Portugal short range tours
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Program
Day 1
Departure from Lisbon to Obidos, (walk through the streets of this medieval town, still surrounded by its 12th century
walls). Continue to Alcobaça, (visit the 12th century monastery, namely the tombs of king Peter and Inês de Castro).
Proceed to Nazare, which is renowned as the most typical fishing village in Portugal. After lunch, continue to Batalha (visit
this historic temple of Portugal). Arrival at an Hotel in Fatima. Evening free (to eventuallyassist mass service).
Accommodation in Fatima.
Day 2
Breakfast at hotel, day at disposal for activities of a religious nature, namely, assist mass and visit the sanctuary of
Fatima - pilgrimage centre of the Catholic faith. Return to Lisbon at the end of the afternoon.
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...Perched on a hill rising out of an agricultural plain, Óbidos is one of Portugal’s picturesque gems. From its lofty
centre one gazes upon expanses of vineyards speckled with whirling windmills and terracotta-roofed homesteads.
Nearer, narrow cobbled streets, lined typically with whitewashed, bougainvillaea-draped houses, wind up to the walled
interior. The region was the westernmost limit of the Roman Empire. Under Portuguese rule, Obidos flourished into a
major trading port. Every Portuguese queen was given Obidos as a wedding present. Obidos continues to be a popular
destination during the summer, when tourists jam the streets to explore the city’s medieval charm....
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...The city of Alcobaça became notable after the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, decided to build there a Monastery
to celebrate the conquest of Santarém. It’s one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country and was the first
Gothic building in Portugal, started in the 12th century. Over the centuries this monastery had an important role on
Portuguese culture. The Cistecian monks in Alcobaça dedicated their lives to meditation, working and teaching. They
created the first public school in Portugal, which was begun in 1269, and the use of the land for farming purposes,
providing a genuine agricultural training ground, the fruits of which are still visible today...
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…Possibly the most famous fishing town in Portugal, Nazaré is unique in many ways. It has an atmosphere of times
gone by, contentment and traditions, which continue to thrive, which make it a special place to visit. Along the seafront of
Nazaré, people still dry their catch of fish in the sun and mend their boats alongside sunbathing holidaymakers. A throng
of craft shops and cafes stretches the length of the Avenida Marginal, as well as restaurants serving a great variety of
the local speciality, which is of course fish. Until not too long ago, fishermen were still seen using oxen to pull their
brightly painted boats from the ocean and even today many locals still wear their characteristic traditional costumes: the
fishermen have check shirts and trousers, and the women wear several layers of petticoats. The fishing boats are
Phoenician in design with bright colours and eyes painted on the vessels, supposedly with the magical power to avert
storms…
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...In the XIV century, king Ferdinand died without a male heir to the throne; this originated the most significant civil war in
Portugal, involving England and Spain. The winner, king John I, ordered the construction of this Monastery in homage to
his victory and to be his Royal Pantheon. In fact, he started also what would become known as the “Magnificent
Generation”, those Monarchs who gave the impulse and consolidated the gigantic Portuguese Empire. The Monastery was
to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic
style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art...
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...The Catholic Church regards the three parts of the Fatima Secret and the total Fatima message to be important and of
great value to the spiritual lives of its people. It consists only of prophecies about the new condition of the Church in the
world.... Fatima and its Secret do present us with something deeply serious, for they bring us face to face with the
mysteries of eternal life. Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions. Faith and prayer are forces
which can influence history and that in the end prayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than
armies...
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