon region,
is definitely a romantic must-see,
not only for its historical buildings
but also for its exuberant nature.
South of Portugal
Golden plains that disappear out of sight combine with the sun
and the heat to impose their own
slow, steady rhythm. This is the Alentejo.
If you like your beaches, the Algarve is a great choice. With about 30
high-class courses, the
Algarve is visited by golfers from
all over the world.
Azores
A place of natural surroundings that
have remained unspoilt.
Azores’ archipelago comprises 9
islands.
Whales and dolphins off the coast of Faial
St. Jorge cheese. Very spicy!
Peter’s Café Sport is quite simply the most
famous bar in the North Atlantic, having first opened its doors on the island of Faial over eighty years ago to seafarers from all
over the world.
Madeira
Madeira’s archipelago is
another important touristic
destination.
In Madeira, springtime is
honoured with the Flower
Festival, held every year after
Easter.
The Carnival festival in Madeira
is one of the region’s liveliest
festivals.
New year’s Eve in Madeira is very
famous.
Portuguese Lifestyle
NightlifeIn Portugal, we love to live, play and party in the outdoors. Portuguese nightlife starts late at around 11.00 p.m. and it may not finish
until late the next morning.
Bairro Alto
The best nights out in Lisbon start in the Bairro Alto. Just as soon as the sun sets, these narrow streets begin filling with
entertainment seekers.
Often, and particularly on friday and saturday nights, the young clientele gather
by the doors of bars, spilling out into the streets, listening to music, talking and
laughing.
DocasWhere there were once
warehouses, now there are some of the best bars and restaurants in Lisbon. And certainly among
the most popular.
Parque das NaçõesDiscover the new side to Lisbon
nightlife that emerged in the East.
Parque das Nações which was the 1998 World Exposition now includes entire rows of bars and
discos well worth a visit.
MealsAs a rule the Portuguese have three meals a day. Between 7.30 and 10 am
they have a light breakfast consisting of a drink- white
or black coffee or fruit juice- and toast or a
sandwich often in their local café.
The main meals are lunch, between 12.00 and 2.30
pm which is often eaten at a restaurant near work,
and dinner between 7.30 and 10.30 pm.
Most people eat a full meal including soup, a main dish and dessert or fruit. They may also have a snack
consisting of a drink and a cake between these two
meals, around 5.pmEating out is common
practice in Portugal. Having lunch or dinner out,
especially at the weekend is always a good excuse for
meeting friends or going for a drive
Likes and Dislikes
It’s this preference for the outdoor life that makes us so fond of sporting
activities: surfing, windsurfing,
bodyboarding are among our
favourite water sports.
We are passionate about football. The euro 2004, held in Portugal, was really important to us. It made us
really proud of our country.
We also love driving. Most people take their cars to work creating major traffic jams in the rush hours. We are dangerous
drivers.Portugal has a very high
percentage of car accidents.
The coastline has many beautiful sandy beaches and we use them a lot. Sitting in a esplanada
enjoying petiscos (snacks such as
chouriço, snails, tremoços, clams and
a cold beer).
Portugal is one of the countries with
the highest number of mobile phone users. There are
more phones than people in Portugal.
We tend to postpone things
we have to do.
Complaining about everything: work, the public transport system, waiting.
We’re never happy.We don’t usually meet our deadlines/timetables.We are big spenders
(more than we can afford sometimes). We love
shopping.We are quite loud and
engage lively in discussions and arguments.
We are quite hospitable and helpful towards tourists. We are always willing to try
communicating in their native tongue too.
The End