INSIDE PORTUGAL

 

This fall and winter, many Americans may be looking for an alternative to traveling to the Caribbean - and we have an idea for them. Portugal and its two sets of Atlantic islands have mild climates, with the added benefit of being nearby, fun and easy to get to. Europeans call Portugal the California of Europe, and with good reason. As cold weather is settling on most of the U.S., playing a decent round of golf seems like a dream, doesn't it? On the Azores Islands, the climate is mild year-round, and summer weather lasts into December. The island of Sao Miguel--just a 4-hour flight from the eastern United Sates---has two championship courses. The Madeira Islands features several courses and a near-perfect climate, with a warm winter, where temperatures average 67 to 70 ºF. On Portugal's mainland, the cosmopolitan city of Lisbon, has breathtaking courses within easy reach of the city, or travelers can head south to Portugal's Algarve region, where the gentle climate can be enjoyed from a wide array of courses that have established this region as a first class golfing destination.  And, in any of these locations, it's easy to find a first class hotel, top notch shopping, and a myriad of sightseeing opportunities---all of them warm and inviting. 


1. THIS MONTH'S TRAVEL SECRET: Sons of the Wind
++The art of horse riding is an integral part of Portuguese culture today, and the Lusitano breed is the soul of that art. This breed was used in ancient warfare and was renown for its speed--so much so that it earned the name Lusitano, which means Lusitanian, or "Sons of the Wind Once. It was said these horses were so fast they must have been sired by the wind. Today, Lusitano are used in the pageantry of Portuguese bullfighting, in dressage and show jumping, in carriage driving and in endurance and working equitation competitions.
 
The "homeland" of this Lusitano is the rich farmland along the Tejo River, in the fertile Ribatejo and vast Alentejo regions of southern Portugal. These amazing horses have served in the Portuguese cavalry, and in Portuguese equestrian bullfights for centuries... so why not learn not only to ride one of the world's most famed horse breeds, but in the Portuguese way?
 
Now, travel packages complete with riding classes make this unique experience very easy to set up.
 
More information:
 
 
www.rideinportugal.com/ and http://www.snc.min-agricultura.pt/

2. NEWS, EVENTS & DEALS

++Portugal has Europe's Newest Lake
www.insideportugaltravel.com/?p=863

++Da Vinci is in Porto?
www.insideportugaltravel.com/?p=883

++Ring in the New Year in the Warm Algarve
www.insideportugaltravel.com/?p=870
 
3 EATS: Pataniscas de Bacalhau
++Pataniscas de Bacalhau are wonderful cod fritters found in many Portuguese restaurants.  The cod is shaped into a fritter, fried and served with olive oil and rice--very simple and hard to resist.
 
4. VERSE: Poet Félix Bermudes on the Lusitano
The Lusitano horse is credited with helping oust the Moors from Portugal in 1249 A.D., after more than four centuries of dominion. The horse helped the outnumbered Portuguese accomplish this feat two centuries before neighboring Spain did the same thing. The Lusitano is also credited with helping Portugal become the seafaring empire it once was. The Lusitano accompanied Portuguese ships on voyages of discovery in the 15th century. When not off fighting on distant soils, the Portuguese nobleman was home bullfighting on horseback. Public displays of horsemanship on the Lusitano were the main recreation for Portuguese nobility during the age of Exploration. As Portuguese poet Félix Bermudes put it a century ago:
 
The lads today
Return to the boot and the spur.
With pride and spirit
They leave behind modern things
To find strength in their legs
For riding--that is Portuguese!


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