Lisbon Trams

A beautiful art postcard from Lisbon, thanks to Daniela via postcrossing.

Sent: 23 December 2015   Arrived: 5 January 2016   Travelled: 13 days

Algarve, Portugal

The Algarve is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal. It has an area of 4,997 square kilometres (1,929 sq mi) with 451,006 permanent inhabitants, and incorporates 16 municipalities. The region has as its administrative centre the city of Faro, where both the region's international airport (FAO) and public university (the University of the Algarve) are located. Tourism and related activities are extensive and make up the bulk of the Algarve's summer economy. Production of food, which includes fish and other seafood, fruit, oranges, carob beans, figs and almonds, is also economically important in the region. The Algarve is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal, and one of the most popular in Europe. Its population triples to nearly 1.5 million people in the peak holiday season thanks to seasonal residents, and receives an average of 7 million foreign tourists each year. In total, including national visitors, almost 10 million people visit the Algarve annually.
Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to Lina via Postcrossing for this beautiful boat view and the

amazing stamp!

Sent: 10 August 2015   Received: 11 September 2015   Travelled: 31 days

Joanina Library

The Joanina Library (Biblioteca Joanina) is the Baroque library of the University of Coimbra, built in the 18th century during the reign of the Portuguese King João V (and named after him). It is located in upper Coimbra, the university historic centre, near the university tower, and is part of University of Coimbra General Library.

Over the entrance door, the library exhibits the national coat of arms. Inside, there are three great rooms divided by decorated arches, bearing the same style as the portal and entirely executed by Portuguese artists. The walls are covered by two storied shelves, in gilded or painted exotic woods; the painted ceilings, by the Lisbon artists Simões Ribeiro and Vicente Nunes, blend harmoniously with the rest of the decoration. The library contains about 250 thousand volumes, namely works of medicine, geography, history, humanistic studies, science, civil and canon law, philosophy and theology. It is a National Monument and has a priceless historical value being one of the main tourist attractions among the older monuments belonging to the university.

Thanks to Simona for this beautiful view of the Joanina Library, one of the

most spectacular libraries in the world.

Sent: 12 May 2015   Received: 3 June 2015   Travelled: 21 days

Cork!

 

It's Saturday and I have no mail so I thought to feature an unusual postcard from Portugal, a cork card featuring the Portugese Azulejos tiles of Portugese ships. 

Why do I like ships and hot air balloons?

If I was to say what I could remember from my elementary days in school it would be the subject on Portugese Explorers and Greek Myths,coupled with watching a lot of Indiana Jones with my father that fed my wonder on how people travelled long distances with the old fashioned method of sea travel.  Ever since then I always dreamt of being an adventurer, sailing on ships to discover new land,or flying in a hot air balloon into the unknown (blame 'Around the world in 80 days' for that one)

The odd thing was I never thought to visit Portugal ,especially when you're in some small corner in South East Asia, it seems like a place one only can dream about from the encyclopedia. Having set foot in Lisbon, sitting by the Monument of Discovery, and looking out over the Targus River, I wondered what those explorers thought about when they set sail  on the expedition to go beyond Africa.

 

Thank you Filipa for this amazing postcard!

 

and here's something for you to listen, a beautiful song I heard in Porto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSIGWEcR5Dc Dulce Pontes "Song of the Sea"

 

Sent: 8 January 2013,   Received: 16 January 2013, Travelled: 8 days

Shaped card from Portugal

 

Azulejos

 

In Portugal, azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even railway stations or subway stations. They constitute a major aspect of Portuguese architecture as they are applied on walls, floors and even ceilings. They were not only used as an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azulejos

 

Just one last card to add to my Portugal collection(I think that's the last of it). If you ever go to Portugal, the azulejos on the buildings are really amazing, some taking up entire walls or as a centerpiece in the train station, truly breathtaking.

Obrigada Libania for this beautiful card!



Sent: 4 February 2013

Received: 14 February 2013

Travelled: 10 days

 

 



Portugal map

 

 

The Rooster of Barcelos

The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. The story is associated with the 17th-century calvary that is part of the collection of the Archeological Museum located in Paço dos Condes, a gothic-style palace in Barcelos, a city in the Braga District of northwest Portugal.

 

Thank you Libania for this awesome map card, little did I know that I would be visiting Portugal in my Eurotrip last year. One of my favourite places in Europe :)

 



Sent: 11 April 2013

Received: ??

Porto

 

Douro River, Carmo Church, Ribeira Square

 

Located along the Douro river estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin for the name "Portugal", based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. In Portuguese the name of the city is spelled with a definite article as "o Porto" (English: the port). Consequently, its English name evolved from a misinterpretation of the oral pronunciation and referred to as "Oporto" in modern literature and by many speakers.

One of Portugal's internationally famous exports, port wine, is named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the adegas of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the production and export of the fortified wine. The Porto region is also a major producer of cork.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porto

 

I had the chance of tasting the sweet Port wine in one of the many cellars across the river from the historic center. Porto is really a great city to visit and I enjoyed myself very much here.Thank you Marilia from Porto for this beautiful card!

 

Sent: 17 December 2012

Received: 21 December 2012

Travelled: 4 days 

Obidos, Portugal

Typical street

Thank you Cindy for the beautiful postcard from Portugal!

Sent: 14 June 2012

Minho girls

 

 

Minho has substantial Celtic influences and shares many cultural traits with neighbouring Galicia in Spain. The region was part of the Roman Province and early medieval Kingdom of Gallaecia. Historical remains of Celtic Minho include Briteiros Iron Age Hillfort, the largest Gallaecian native stronghold in the Entre Douro e Minho region, in North Portugal.
Minho is famous as being the origin of the soup caldo verde and the wine Vinho Verde.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minho_Province

Sent: 27 March 2013
Received: 25 April 2013
Travelled:29 days

Castelo de Sao Jorge

A Moorish castle overlooking the historic center of Lisbon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_S%C3%A3o_Jorge

 

Thank you Magarida for this castle card!

 

Sent: 13 February 2013

Received: 26 February 2013

Travelled: 13 days