PORTUGAL
Capital: Lisbon
Population: 10 677 000
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Euro
Religion: Roman-Catholicism (75%)
Useful information:
Country code: +351
Emergency phone: 112
Directory assistance: 118
Electricity:
Portugal’s standard electricity supply is 220 Volts, 50 Hz. Standard European style outlets are in use.
Payment cards:
Master Card and Visa are widely accepted.
Portuguese cuisine:
Portuguese cuisine is based on fish (especially cod, dried and salted), sardines, and seafood. Also, soups are very popular.
Typical prices:
Coffee in a bar – 0,65 – 1,70 euro
A bottle of mineral water (1.5 l) – from 0,30 euro
A meal in a restaurant – from 7 euro
Bread roll – from 0,13 euro
Weather conditions:
Portugal has a warm, sunny climate with mild winters. During the peak tourist season, which runs from mid-June to mid-September, the temperature remains high, with average of 26 degrees C. Spring and fall are mild seasons too, while in the period between November and March, there are frequent rains. Northern Portugal is a rainy region, while southern provinces of the country are very sunny.
Places to visit:
Alcobaça – is a town in central Portugal, with a Medieval Roman Catholic Monastery, listed by by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Aljustrel – a hamlet on the outskirts of Fatima, birthplace of three shepherd children, Lucia Santos, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, who experienced apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
Batalha – a town in central Portugal, whose name in English means “battle”. Batalha is famous for a monastery, erected to pay homage to the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota.
Braga – the Rome of Portugal, and the cradle of Christianity in this part of the Iberian Peninsula. Outside the city there is a popular pilgrimage site Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount), with its famous baroque staircase.
Cabo da Roca – a rocky cape, which forms the westernmost extent of Portugal and continental Europe. It is also called the end of the world.
Fatima – the site of a series of Marian apparitions, now visited by thousands of pilgrims. In the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fátima there is the bullet that nearly killed Pope John Paul II.
Lisbon – the capital of Portugal, famous for its historic tram route 28, and several unique districts. The city has a labyrinth of narrow streets, especially in the districts of Alfama, Baixa, with the Commerce Square (Praca de Comercio), Bairro Alto and Belém, with the Hieronymites Monastery and the fortified Tower of St Vincent.
Nazaré – a popular Atlantic Ocean resort, with a wide, sandy beach and beautiful views.
Porto – the second biggest city of the country, and the European Capital of Culture for 2001. Porto has a magnificent Old Town, and its wines are famous worldwide.
Mini phrasebook:
Good morning – Bom dia
Good bye – Adeus
How are you? – Como está?
Good, and you? – Tudo bem, e docê?
Yes – Sim
No – Não
Please – Por favor
Thank you – Obrigado
Excuse me – Desculpe
Help! – Socorro!
Where is the restroom? – Onde é casa de banho?
How much does it cost? – Quanto custa?
Do you speak English? – Você fala Inglês?
I don’t understand – Não compreendo