Portugal-Where the Atlantic meets Europe - Part 2. Porto e Norte de Portugal

The natural beauty of Portugal's oldest region forms the backdrop for this proud and traditional land.

The Douro river is the longest in northern Portugal. It winds its sinuous way past mountains and cliffs until it reaches the Atlantic near the city of Porto.

Many dams have been built to make the river navigable, which for the visitor means that plenty of pleasure-boats depart from Porto. Between Mesao Frio and Pinhao lies the stretch where the valley sides are lined with terraced vineyards that produce the famous Port wine. But this region is famous for other things besides the wine that

 is made nowhere else in the world. Signs of prehistoric men are seen in the ancient cave paintings in Vila Nova de Foz Coa. Elsewhere, medieval castles and convents or Romansque little churches dot the landscape. History, too, is evoked by the manor houses, such as the Baroque mansion at Mateus, near Vila Real, or in the great 17th century sanctuaries, such as Nossa Senhora dos Remedios in Lamego, which plays such an important role in people's devotions. Everywhere people keep alive traditions of dance and song (showing strong Celtic influence, as in the Pauliteiros dance of Miranda) and in their secular festivals and processions, which reveal how Christian rituals were grafted onto a much older pagan heritage.

A paradise of unspoiled natural resources, the region is a perfect place for mountain trekking, canoeing or simply resting up in the spa towns of Carvalhelhos, Chaves and Pedras Salgadas. Vidago has a magnificient park with swimming pools and a golf course.

Porto is without doubt the main city in northern Portugal. It has an international airport and all the charms of a riverside community. It also keeps alive traditional values while pushing ahead with a dynamic, innovative spirit in its commercial and industrial life. 

Along the coastline north of Porto runs the road linking Vila do Conde to Valenca. It takes visitors past beautiful beaches, summer resorts and enchanting villages such as Caminha and Vila Nova de Cerveira. Inland, one must visit the huge national park area covering the mountains of Peneda, Soajo and Geres.

Three towns that set the tone for this charming area of Portugal are Viana do Castelo, lying upon the estuary of the Lima river; Braga, rich in ecclesiastical history and the medieval Guimaraes. Mansions and manorial houses in this region open their doors to bed and breakfast, offering visitors a rare privileged glimpse of aristocratic Portuguese traditions, combined with the best modern hospitality can offer. 

 

Portugal surely needs to be explored inorder to better undertstand the diversity of each of its different regions and unique culture. Apart from Lisboa and Porto, Beiras, Algarve, Alentejo and off-shore islands of Madeira and Acores is what makes up the whole of Portugal -

Come and discover this laid-back and unique country of Portugal and start chanting 'VIVA LA PORTUGAL'  !!!

Portugal-Where the Atlantic meets Europe - Part 1.Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

Lisboa, the capital of Portugal since 1255, was conquered from the Moors by Portugal's first king in 1147. It lies on the right bank of the Tagus river and in a region that offers a rich landscape diversity.

The imposing Tagus river (Tejo) flows alongside Lisboa from east to west. Its source lies in Spain, but a good part of its journey to the sea lies inside Portuguese frontiers before it meets the Atlantic ocean.As it approaches Lisboa, the river bed widens to create a green and fertile plain called the leziria. The effect as it nears the capital is to grace the landscpae with its broad blue estuary.

 

The special beauty of the riverbank enriches a number of towns past which the Tagus makes its way: Abrantes, Constancia, Vila Nova da Barquinha and Santarem. The whole green river valley is like a stage setting upon which deeply-rooted cultural traditions are enacted. There is popular music and dance, and the traditional costume worn by the horsemen still seen rounding up their cattle in rural pastures is a real feature.

Lisbon, the dazzling city that stretches along the banks of the Tagus, is an enchanting capital. There is the fortress around which the city originally sprang up, and which is now circled by neighbourhoods drenched with medieval charm. Everywhere are fine monuments  that bring to mind the great Age of Discoveries and picturesque houses whose facades are decked with ornate ceramic tiles. As the dusk turns to night, the yellow electric tramcars continue to wind their way up and down the hills of the old capital wind, 

while the sound of traditional Fado folk songs enlivens many a candle-lit dinner table in restaurant or home. But the capital also provides ample opportunity for seeing people celebrations, for shopping, and for enjoying the nightlife along the river banks. With the port and marinas situated nearby, watersports are a natural attraction too.Not far from the capital lies the town of Sintra. Its marvellous surrounding vegetation and landscape are classified by UNESCO as of outstanding cultural importance.

There is no better way to see the exuberant trees and vegetation than to take a horse-drawn carriage ride and pass by ancient  mansions before reaching the Palacio de Pena at the top of the hill. Its fabulous romantic architecture keeps vivid the atmosphere of a truly royal residence.

Back in the Lisboa area, there are are many other places worth a visit: the imposing Mafra Convent, the cosmopolitan seaside resort of Cascais, the Arrabida hills and their nature reserve stocked with ancient trees or picturesque Sesimbra, the city of Setubal and the aristocratic country- houses of nearby Azeitao. The area provides something for every taste: beach, water sports, golf courses and in the summer, open air music festivals.

The Atlantic coast, which stretches to the north and west of Lisbon, is of surprising beauty; here the landscape swiftly changes from high, sweeping cliffs to beaches of white sand, backed by lagoons. Let us not forget that here, at Cabo da Roca, is Europe's westernmost point.

This is a region of enchanting coastal villages or towns such as Peniche and Nazare, where the brightly-coloured fising boats still ply their trade. Further inland, at Alcobaca, Tomar and Batalha, are to be found the ancient monasteries

and convents of the religious orders, which are part of UNESCO's global heritage. They stand as witnesses to Portugal's rich historical and cultural traditions. These are lands that were won back from the Moors by the first king 

of Portugal, Afonso Henriques. And the memory of that era lives on in the ancient castles that loom above Leiria, Tomar, Obidos or Santarem

Our journey to this exotic country continues  in my next blog also as I take you to Porto E Norte de Portugal region and its fascinating legends......

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Japan's Alpine Route in Autumn

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a spectacular way to cross the Northern Japan Alpsby a combination of buses, cablecars and a ropeway. The route leads from Toyama 

City at the Sea of Japan coast to Murodo at an altitude of 2420 meters before descending into the town of Omachi in Nagano Prefecture. It can be travelled in either direction.

Due to its wide range of elevation, the Alpine Route features autumn colors over an extended time period. One of the first places on Japan's main island of Honshu to see the seasonal colors, 

, Murodo usually sees its alpine bushes start coloring around late September, while the seasonal spectacle lasts into the month of November in the lower elevations along the route.

Murodo offers walking options for every visitor from easy strolls around the bus terminal to multi-day trekking tours through the Northern Alps. A particularly popular 

hike is the ascent to the 3015 meter high peak of Mount Tateyama, which takes about two hours one way from the bus terminal.

This is certainly one of the few visited or known places of the world so just thought of sharing and informing about this unknown heaven's paradise as you can see from below pictures....

Japan surely has many more unseen and unknown places yet to be discovered and my blog will be an attempt to take you to such uncovered out of the world  places

 

Wonderful Boracay Post-Summer Holidays

Many tourists and beach enthusiasts are enamored by Asia’s splendid and clean beaches. They travel great lengths to reach the islands and experience a one-of-a-kind summer vacation—one of which is the Philippines’ wonderful summer getaways which keeps them coming back for more.

Late holiday deals make mid-year vacation planning possible, since it is often never too late to go out of the country to fly and visit the vivacity of the Philippines’ scenic beaches. Puka Beach, which is ranked 84 in CNN’s 100 best beaches in the world, boasts the feel of a paradise untouched by human intervention. If you are the type of person who’d like to chill and commune with nature without the fuzz of the urban jungle, this is the right destination for you.

It’s complete contrast is that of Boracay’s White Beach with its party reputation. Filled with restaurants, resorts and awesome nightlife, this is truly a beach setting for those who’d like to relax, but cannot leave the comforts of the modern world. One can expect to meet a lot of people in this tourist spot from all walks of life and enjoy the melting pot of people who wants to have a good time.

Both of these beaches offer different comforts depending on one’s preference. Puka beach is rough, innocent and untamed. While White beach is known as sophisticated, wild and free. The former can be enjoyed under the presence of the sound of the waves rushing to shore, seashells and twinkling stars. The latter by its rambunctious disco music, yummy cocktails and neon lights.

Whichever of these two you pick, you deserve to have a break sometimes. It’s never too late to go out and have an enjoyable last minute trip. It doesn’t necessarily mean that just because summer has ended you cannot have a memorable time for a spontaneous journey. Always live life to the fullest, that’s the rule of beach living.