Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Want to travel with greater efficiency and less stress? We organize
tours
with three
dozen itineraries and more than 500 departures reaching the best destinations in this
book... and beyond. We offer a 12-day Heart of Portugal tour that hits the highlights
of this history-rich country. You'll enjoy great guides, a fun bunch of travel partners
(with small groups of generally around 24-28), and plenty of room to spread out in a
big, comfy bus. You'll find European adventures to fit every vacation length. For all
the details, and to get our Tour Catalog and a free Rick Steves' Tour Experience DVD
(filmed on location during an actual tour), visit
www.ricksteves.com
or call us at 425/
608-4217.
Portuguese history is mentioned (but not thoroughly covered) in various guidebooks,
such as Cadogan, Eyewitness, and the Michelin Green Guide.
To learn more about Portugal past and present, check out a few of these books and films.
Noniction
For a concise, readable history of this country, pick up
Portugal: A Companion History
(Saraiva), or
The History of Portugal
(Anderson).
For a lively account of the Portuguese sea voyages and discoveries in the 15th and 16th
centuries, see
The Portuguese Empire, 1415-1808: A World on the Move
(Russell-Wood).
The biography
Prince Henry the Navigator: A Life
(Russell) reveals the man who helped
set in motion the Age of Discovery. Other famous Portuguese mariners are described in
Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
(Ber-
green) and
Unknown Seas: How Vasco da Gama Opened the East
(Watkins).
To explore Portugal's cuisine, read
Food of Portugal
(Anderson) or Lonely Planet's
World Food Portugal
(Scott-Aitken and De Macedo Vitorino).
Fiction
The Lusiads (Os Lusíadas),
by Luís de Camões, is one of the greatest epic poems of the
Renaissance, immortalizing Portugal's voyages of discovery; it's considered a national
treasure. Also look for the work of Fernando Pessoa, a 20th-century Portuguese poet.
Jose Maria Eça De Queirós, who wrote in part to bring about social reform, is con-
sidered by some to be the greatest 19th-century Portuguese novelist. English translations
include
The Crime of Father Amaro,
which highlighted the dangers of fanaticism in a pro-
vincial Portuguese town.
