Articles on some of the world's most romantic destinations by
professional photographer Eleanor S. Morris

Portugal's Pousadas: Romantic Choices in Today's Europe
by Eleanor S. Morris

Portugal, about the size of the state of Maine, has history enough to fill an entire continent. Records show that Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, and finally, Moors, took turns inhabiting Lisbon until King Alfonso Henriques ousted the Moors in 1147. He integrated the small country into Portugal and in the 15th and 16th centuries it became the center of the western world, sending ships carrying the Portuguese flag out to discover the rest of the world.

The pousadas of Portugal, spacious inns with beautiful vistas, make up a network of thirty hotel establishments scattered throughout the country. Romance combined with friendliness, service and modern comfort in historic castles, palaces and monasteries, make the pousadas attractions in themselves. In addition, they usually overlook a picturesque Portuguese town of one size or another, offering local arts and crafts, and very friendly people. "Bom dia!" is heard all day long, from everyone everywhere, and the pousadas, too, reflect this spirit of goodwill.

The inns carefully preserve the historical and cultural traditions of the region in which they are located, yet with all the modern, even luxurious, conveniences--large marble baths are the rule, rather than the exception.

Pousada do Castelo de Palmela, in an ancient convent towering over the small village of Palmela 45 minutes east of Lisbon, although close to Lisbon, is far in spirit.

Pousada Rainha Santa Isabel, is near the picturesque small town of Estremoz in the Alentejo, a district of Portugal with totally unspoilt rural beauty and culture.

POUSADA DO CASTELO DE PALMELA

Pousada do Castelo de Palmela, also exceptionally spacious, is built over the Arrabida foothills surrounding the small settlement of Palmela. Built as a convent in 1423, the inn has 27 rooms furnished with comfortable modern simplicity. There is a lift, and air conditioning. Easy to reach from Lisbon center, the inn prides itself on serving authentic regional gastronomical fare, and can accommodate up to 600 persons for banquets. Near to the inn is Renguengos de Monsaraz, a charmingly unspoiled village of red-roofed whitewashed houses and cobbled streets where donkeys trod. The village, on a monte, surrounds a ruined castle.

LISBON

Today, Lisbon is a city both modern and medieval. From the crenellated walls of CASTELO DE S. JORGE lording it high over the city, through the ALFAMA, whose narrow streets and overhanging balconies shade walls of handpainted tiles to the bright splendor of modern new shopping malls, Lisbon is a city of contrasts. A taxi to the castelo, which is believed to be on the site of a fortress built by Junius Brutus in 137 B.C., costs just a few dollars, and the driver expects a tip of just 10 percent of the meter. Ancient ruins and a fabulous view of Lisbon are the rewards. Below is the Alfama, the medieval quarter of the city, where the narrow cobblestones streets are redolent of smoke from braziers grilling sardines outside doorways. Local cafes, so small the tables and chairs spill out from the narrow interiors onto the cobbles, are welcoming to visitors--if no one speaks English, the Portuguese understand even the most rudimentary Spanish.

The Alfama is the place, in the evenings, to enjoy fado, the heartrending songs of tragedy, fate and destiny that are a Portuguese trademark. Most fado houses are also restaurants, but it is acceptable to simply listen and look melancholy over a bottle of wine.

Lisbon is arched over by day and illuminated at night by the great AGUAS LIVRES AQUADUCT, built by Joao V in the 18th century. It waters the city's many fountains, including the one in ROSSIO SQUARE in the heart of the city. North of Rossio is the Praca dos Restauradoes which is in part an indoor shopping mall. The Praca leads to the wide, tree- lined Avenida da Liberdade which extends as far as elegant Marques de Pombal Square with a statue of the Marques high above on a very tall pedestal. Up the hill beyond the square, the PARQUE EDUARDO VII stretches, named in honor of a state visit by that English king. Within the park, the ESTUFA FRIA (Cold Greenhouse) is an enchanting tropical garden protected from both cold of winter and heat of summer.

POUSADA RAINHA SANTA ISABEL

Luxurious appointments are far from lacking in any of the inns, but Pousada Rainha Santa Isabel, housed in a 13th century castle on a monte (small hill) outside of Estremoz, has enough antiques to do justice to a small museum. The approach to the inn is romantic, leading up a tall hill, across a drawbridge and through a narrow archway onto the paving stones of a not much wider street.

The large castle was built at the beginning of Portugal's first royal dynasty, when in 1259 Afonso III recognized the strategic situation of Estremoz. He built the strong keep and constructed the thick stone walls to fend off the Moors, who at that time held the entire southern half of Portugal.

The Pousada today is named for Isabella of Aragon, who came to Estremoz in 1336 as queen to Afonso's son Dinis. Miracles were attributed to her after her death and she was later canonized as St. Elizabeth of Portugal. A stylized statue of her faces the entrance to the inn, next to the ancient keep. Behind the statue stretches a breathtaking view of the undulating Alentejo landscape, far beneath the castle walls.

The inn, with a lift and air conditioning, is a treasure-house of paintings, tapestry and vases from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The reception hall, lobby, lounge area and bar, are huge rooms with vaulted ceilings and gleaming marble floors. Choice antiques furnish both public and guest rooms, where canopied beds are the rule rather than the exception.

In order to encourage guests to stay awhile, the inn offers side-trips to see the country and the local culture. Horse and carriage rides into Estremoz or the surrounding towns of Evora, Borba and Arriolos can be arranged. The area is pitted with marble quarries, and artisans have polished vases and small statues and other sculptures to sell.

Nearby Arriolos is famous for closely detailed handstitched rugs in oriental designs, a legacy from the Moors. Portuguese wine is considered quite fine, and visits to local wineries, with tastings, are attractions. A new concept is a visit to a typical farmhouse to visit and dine with the family.

Each of the inns, unique in its own way, reflects the decor and architecture of the culture of the region in which it is located. Portuguese cuisine is highlighted, as well is the friendliness of the people.

Copyright (c) Eleanor Morris