Hi. I'm Rick Steves, back with more
of the best of Europe. This time, we're enjoying
some rich musical culture and a whole lot more. It's the heartland of Portugal. Thanks for joining us. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Portugal's a small country
of 10 million people with an oversized history. With a rich heritage, fascinating culture,
and tons of sardines, it's inexpensive,
friendly, and easy to explore. We'll dance on the beach,
visit a royal library, savor port wine
with the people who made it, marvel at a medieval abbey, feel the emotion of fado... [ Man singing in Portuguese ] ...visit Portugal's second city, and celebrate with students. [ Group chanting in Portuguese ] Portugal shares
the Iberian Peninsula with its neighbor, Spain. Our travels take us through
the heartland of Portugal. Saving the capital city of
Lisbon for another episode, we explore Nazaré,
Batalha, Coimbra, the Douro River Valley,
and visit the city of Porto. Our first stop --
the fishing town of Nazaré. We're here in May,
and the beach is all ours. While touristy in the summer,
Nazaré offers a good look at how bits of traditional
Portugal survive. ♪♪ The community faces
its sweeping beach. People stroll the promenade. Old-timers enjoy the scene. Kids use the beach
for a soccer field. -Oh! Oh! -And families catch
some springtime sun before the hordes of summer
vacationers arrive. Nazaré has a strong
fishing heritage. While nothing like its heyday, fishermen still manage
to harvest the sea. Working as a team
as the sun drops, they set their nets with wisdom passed down from
their grandfathers. The next morning,
the women of the town prepare the day's catch. Splayed and salted fish
are put out on nets to dry under the midday sun. This simple way of
preserving fish carries on, unchanged
for generations. Locals claim they're delicious, but I'd rather eat another
salty treat -- barnacles. So, this is a barnacle?
-Yep. -How do you say that
in Portuguese? -Percebes.
-Percebes. Can you show me
the trick to opening it? -Okay.
-Yeah. -You... -Oh! [ Laughs ] Mmm, it's good!
-Yeah. -So, where do these come from? -From the rocks, from there. -Just from right
over there, huh? -Yeah.
-Today? -Yeah.
-Really? Today.
So it's fresh. So, I break it, okay, like so. Look at that.
It's beautiful. Mmm. How do you say "delicious"? -Muito bom.
-Muito bom. -Percebes -- muito bom.
-Good. -And with beer, perfect. -Obrigado.
-Bon appétit. Thank you.
-Thank you. -Obrigado. Nazaré's women are known
for their traditional skirts with many layers of petticoats
to keep them warm, reminiscent of the old days
when they'd sit on the beach awaiting the return
of their fishermen. Bom dia. And this proud woman is eager
to describe her outfit. The short skirts are made bulky
by many petticoats. The aprons
are embroidered by hand. The stockings are high and loud. Flamboyant jewelry is passed
down from generation to generation. And when the wind whips up,
her shawl keeps her warm. -Si? Si?
[ Speaks Portuguese ] -Nice! Obrigado.
-[ Laughs ] Okay.
-Obrigado. - Boa tarde.
- Boa tarde. -Nazaré's folk club
keeps their traditions lively with music and dance. This troupe's been gathering
crowds since the 1930s. [ Up-tempo folk music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends,
man speaks Portuguese ] [ Applause ] -Nazaré's sister town, Sítio, is perched high above
on a bluff. A funicular connects the two, and it's been saving locals
a steep climb since 1889. Sítio has its own vibe. The stony main square
evokes a bygone age. Its wealth came from farming
rather than fishing, and, today, the main
economy is tourism. From the edge of the bluff,
you can enjoy a commanding view. Nazaré and its
golden beach stretch all the way to the new harbor. In the other direction, a wilder beach stretches
far to the north. And when the surf's up here,
it's really up. This bluff is famous
among surfers for some of the biggest
waves in the world. When conditions align,
they create monster waves 100 feet high
as daredevil surfers enjoy the ultimate ride. ♪♪ It's dinnertime,
and we're ready to feast on the bounty of the sea. Tempting appetizers are put
on the table, but beware. In Portugal, you pay
for every nibble. If you don't want them,
just say so. So, in Portugal, they put
this on the table whether you ask for it or not. You might think it's free,
but it's not. But it's always delicious. But these are just
too tasty to miss. Vinho Verde, literally
"green wine," is a Portuguese specialty. Refreshing and sprightly, it's
a young, or green, wine picked, bottled, and enjoyed
without aging. A key to good seafood here is fresh ingredients
and simple preparation. All right, Teresa. Here comes some shrimp
with garlic for you. With a small group,
I order family style to maximize the experience. We're enjoying grilled
sardines, sea bream, garlic shrimp, and caldeirada --
the local fish stew. ♪♪ I like driving in Portugal. Like all of Europe, there's been
a huge investment in infrastructure, and in this small country
laced with new freeways, you can get around in a hurry. Standing boldly just
off the highway is one of the most
revered sites in Portugal. Both historic and sacred, this
is the monastery of Batalha. "Batalha" means "battle," and this was built to celebrate
a pivotal battle in 1385, when Portugal beat
the mightier Spaniards. This victory allowed
for independence under a Portuguese king, rather than ruled
by a Spanish king. This monastery and its church, the symbol of Portugal's
national pride, were built by
Portugal's King John I. It's an ornate Late Gothic
structure with pointed arches, fanciful gargoyles, and flamboyant pinnacles representing the flickering
flames of the Holy Spirit. ♪♪ The nave, with its
towering pillars and warmly lit by stained glass, has an air of solemn simplicity. This is classic Gothic
from Europe's Age of Faith. ♪♪ The adjacent cloister, designed
for meditation and tranquility, is Manueline. That's the uniquely
Portuguese style named after King Manuel,
who ruled around 1500. It features symbolic motifs that
celebrate the sea and trade, coils of rope, pearls... artichokes, and lotus flowers from the recently
explored Orient. Armillary spheres symbolize how,
with expert navigational skills, Portugal sailed the globe. A few miles away is Fátima, one of Europe's most
important pilgrimage sites. The basilica, facing
a vast square, marks the spot where
the faithful believe the Virgin Mary
appeared several times. On May 13, 1917, three young shepherds reported
being visited by Mary, who said, "Peace is needed." World War I raged on, and she appeared again
on the 13th day of each of the next five months, each time calling for peace. Ever since, for over
100 years now, on the 13th of each of those
months, pilgrims gather here. The Vatican recognized
the apparition of Fátima as a bona fide miracle, and on its centennial in 2017, over a million people gathered
here with Pope Francis I to remember Mary's
still-timely call for peace. ♪♪ ♪♪ An hour north of Fátima is
the university city of Coimbra. Fortified on its hill, overlooking the Mondego River,
in its medieval heyday, this was Portugal's
leading city. In the Middle Ages, when Muslim
Moors controlled Portugal, this was the dominant city, and then, for an entire century,
it was the country's capital. Only later, when Portugal was
becoming a maritime power, did the port cities
of Lisbon and Porto become more influential
than Coimbra. The city was established
by the ancient Romans at a strategic bridge that crossed the Mondego River
at this point. Today's bridge leads
to the main square, a great place to begin
your Coimbra visit. Coimbra is a delight on foot. The pedestrian-only main drag
is perfectly straight, an indication that it survives
from ancient Roman times. It ends at another
people-friendly square facing the church of Santa Cruz. To be sure I get the most
out of my travels here, I am joined by my friend
and fellow tour guide, Cristina Duarte. Wherever you're traveling,
you can find private guides listed online
and in guidebooks. It seems like I've got friends
all over Europe, doesn't it? But, you know, I'm paying them
to be my sidekick, and you can, too. I find hiring a private guide
to be money very well spent. Okay, so, the gate is
just this way, isn't it? -And this is the gate
of the old city. -Of the old city.
What was the name? -Medina.
Arco de Almedina. -"Medina" is an Arabic word. -Is an Arabic word
and reminds us that we were ruled
by the Moors for a couple of centuries.
-Okay. -And defense was very important. -So --
-That's why the street, you see, it's not straight. It forms an angle. -Oh, okay.
-And if you look up, you have mata-caes...
-Mata-caes. -...meaning "kill the dogs," because it was meant to throw
the stones to the enemies. -Oh, no!
-Yeah. -"Kill the dogs."
I don't want to be here. -[ Laughs ] -What's this? -This is the Old Cathedral. -How do you say
that in Portuguese? -Sé Velha.
-Sé Velha. -It's a 12th-century
cathedral, Romanesque. -So -- 'cause you've got
the round arches. -That's true.
-Now, it also looks like a fortress. Look at the crenellations
up there. -We were on the times
of the Moors and Christians fighting for
the same territories. -So they were still worried
about the Moors? -Oh, yes. They were.
They were. -So this is kind of
a double building -- a church and a fortress? -Yes. -We're dropping into
a tiny theater to enjoy a fado performance. [ Man singing in Portuguese ] ♪♪ Fado is a uniquely
Portuguese style of music, soulful and nostalgic. While most fado is sung
by the women, here in Coimbra, it's the men. The songs
are serenades of love -- usually sad, unanswered love. These troubadours have long
provided the soundtrack for life here in Coimbra. [ Singing continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends, applause ] [ Man speaking Portuguese ] [ Bells chiming ] -Coimbra is home
to the country's oldest and most prestigious
university, founded in 1290. As a traveler, it's fun to drop into this venerable
academic world. 700 years ago,
Coimbra's university taught the medieval basics, like law, medicine,
and theology. Later, as Portuguese sailors
were navigating the globe, astronomy and geometry
were added. The university's Baroque library has an impressive collection
of antique books. University researchers
are still allowed to read these centuries-old volumes. King John V still
oversees the library he founded in the early 1700s. ♪♪ The reading tables,
inlaid with exotic woods -- ebony from Sri Lanka
and rosewood from Brazil -- come with silver inkwells. The gold leaf is South American. And the motifs are Chinese. ♪♪ Everything reminds us
that Portugal's wealth was both immense
and imported. The heavy teak door is kept shut
to keep out the humidity. ♪♪ When school's in session, Coimbra bustles with
a youthful energy. We're here in May, and students
are out in the streets as they celebrate the completion
of another year of studies. [ Group chanting in Portuguese ] [ Group cheering ] [ Applause ] Many Coimbra students
live together, in groups of about a dozen, in communal houses
called repúblicas. Today, these function
as tiny fraternities, each with their own personality and an unbridled urge
to express it. With the help of a couple
of six-packs, Cristina and I have tucked
ourselves in for dinner, and within moments, we're engulfed
in stimulating conversation. Do you guys talk politics
like this all the time? -Yes, yes.
-I like that. Students here see formal
education as job training and their time in these
co-ops as life training. They brag that, in one year
of this communal living, you gain social skills
that'll last a lifetime. The conversation rages on
at the dinner table. Part of the ethic of república
living is eating together. No cellphones are
allowed at the table. The students pool their money
to hire a cook so everyone can enjoy
this enriching social time. -Hey!
-Hey! -And whenever there's
a memorable event, like a visit from
an American film crew, the gang shares
a special cheer. [ Group chanting in Portuguese ] -Whoa!
-Whoa! -From Coimbra, we drive
a couple hours farther north into the mountains
of the interior to explore the scenic
Douro River Valley, famous as the birthplace
of port wine. The Douro River's steep
and twisting valleys, laboriously terraced
over the centuries, are ideal for growing grapes. Unlike other great
European river valleys, the Douro was never
a strategic military location, so, rather than
castles and palaces, you'll see farms and vineyards, almost all dedicated
to the production of port, the region's beloved
fortified wine. A 50-mile stretch of prime land
is home to scores of quintas, vineyards that produce port. Many quintas welcome the public,
offering tours and tastings. Visiting a family like this,
we enjoy a peek at local life. It's spring, and the workers are
busy taming the fresh growth. ♪♪ In their cellar, the sister
who runs the vineyard explains how this is just the first stage
of a very long process. Tasting the family's finest
port surrounded by their vines, I enjoy yet another chance to appreciate
the pride of artisans, so passionate about
their traditions and craft. ♪♪ The Douro River begins
as a trickle in Spain, runs west through Portugal,
and to the city of Porto, where it spills
into the Atlantic. Porto, the town that gave the
country and port wine its name, is the second-largest
city in Portugal. And like second cities
throughout Europe, Porto is a hardscrabble
town with a rough past. It's recently emerged
from a postindustrial funk to become trendy, revitalized with a fresh
and creative energy. The city is full
of Old World charm. Prickly church towers
dot the skyline. Houses with red-tiled roofs
tumble down its hills to the riverbank. Porto is a solid city. It seems made
entirely of granite. The main drag,
Avenue of the Allies, is named for Portugal's
World War I alliance with Britain and America. The wide boulevard watched over
by the huge city hall is lined with
monumental examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. As if to counter
all the heavy stonework, inviting shopping
streets are ornamented with playful
architectural touches. There are lots of lovely
blue-tiled facades. Churches that are otherwise
just more blocky granite are beautified by these fine blue
ceramic tiles called azulejos. And for a closer look,
visit the old train station. Storefronts evoke good times
from the early 20th century. Delightful facades
decorate venerable cafés, as Porto seems to cling
to the style of an age gone by. Porto's romantic riverfront,
the Ribeira district, is the city's most scenic
and touristy quarter, but before tourism,
this was a hardworking port. As you stroll, imagine
the busy port scene here before this promenade
was reclaimed from the river. Cargo-laden rivercraft
latched to the embankment, off-loading their
produce and wine directly into
14th-century cellars. The old arcades lining
the promenade are filled with hole-in-the-wall
restaurants and souvenir shops. Behind the arcades are skinny,
colorful houses draped with laundry
fluttering like flags. The contrast of today's tourist
crowds amid these vivid, authentic neighborhoods
is striking. ♪♪ From here, a double-decker iron
bridge crosses the Douro River. Inspired by Gustave Eiffel when
it was built back in the 1880s, it was the biggest
such bridge in the world. Recently, its top deck
was closed to traffic. Now it's just people and trams. ♪♪ Across the river is a harbor lined with traditional boats
called rabelos. Historically, these cargo boats
transported kegs of wine from the inland vineyards
down to Porto. The boats have flat bottoms,
a big square sail, and a long rudder
to help them navigate the twisty and,
at times, shallow river. Facing the riverfront is a
district filled with warehouses. These port wine lodges are where
the world's port wine comes to mature. 18 lodges compete, and
most offer tours and tastings. We're visiting one to learn
about the wine that put Porto on the map. After the year-old wine
is off-loaded from the boats, it ages even longer here
in these enormous barrels. This aging on the cool,
north-facing bank of the Douro takes years
and even decades, and when the refined
and time-honored process is finally complete, the beloved port wine
is ready to enjoy. What is the difference
between port and red wine that we think of? -The difference between a port
wine and a traditional wine is the fact
that the traditional wine has a complete fermentation, and a port wine
is a fortified wine, so you stop the fermentation
the second day by adding a really strong
wine spirit, brandy, that has 77% of alcohol
and kills all the yeasts. We have mainly two different
styles, rubies and tawnies. The rubies,
they age in big vats, so they will have little contact with oak, little
contact with oxygen. The exact same wine, if you age
it in smaller barrels, they will have
higher contact with oak, higher contact with oxygen, and the oxygen
will change the color. The coloring of tawny
is lighter, and, you start to understand,
much older and much more mature fruit. -After enjoying our tasting,
a fine way to cap our Porto visit is on a lazy boat ride. Several companies offer
hour-long narrated cruises along the historic waterfront. Here in a city built
over the centuries upon the fruit of the vine and the hard work of its people, we ponder the impressive and
salty mix that created Portugal. ♪♪ Thanks for joining us. I hope you've enjoyed our look
at the many dimensions of the heartland of Portugal. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time,
keep on travelin'. -And you break that off. Aah! Whoa! [ Laughs ] Like a little smile.
You can make a smile. -You can actually make
a smile with it. -[ Laughs ] Nazaré offers a good look
at how bits of touristy -- traditional
Portugal survived. Boa tarde.
-Boa tarde. -[ Speaking Portuguese ]
[ Man speaking in Portuguese ] I hope you've enjoyed our look at the many dimensions
of medieval heartland. -Medieval.
[ Laughter ] ♪♪
