Travelling through the Beautiful Portuguese City

Lisbon is the largest city and the capital of Portugal with around 110 sq km area. Lisbon has quite a variety of transportation that means flexibility and choice. There are century old trams exploring history of the area and there are modern subway lines carrying pieces of contemporary art. Lisbon’s central part is designed to be a compact area that a normal healthy person can explore on foot. Famous places in close proximity in central area are Alfama, Bairro Alto and Baixa.

Lisbon has well planned underground metro train for transportation followed by trams, taxis and buses and choice remains open for the user where one wants to go and then how to reach a specific place, depending on the budget available.

Lisbon has a good connectivity to other places by train and ferries. From CAIS DO SODRÉ has trains connecting to Estoril  andCascais while using a trams pass, one can reach upto Belem. The ferries have a link with Cacilhas enjoying city skyline during ten minutes journey across the river. Buses have their starting point heading to Setubal and Sesimbra. ORIENTE STATION is transportation hub of the city situated in the middle of Parque das Nações. This is a Lisbon’s great connectivity using bus and metro as almost every train stops while passing Lisbon.

Lisbon has full attention to its scenic beauty. A coastal railway travels from Cais do Sodré Station to Estoril and then to Cascaisevery thirty minutes. This train stops at various stations. One can enjoy separate train to the royal park situated in Sintra. Train connection to Setúbal is regularly operated by Fertagus. This leaves from stations Roma/Areeiro, Entrecampos&Sete Rios. Otherwise, for roaming the city, book for Lisbon airport transfers.

Lisbon has a unique location along famous rivers like river Tagus, Lisbon has three river based stations. These stations also serve the metro and bus networks and connect the places that are located on located on southern side of the river.

Lisbon Airport name is Lisbon Portela Airport, holding IATA Code as LIS. The airport takes its name from the neighboring Loures Municipality, previously called Portela de Sacavém. The airport has several direct destinations across Europe, Asia and USA. 

Vinho do Porto- Portugal

Wines are part of royal as well as normal cuisine in various parts of World. Many countries are famous for their wines and other beverages. Portugal is one of them. Portugal is famous for its Port Wine also known as Vinho do Porto in Portuguese and usually simply Port. Mango people in Portugal simply call this wine “Porto”. Port wine is a sweet red wine which is available  in dry, semi dry and white varieties. It is produced exclusively Douro valley in the northern provinces of Portugal.

Production of port

Port is made from grapes grown and prepared in the demarcated Douro region. The wine produced is then barricaded by the addition of a neutral grape spirit known as aguardente in order to pause the fermentation, leaving leftover sugar in the wine, and to increase the alcohol measure. The wine is then saved and aged, often in barrels like drums stored in a cave as is the case in Vila Nova de Gaia, before being bottled. Thus the wine was named as "port" in the latter half of the 17th century from the city of Porto.

Wine regions

Baixo Corgo is the western zone situated downstream from the river Corgo, focused on the municipality of Peso da Régua. The production of inexpensive ruby and tawny ports is done with the grapes grown here. 

Cima Corgo is situated further upstream from the Baixo Corgo, this region is focused on the town of Pinhão. The grapes grown in this zone are treated of higher quality, being used in Vintage Ports. 

Douro Superior is the easternmost zone moving nearly to the Spanish border. This is the smallest cultivated region of Douro.

Port types

Tawny port is sweet and medium dry wines made from red grapes, that are stored in wooden barrels which are exposed to oxidation and evaporation. Therefore, they slowly mellow to a golden-brown color.  It is consumed as a dessert wine.

Ruby port is the low cost and often produced type of port. It is aged in tanks of concrete or stainless steel to avoid oxidative aging and secure its bright claret color.