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Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The Fluviário de Mora has a new exhibit to mark its 3^rd anniversary titled Biodiversity in Portuguese Rivers. The Fluviário presents mainly the life on and in a typical Iberian river. There are also some exotic species. It is located near the Açude do Gameiro, near Estremoz.

The New York Times suggests that for those who love chocolate cake- there is a new ” Best Chocolate Cake in the World,” which is a Portuguese creation, now on sale at NoLIta in New York City. 

The times writes: “A restaurateur in Lisbon, Carlos Lopes, with his Manhattan partner, Adriano Lucas, created a version of a dacquoise he saw at Fauchon in Paris. Now Mr. Lopes’s shops sell his creamy confection in Portugal, Spain and Brazil, with a factory turning out 150,000 a year just in Portugal.” This is one of several culinary honors in recent months – first GQ Magazine called chef George Mendes one the top chefs in the world, and then Portuguese Chef Luisa Fernandes had string of victories on Food Network’s Chopped. Tastes like a trend?

The Portuguese author who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1998, has died. Saramago was 87, and was Portugal’s first Nobel laureate in literature. Saramago’s  book Blindness title came from the sole character in the book who is spared the “white blindness” affliction: ”Why did we become blind, I don’t know, perhaps one day we’ll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don’t think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.” José de Sousa Saramago,  (November 16, 1922 ­ June 18, 2010) was a novelist, playwright and journalist. His works, some of which are seen as allegories, present new perspectives on historic events, emphasizing the human touch.

Quinta do Portal, located in the Douro Valley, will officially open this summer a new sophisticated warehouse for aging their Port and Douro Wines designed by one of the most renowned Portuguese architects in the Douro Valley, Siza Vieira. According to Quinta do Portal’s general manager, Mr. Castro Ribeiro, the winery wants to turn this building into a cathedral for wine and architecture lovers.  They recognize that these days wine and architecture are a part of culture and can help to attract more people to visit the Douro Valley. The building represents an investment of 4 million Euros. It will have 4,722 square meters and besides the aging area it will have a visitors’ center, an auditory and a wine tasting room that will complement the tourist area of the estate. Siza Vieira used Douro materials such as the schist (slate that is traditional used to build the vines slopes in Douro) and cork due to its covering and isolating climatic properties perfect to provide the ideal conditions for the slow aging process of the wines. These materials cover the concrete structure. The architect also envisioned integrating the building structure with the landscape. – Currently it is already working and ready for visits.

Lisbon was in the top 50 cities with best safety and quality of life in the world, ranked 45th and 44th respectively, according to two measures by the international consultancy Mercer. The rankings use New York as a benchmark, which is given an index of 100.  In the personal safety measurement­which is new this year­items such as internal stability, crime, law enforcement and relationships with other countries are examined at the destination city. Lisbon, with 108,7 points, ranked 45th ‹ a tie with Prague, the Czech capital. In Europe, Luxembourg is considered the safest country, followed by a group of four cities with 126.3 points each: Bern, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Helsinki, the Finnish capital. Lisbon has risen in the rankings with regard to quality of life, from 47th to 44th (100,1 to 100,3) beating other cities such as Chicago, New York, Portland and Seattle, all in the USA, for a top 50 spot.

Lisbon may be the home to an easyJet base since the capital is on the shortlist of candidates (competing with Barcelona, Amsterdam and Copenhagen). A new easyJet base could represent €1.2 billion in revenue over a six-year period, according to the Lisbon Tourism Board. The low-cost company already flies to and from Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal. The British no-frills airline currently flies to 119 airports in 29 countries, and most recently Fiumencino, Rome, where four aircraft are stationed. easyJet has a fleet of 189 planes, with plans to increase the number to 208 by September of 2012, an expansion strategy that has caused an easyJet founding member to quit the company.

The Battle of Montes Claros, was fought on June 17, 1665, near Borba in the Alentejo, between Spanish and Portuguese forces as the final battle in the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1665). It was a decisive Portuguese victory guarantying Portugal’s freedom as an independent nation to this very day.

The Vinho Verde Regional Viticultural Commission (CVRVV) presents the first Vinho Verde Week, June 21-27, 2010. During the week, top restaurants in New York City will celebrate the food-friendly nature of Vinho Verde by offering special pairing menus and by-the-glass selections. Additionally, participating retailers will host Vinho Verde tastings and offer discounts on Vinho Verde purchases. New Yorkers can enjoy these specials during the first week of summer, and they can discover firsthand why the fruity aromas and light, crisp, vivacious flavors of Vinho Verde make the wines ideal for the warmer months. Vinho Verde wines have balanced acidity and are light in alcohol and calorie content, making them enjoyable on their own or when paired with a fresh summer dish. Vinho Verde Week is part of a three-year campaign, underwritten by CVRVV and  the European Union, to increase interest and awareness for Vinho Verde wines and the Vinho Verde region  in the U.S.

Participating Vinho Verde Week restaurants include:

BLT Prime
Bussaco Restaurant & Wine Bar
Churrascaria Plataforma
Churrascaria Tribeca
L’Ecole The Restaurant of the French Culinary Institute Macao Trading Co.
Matsuri
Oceana
Spice Market
The Drunken Horse
The Oak Room

Participating Vinho Verde Week retailers include:
67 Wine & Spirits
Alphabet City Wine Co.
Best Cellars (UES)
Best Cellars (UWS)
Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit
K&D Wines
Nancy’s Wines
Red, White, and Bubbly

For more information, visit www.vinhoverde.pt/en

The new Prove Portugal program will aim to increase the visibility and recognition of the Portuguese cuisine, supported by genuine products of high quality and professional. The new organization will strive to support and reinvent Portugal’s cuisine and wines.

Prove Portugal is supported by Tourism of Portugal in partnership with the Portuguese Culinary Academy . The program will focus on three key areas: to publicize and promote cuisine; catalogue resources; and enhance value in products.The groups is working to build a website dedicated to Portuguese food and wine along with other communication tactics that will include the promotion of an international culinary tour, books, training in the Schools of Hospitality and Tourism, and promoting the fundamentals of Portuguese regional cuisine and chefs. There will be conferences with international opinion-leaders, aimed at attracting international culinary events, supporting Portuguese restaurants abroad, and lots of other efforts. The partnership of 30 entities from the realms of hotel and catering, agriculture and fisheries, wines, producers are all part of PROVE, along with  Regional Tourism offices will allow a coordinated sharing of common objectives and promoting of Portuguese cuisine.

The Green Key is a worldwide available eco-label awarded to leisure organizations, as hotels, youth hostels, conference- and holiday centers, campsites, holiday houses and leisure facilities.  To obtain The Green Key the company has to fulfill a list of environmental requirements. These requirements are contained in a number of criteria. Besides environmental demands (by example to control the production of waste and the use of water, electricity, etc.), the criteria include demands on policy, action plans, education and communication.  Obtaining The Green Key shows the sense of responsibility a organization has for its surroundings and society. In Portugal the Green Key eco-label is awarded by the European Blue Flag association (ABAE – Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa). The Portuguese leisure organizations awarded with the green key of 2010 were:

Porto + Norte:
- Casa Melo e Alvim
- Casa das Pipas
- Moinhos da Tia Antoninha
- Quinta do Barracão da Vilariça

Centro de Portugal:
- Hotel Eurosol Gouveia
- Hotel Eurosol Seia Camelo
- Hotel Eurosol Estarreja
- Hotel Eurosol Residence
- Palace Hotel Monte Real
- Hotel Eurosol Leiria
- Casas da Lapa Mourisca
- Hotel Rural “Quinta de Bispos”
- Quinta do Forninho
- Quinta Lagar da Moira

Lisbon:
- Hotel Eurosol Alcanena

Alentejo
- O Poejo Boutique Hotel
- Hotel El Rei D. Manuel
- Hotel Vila Park
- Quinta do Barrieiro
- Quinta da Dourada

Azores
- Quinta das Buganvilias
- Casa da Torre
- Casas de campo “A Abegoaria”
- Quinta do Martelo

Madeira
- Hotel Pestana Porto Santo

A solar powered boat that can take up to 12 passenger on a cruise, is ready to travel next to the Pousada de Sta.Clara – near the beaches of the coast of S. Vicente in the Alentejo on the Santa Clara dam.

Half-Day Charter – This half-day charter gives you the opportunity to circumnavigate the lake and experience the peace and tranquility the lake has to offer, discovering a number of quiet, secluded anchorages. Light refreshments will be available throughout the cruise. *

Sunset Cruises – A two-hour evening cruise during which we will find a quiet place to anchor and view the sunset over the lake. Refreshments to fit the occasion will be available.

Moonlight Cruises – Experience a star show aboard our Água Moura boat. They will take you to the middle of the lake, where you can enjoy an evening of fabulous stargazing.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is proud to announce a new luxury ship, the Douro Spirit, along Portugal and Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Douro River. In 2011, the NEW Douro Spirit will be the most elegant ship to sail through the magnificent Douro River Valley. The Douro Valley is being increasingly recognized for its wine making, natural beauty and exceptional value.  Its wine heritage—Port—dates back over 2,000 years with the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. The Douro Valley is also a cultural landscape of exceptional beauty with rambling vineyards and charming quintas clinging to the steep slopes of its valley, creating an incomparable backdrop to one of Europe’s most unspoiled regions. And this is what you can expect to see and experience from the comfort of Uniworld’s new Douro Spirit. Every riverview stateroom and suite onboard features a French balcony, so guests can get closer than ever to the breathtaking scenery of the region’s unspoiled natural landscapes. Staterooms and suites also feature hotel beds draped in fine linens, built-in closets, flat-screen televisions with satellite, and complimentary bottled water; and each bathroom is stocked  L’Occitane bath and body products. The Douro Spirit’s common areas provide added comfort with a main lounge featuring a full-service bar and dance floor, a restaurant, a sun deck with Jacuzzi® and small swimming pool, a lovely onboard restaurant with open seating, a fitness room, a massage room, a beauty salon, and a boutique. And all of this is presented on an intimate ship built to accommodate a maximum of 128 guests and provide the small-ship ambiance preferred by our experienced travelers. Of course, even a great ship is incomplete without a great itinerary. Explore the seven hills of cosmopolitan Lisbon, uncovering a treasure trove of Old World architecture. Visit Coimbra, the “Birthplace of Kings;” Porto, the beautiful “City of Bridges” with its UNESCO World Heritage-designated Medieval city center; Guimãres, which has its own UNESCO-listed Medieval city center. Taste a variety of wonderful local wines from village vineyards, including the famed Port wine. And, dine at the Vintage House Hotel, a magnificent18th-century wine quinta overlooking the Douro River. And all along the way, uncover a land of genuine beauty and breathtaking charm, as well as meet warmhearted, friendly people with welcoming open arms.

Uniworld’s 11-day Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley Cruise includes: three nights in Lisbon at a deluxe hotel with breakfast; a 7-night cruise in a stateroom with a French balcony onboard the new Douro Spirit; all meals with complimentary fine wine, beer, and soft drinks served with dinner onboard; 10 fully-hosted shore excursions by English-speaking local guides; and transfers on arrival and departure days.  Prices start from $2,999 per person, exclusive of airfare. And, if the trip is paid in full at time of booking by October 31, 2010, travelers can enjoy up to $400 per person savings depending on the category stateroom.

Portugal is competing at the 5^th World Cup, and is pegged as the 3^rd best team in the world in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. That means that Portugal’s national soccer team might be garnering some headlines –

so here is a quick look at the European nation that might surprise the world this summer.

World Cup Record to Date:

1966 – Third place

1986 – First round

2002 – First round

2006 – Fourth place

Overall Record in World Cup:

Played 19 games: Won 11, Tied 1, Lost 7.

World Cup Highlight:

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira scored four goals in one game as Portugal overcame North Korea 5-3 in the quarterfinals of the 1966 World Cup. Portugal and North Korea are in eh same group in 2010.  Eusébio scored nine goals at the 1966 Cup, the tournament’s top scorer.

The story so far: Portugal ‘s national team has emerged as a force in world soccer over the past decade, an amazing feat for a nation of 10 million. The squad is led by 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Country:
About the size of Maine, Portugal is a country of contrasts that boasts some of the most unspoiled natural vistas, the richest traditions, the most intoxicating culture, the most adrenaline-pumping adventures, and the most serene retreats in all of Europe.

Geographically, Portugal is closer to the United States than anything else in Europe – both on the mainland (Lisbon is continental Europe’s westernmost city) and in the Atlantic Ocean (the Azores Islands are just four hours from Boston).

The nation’s heart and its largest city is Lisbon – a charming, stately capital   reputedly founded 2,500 years ago by Ulysses.  It is a city dotted with churches, museums, monuments and markets, with a way of life that is distinctive and elegantly esoteric.  Lisbon is also Portugal’s home of the 21st century, exuding coolness and home to high-tech industries, dynamic architecture, trendy boutiques, stylish hotels, hip restaurants, and hot nightspots full of next year’s styles.  A few hours up the coast is Porto (sometimes called Oporto): monumental, historic, and known worldwide for the sweet Port wine that is produced in the rich Douro River Valley.  Between Lisbon and Porto are the ancient cities and hilltop villages home to Portugal’s famous Pousadas – hotels built into monasteries, castles, and fortresses.  Traveling inland, visitors explore the Roman remains, palaces, cork forests, olive groves, wide-open fields, and finally the sweeping peaks that mark the border with Spain.  Traditionally ‘In’ resorts like Estoril and Cascais hug up to the Atlantic, and on the country’s southernmost coast the weather is warm and the golf courses and beaches are plentiful.

Finally, the nation’s two archipelagos add an exotic element to Portugal: Soaring Madeira, warm and flower-filled to the south, and the mid-Atlantic Azores, wild, windswept and unspoiled.

The Facts:
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain.  Six hours flight from U.S. East Coast to the mainland, or four hours flight to the Azores islands.

Capital: Lisbon (also called Lisboa).  Population of greater Lisbon: two million.  Lisbon is at the same latitude as San Francisco.

Climate: Portugal has a mild climate without extremes of temperature. Winters are pleasant, and summers are moderately hot. The Norte (Porto) has an Atlantic climate influenced by the Gulf Stream. The middle of the country (the Lisbon and the Centro de Portugal Region) has gentle dry summers and short mild winters.  Southern Portugal (the Alentejo and Algarve Regions) has a warm, dry Mediterranean climate without extremes of heat. The Madeira islands offer an inviting climate all year-round with temperatures around 70 degrees. The Azores islands also offer very mild weather moderated by the Atlantic’s maritime influence.

Population: 10,566,212 (July 2005 est. -about the same as the state of Maine).

Area: 35,672 square miles (about the same as the state of Maine – includes Azores and Madeira archipelagos).

Land: 35,502 sq mi;

Water: 170 sq mi. More than 400 miles of coastline.

Islands: The nine Azores islands in the mid-Atlantic are a four hours flight from Boston, at the same latitude as New England.  Madeira’s two islands, 90 minutes south of Lisbon by air, are at the same latitude as Charleston, S.C.

Language: Portuguese (English is spoken throughout the country).

Time Zone: GMT – Five hours ahead of U.S. East Coast time in mainland Portugal and Madeira; the Azores are just four hours ahead of EST.

Chief Cities: Lisbon and Porto are the two largest. Regional cities include Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Funchal, Ponta Delgada, Portalegre, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Viseu.

Tourism: Approximately 12 million visitors annually, including 250.000 (approx.) from the USA.

Learn more: www.visitportugal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo:

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in Funchal, Madeira on February 5, 1985. He is a Portuguese soccer star who plays on the national team as #7. He takes his name from U.S. President Ronald Regan. The winger and forward is one of the highest paid soccer players in the world. He began playing the sport at the age of five and by the summer of 2003 joined Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo played for the team for approximately five years, after which he signed to Real Madrid on July 1, 2009.

Ronaldo’s autobiography, titled Moments, was published in December 2007. Ronaldo is also the face of various advertising campaigns including the Portuguese bank Banco Espírito Santo, Pepe Jeans, Nike, Coca-Cola, Emporio Armani, Castrol, and Clear Shampoo. He is also featured in his underwear on the July 2010 cover of Vanity Fair.  Media sources have recently linked Cristiano Ronaldo to Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, among other famous women.

Heritage until August 31st, since Fado faces the risk of loosing its identity from 2 centuries ago and they also defend to create museums and archives and introduce Fado in the schools curriculums. Portugal will apply to the United Nations to have the Fado declared World Heritable next year, according to Portugal’s U.N. ambassador, Manuel Maria Carrilho. The application is anticipated as being approved by the end of 2010. Carrilho credits the work of the City of Lisbon and professor Rui Vieira Nery for six years of preparation for the application. He spoke at the opening of Amália, Coração Independente at Lisbon’s Belem Cultural Center. Fado an ancient song that often expresses deep-seated feelings, disappointment in love, the sense of sadness and longing for someone who has gone away, everyday events, the ups and downs of life – inspiration for Fado can come from almost any source. Fado is a symbol of Portugal, a celebrated form of world music that has retained its traditional qualities but evolved with the times. Amália Rodriques brought Fado to the great concert halls of Europe and the attention of international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s.  Today, Fadista Mariza, who continues to tour overseas, taking the Fado to an even wider audience.  The more popular forms of Fado are found in the cities near the sea, such as Lisbon or Porto, and  in the Alentejo and Ribatejo too. Coimbra has given the music its own unique feel, making it popular among students.

SATA Plus passengers business class passengers, as well as members of the SATA Goldsky Imagine, can use a new Lounge at Logan International Airport in Boston. The new Azores Express/SATA International Lounge is managed by Air France. The new lounge room capacity for 160 people and was recently opened by Air France. That is, it is a completely new space, sophisticated and modern. The new SATA Lounge in Boston has all the services that are normally expected for such facilities, including telephone, fax, Internet, Wi-Fi, LCD TVs, iMacs, variety of snacks + sandwiches and drinks, newspapers, magazines, etc. The new lounge is open to passengers traveling in Business Class and members Goldsky Plus SATA.  SATA Imagine, is the airlines frequent flier program, which as lot of new perks for embers such as new menus, meal on board the aircraft SATA International, with the signature of the Chief Chakall, free parking for 24 hours at the airports of Ponta Delgada, Funchal, Lisbon and Porto, as well as offering valet service at Lisbon Airport Express, the updating of Lounges, bigger and better assistance in case of flight irregularities, etc. The result of improving the service provided in Class SATA Plus resulted in a 2.3% increase in the number of passengers traveling in this class in 2009 compared to 2008. For more information got to http://www.sata.pt

Visit the International Garden Festival and prepare to be amazed by the exquisite spaces crated within the framework of this original initiative. This event is held between May 28th and October 30th, 2010 and fosters enjoyment and expertise in the field of gardens and gardening, in profound connection to preservation of heritage values and defence of the environment.

Dedicated to a different topic every year, a wide array of national and international projects apply to this festival and 12 are selected and then installed in Ponte de Lima. During a 5-month period, these ephemeral gardens may be visited and appreciated by the general public, thereby offering the opportunity to discover new approaches in the conception of green spaces and different creative trends.

Two and a half decades after joining the European Union in 1986 Portugal is very different place. Portugal’s European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates spoke at a ceremony to mark the day at Lisbon’s Jeronimos Monastery, where Portugal signed the accession treaty 25 years ago. Socrates called for “a European response based on solidarity and cohesion between states and European peoples.” The Portuguese economy experienced a big jump when Portugal joined the European Union as well as the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.  Portugal’s membership in the EU contributed to stable economic growth, largely through increased trade and an inflow of EU funds for infrastructure improvements.

The Adega Cooperativa de Borba has just won gold and silver medals for it red wines at the respected competition ‘Sélection Mondiales des Vins‘ held in Quebec, Canada. The gold went to the red Regional Alentejano 2008, and the silver to adegaborba.pt Reserva 2006, a DOC Alentejo red.

The group behind the Douro Palace Hotel will build  anew 5-star hotel on the banks of the Douro River in  Pala, based on the strong occupancy rates and   30% growth already scene at the Douro Palace Hotel. Set into a green cliff overlooking the Douro River in Baião province, the small palace covered in blue tiles and the contrasting white minimalist building that make up the Douro Palace Hotel Resort & SPA stand out. This combination of the historical with the contemporary has brought to life a hotel with elegant spaces, boasting modern design and refined details, and also benefiting from the superb location and the refreshing natural surroundings.

You can’t miss this striking traveling exhibition in Castelo Branco that will present over 30 real-scale species in a 3000 sq meter area. National Railways will also be involved in this initiative through the creation of a new tourist package “Dinosaurs’ Train”. Several parallel events will be held, such as theatre performances, pedagogical and leisure activities on paleontology. This exhibition will travel along the whole territory of Tejo International and it can be seen from March to October, 2010.

This is the second year that the Association for the Promotion of Trade in Cascais will transform shop windows on main street with art. Starting May 17 some 83 windows of local businesses in Estoril and Cascais will display art created by 120 artists. These are the works of Victor Bethlehem, Paulo Teixeira Pinto, Paul Mathieu, William Parente, Freitas Cruz, Isa Ribeiro, Dario Vidal, Pedro Pinto Coelho and Miguel Bual, among others. The idea is to change the imagery of street commerce while enhancing the historic centers of Cascais and Estoril, transforming them into huge outdoor art galleries.  http://www.comcascais.pt/ and http://aeiou.visao.pt/a-maior-galeria-de-arte-do-pais=f559902

The Alentejo winery Adega de Borba is celebrating its Montes Claros wine in June with special wine paring dinners at fine Lisbon restaurants.  The eateries will be serving  Montes Claros garrafeira, Montes Claros Reserva red and Montes Claros Reserva White. The special dinner will be offered in June at:

Dom Feijão ­ June 7 to 11 – Tel. +(351) 218 464 038

O Poleiro ­ June 14 to 18 – Tel. (+351) 217 976 265

Belcanto ­ June 21 to July 2 – Tel. (+351) 213 420 607

Tivoli Caffè opened its doors on May 29th, 2010. This intends be the new meeting point in Coimbra, offering cuisine, music and design. Enjoy your Tivoli experience!

The Algarve Summer will once again be enlivened by the Allgarve Gourmet program. From August 10^th to 15th, the Jardim Pescador Olhanense will be hosting the Seafood Festival, which includes the Allgarve Gourmet, an initiative of Turismo de Portugal, coordinated by José Bento dos Santos, where some of the great chefs of international cuisine will be displaying their skills. Everyday, these chefs will be found in the Gourmet section of the Seafood Festival, generously and professionally preparing the most delicious dishes from the sea, including the very best shellfish and seafood typically found in the Algarve. These dishes will be presented in original recipes, some based on our Portuguese culinary traditions, while others will be entirely modern and are guaranteed to be a truly gastronomic delight.

On this day of Portugal we hail the poet whose death it remembers, Luís Vaz de Camões (1524-June 10, 1580). The true power of his command of Portuguese is unequalled, and on the level of Shakespeare, Homer, Virgil, and Dante. He loved his nation, although he deed it ungrateful. This is considered one of his most moving poems, Alma Minha Gentil: the Dear gentle soul for mine, who has departed so soon from this life, discontented rest in heaven eternally while I remain here, forever saddened. If there in the ethereal place that you have gone memories of this life are allowed, do not forget that ardent love you always saw so pure in my eyes. And if you judge there might be worthy of you, some small bit of this pain that I am left with, Of the pain with out remedy of losing you prey God, who cut short your life, to take me quickly to see you, As quick as from my sight he took you. Enjoy the power of Camoes as read by João Villaret(the poem that starts at 1m40s)