The Twilight of the Pepper Empire (1600–1663)
Portugal had a century start on the other European empires in the east and, in a sense, the Portuguese eastern empire lasted much longer than those of its competitors, since
UNESCO National Memory of the World: The Baltic Way
This summer, Peter and I took a long trip around the Baltic, visiting nine countries. We started in Finland and finished in Sweden, having circled around the south of the
Mad, bad and dangerous – Lord Byron visits Elvas
Childe Harold is the subject of one of Byron’s most famous poems. His pilgrimage of self-discovery commenced when he first saw a distant view of Lisbon from the River Tagus.
Lord Byron visits Mafra || Part 4
Leaving from Sintra, Lord Byron must have experienced a great sense of anticipation on his way to Mafra. The complex of Baroque buildings was intended to be the envy of
Mad, bad and dangerous – Lord Byron in Sintra || Part 2
It was a sultry July evening in Lisbon when outside the theatre Lord Byron was castigated by an irate husband. The man was not the first and would not be
Mad, bad and dangerous
In 1812, Lord Byron was suddenly acknowledged as a literary genius. “I awoke one morning and found myself famous,” he explained. This was due, at least in part, to his
The British in the Algarve
The Algarve was always remote, even after the railway had been built. Not until Faro airport was opened in 1965 has this region enjoyed wide popularity. The traditional and historic
Famous Algarvians
Many people could name some famous Portuguese: perhaps the footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo and Eusébio; the explorers Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias and Magellan; and possibly the
History talk – The Dutch presence in the Portuguese Empire
Algarve historian Peter Kingdon Booker will be discussing ‘The Dutch presence in the Portuguese Empire” at his next talk to be held in Tavira and Lagoa. Although the Seven Provinces
Virtual museum a window to the Portuguese Discoveries
All you need to know about Portugal’s Golden Age of Discovery can now be found in a recently launched virtual museum – www.portaldescobrimentos.pt – promoted by the Algarve tourism board.