Panoramas of Portugal

Cheap plane tickets are great to grab, especially when airfare is such a large part of the travel budget. Travelers can get more out of their vacation from accommodations to tours by starting with this pictorial introduction compiled with an artist's perspective. The view from the hotel or the hostel and every daytrip navigated with a local map will mean so much more after exploring Panoramas of Portugal.

Portugal has a long and varied history. After being invaded and settled by groups as old as the Pre-Celts and the Romans, struggles continued with Visigoths and other Germanic people. In 711 CE, the nation was firmly established.

Portugal is perhaps best known for being the first truly global empire. Its maritime exploration during the early part of the Age of Discovery, the 15^th and 16^th centuries, provided an influx of wealth through the spice trade. The Joanine era saw more than spices ship through her ports. Gold, wheat, copperware, cloths, tools, wine, and horses were all traded.

Then came centuries of turmoil. From the 17^th through the 19^th centuries, wars, the loss of colonies, and a lack of participation in the Industrial Revolution saw the nation decline. Then a significant earthquake triggered destruction, fires, and a tsunami that almost completely destroyed Lisbon.

Today Portugal is a striking place for tourism with unique architecture, a sunny climate, and Mediterranean culture. The cuisine is renowned, and fresh seafood spiced with chili and black peppers, saffron and olive oil can be found at inexpensive restaurants.

Travel tips and facts about wildlife, food, rental cars, camping, adventures, travel and tourism, cultural tours and more are easy enough to find on travel sites like Expedia or Travelocity. Entire trips can be planned using guidebooks like those from Lonely Planet. Now an artist's perspective can enhance trip planning.

Visitors to Portugal can expand their knowledge base with an artist's view of Lisbon, Amadora, Cabo da Roca, Sintra, and Cascais. Prepare yourself for Sao Jorge Castle, Belem Tower, Bairro Alto, Alfama, the Carmo Convent, Fado and the nightlife, and that red roof cityscape with the forty full-color photos in Panoramas of Portugal.

For fans of Conquerors by Roger Crowley, The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Maretl, Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi, Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, The Portuguese by Marion Kaplan, Portugal by Jose H. Saraiva, The Fat Man and Infinity by Antonio Lobo Antunes, Ballad of Dog's Beach by Jose Cardoso Pires, Distant Music by Lee Langley, Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali, A Small Death in Lisbon and The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson, and The Anarchist Banker, including Fernando Pessoa, Antonio Patricio, and Jose Maria de Eca de Queiros.