The Sea-Faring Portuguese
Posted On Monday, June 15, 2009 at at 12:14 AM by Alvin
The history of Portugal had been inextricably linked to the seas and oceans - the dramatic voyages of the exploring seafaring vessels, the heroic conquests of the new worlds, the abundance of the riches and rewards and the subsequent inevitable decline, all etched in the turbulent history of the peoples of this country.The mosaic near the Torre de Belem at the outskirt of Belem described this history better than words. The mosaic charted chronologically of the countries and cities around the world that came under Portuguese influence during the seafaring days of the past centuries; Brazil, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Goa, Malacca, Kochi, Macau to name a few. We took time to enjoy the last part of this journey - Lisboa, by visiting the Marques de Pombal, the tramways in the Alfama district, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos at Belem, Padrao dos Descobrimentos (the Monument of Discoveries), the Torre De Belem, admiring the cityscape of Lisboa at the Largo das Portas do Sol as well as the nearby village of Sintra. Tiring but what a lovely city to finish off this memorable journey, we even treated ourselves to a Portuguese-influenced Indian curry to round it off !
