EACTS / ESTS JOINT MEETING
PRE-MEETING TOURS
For
those who prefer to arrive earlier, we suggest one of the following options,
which will provide the possibility of a moe indepath view of Portugal.
Please
indicate your preference on the Registration Form.
Please
note that starting and finishing times, as well as a full itinerary, will be
confirmed once the tour is booked.
10 - 14 September
Registration deadline : 1 April 2001
Costa
de Prata (Silver Coast) stretches along 200 kms in the centre of Portugal, north
of Lisbon. Lagoons, small villages in the hills, castles, and forests are part
of this fascinating region. The Costa Verde (Green Coast) occupies the
north-west corner of Portugal. This
is an unspoiled area of countryside with castles, forests, rivers, vineyards,
old mansions and spas.
Day
1 (Monday 10 September)
Lisbon
to Tomar, via Óbidos:
On
departure from your hotel in Lisbon (please
indicate on the Registration Form if you need to make hotel reservation before
September 10), the tour goes through the scenic central region of Portugal, passing by the enchanting
town of Óbidos with pretty whitewashed houses enclosed within 14th Century
walls. Lunch will be taken at the Pousada de São Pedro in the Castelo do Bode
dam before continuing to Tomar.
Tomar,
founded
in 1159 by the first Grand Master of the all-powerful Order of the Knights
Templar,
is one of the most interesting cities in the Ribatejo region. Overlooking the
town is the Temples Convento de Cristo.
This impressive building contains no fewer than seven cloisters, ranging from
the 12th to the 17th Century. Overnight stay and dinner will be at
the Hotel dos Templários in Tomar.
Day
2 (Tuesday 11 September)
Tomar,
to Oporto via Coimbra:
Todays
drive continues through the central part of Portugal to Coimbra which was the
ancient Portuguese capital some eight hundred years ago. Rich
in history it is the oldest seat of learning in Portugal with a University
founded in 1290 by King Dinis. Portugals finest poet Camões, studied there.
We will visit the Library, one of the most beautiful in the world and the
heart of the academic complex. We
will also visit Sé Velha (Old Cathedral), one of the finest Romanesque churches
in Portugal, built in 1162 when Coimbra was still the capital.
Lunch
will be taken en route at Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas. The tour continues to
Oporto arriving (approximately at 18:30). Overnight
stay and dinner will be at the Hotel Meridien Park Atlantic.
Day
3 (Wednesday 12 September)
Oporto
is Portugals second city and is re-knowned worldwide for its wines. This
merchant city has retained many different reminders of its rich, historic past,
which now exists in easy familiarity with the everyday hustle and bustle of
modern commerce. We will visit the
historical Clérigos Cathedral, built in 1732 in the Baroque style. The
cathedrals 75 m granite Tower is a landmark in the city. Lunch will be taken
in one of Oportos Wine Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, where the world famous
Port wine, is aged in oak casks. In
the half light, Port wine ages slowly in the oak barrels, to a fullness ranging
from sweet to dry, in every shade of colour from amber yellow to ruby red. The
afternoon is free for shopping or sightseeing.
In the evening, we drive to Ribeira, one of the most popular places
in Oporto city for dinner at a local restaurant.
Day
4 (Thursday 13 September)
Oporto,
Barcelos, Viana do Castelo and Guimarães:
Todays
excursion will take us to the ancient town of Barcelos, famous for its
pottery rooster of Barcelos. Barcelos is associated with the legend in
which a rooster miraculously crowed in protest against
an innocent gallego being sent to the gallows and has almost become a
national symbol. The entire area is noted for its handicrafts particularly the
unique regional pottery. We
continue to the fishing port town of Viana do Castelo and will visit the historical centre.
Lunch will be taken in the beautiful Pousada de Santa Luzia, with a view
over the city and river. On the return journey to Oporto, we will stop at the
ancient town of Guimarães, a town
celebrated as the birthplace of the Nation when Afonso Henriques proclaimed
himself king of Portugal in 1139, he choose Guimarães as his capital, and the
distinctive outline of its proud castle appears on the Portuguese coat of arms,
In the well preserved city centre, the narrow streets of the medieval
quarter are ideal for exploration on foot.
We will return to Oporto at approximately 18:30. Dinner will be at the
Restaurant Telegrapho, situated in the Oporto Stock Exchange building.
Day
5 (Friday 14 September)
Return
to Lisbon via the motorway (approximately 4 hour drive).
Price: Euro 798 (sharing twin/double room)
Single
room supplement: Euro 119 per person
Minimum
number of participants: 15
TOUR
2: Portugal and Wine Tour (4 day tour)
11 - 14 September
Registration deadline : 1 April 2001
Portugal,
north of the River Douro is rural and
unspoilt. Beyond
the cultivated valley of the Douro and the fertile Minho, rises the remote and
rugged Trás-os-Montes. The historic cities of Oporto,
Bragança and Braga, give a fascinating insight into the countrys past.
Transforming the Douro into a wine road was as difficult as
exploring the oceans, Jaime Cortesão said in a text where he proclaims the
renown of that divine nectar, discovered by tall, fair-haired men who came
across the sea, from the North. They
tasted it, drank it and continued to drink it.
Day 1
(Tuesday 11 September)
Lisbon
to Oporto via Coimbra:
On
departure from your hotel in Lisbon (please
indicate on the registration form if you need to make hotel reservation before
September 10, 2001), the tour will take you through the scenic
central region of Portugal, Coimbra, an ancient Portuguese capital and the seat
of one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe.
Lunch
will be taken in a local restaurant.
We will visit the Library, one of the most beautiful in the world
and the heart of the academic complex. We
will also visit Sé Velha (Old Cathedral), one of the finest Romanesque churches
in Portugal, built in 1162 when Coimbra was still the capital.
The tour will continue to Oporto arriving at the end of the afternoon.
Dinner will be at the Meridian Park hotel.
Day 2
(Wednesday 12 September)
Oporto
to Pinhão via Régua:
Leaving the Hotel in Oporto, we
will join our two day cruise
on a Rabelo boat. These
boats were used to transport the wine and our cruise will travel the same route,
up the River Douro navigating through a series of dams which presents the river
as a series of elongated lakes. The
first town we will reach is Pinhão (which is one of the main centres of port
wine production) before continuing to the town of Régua.
The landscape, which has a combination of high mountains and
criss-crossing river valleys, has some of the most breathtaking views seen
anywhere. Lunch, snacks, and of course port, will be served on board. The cruise
will return to Pinhão. Overnight hotel accommodation is in Pinhão.
Day
3 ( Thursday 13 September)
Pinhão
to Vila Nova de Foz Côa: This stage of the cruise goes
to Barca DAlva, passing yet more dams Valeira and Pocinho
arriving at Barca DAlva by mid afternoon.
Lunch and port wine will be served on board. From this point we continue by coach for the journey to Vila
Nova de Foz Côa, where we will visit the Wine Cellar Stand, for a wine tasting
and snack. We return to Oporto by train on the Douro line (the trip takes about
4 hours with a stop of 40 minutes in Régua. Dinner is not included, but it is
possible to have a snack in the Bar on board the train). Expected time of
arrival at São Bento Station in Oporto is 23:45 and transfer to the Hotel will
be arranged.
Day 4
(Friday 14 September)
Oporto
to Lisbon:
After breakfast a city tour of
Oporto will be organised. This merchant city has retained many different
reminders of its rich, historic past, which now exist in easy familiarity with
the everyday hustle and bustle of modern commerce.
We will visit the historical centre, including the Clérigos Tower and
the Cathedral.
Lunch
will be served in a local restaurant in Oporto. After lunch we will return to
Lisbon arriving at the hotel by the end of the afternoon.
Price: EURO 736 (sharing twin/double room)
Single
room supplement: EURO 115 per
Minimum
number of participants: 25
The
price per person, includes the following services
