A Portuguese Love

For the fifth year, GLOBE SPOTS have captured what's happening on the travel scene. Globe Spots focused on destinations they think will be hot! As they say, "all this is of course based on dubious rumors, crazy speculations, and a bit of travel experience." Well, it's nice to find Portugal on the Globe Spots' Top 10 for 2013! Portugal oozes 'old European charm. Medieval towns and historical quarters are full of squares, churches, and monasteries. Narrow lanes are flanked by old skew houses with crooked balconies draped in drying laundry. Here, neighbors still share the latest gossip or discuss politics from their windows. Pastry shops and taverns are found in such abundance it makes you wonder whether the Portuguese eat at home at all. The pace is soothingly slow and any day seems to be a good day for a drink. Chances are that after a few days in Portugal, you’ll find yourself sitting in a small square with a glass of tawny port in your hand, no matter w...

Portugal did very well at the 19th World Travel Awards , known as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry by the global media by travel agents worldwide. This is the most comprehensive, biggest, and most prestigious awards program in the travel industry worldwide.WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognize excellence in the global travel and tourism industry. Now celebrating its 19th anniversary, it is regarded as the very highest achievement that a travel product could hope to receive. NOMINEES FROM the Algarve scooped three national awards and one European category win at the World Travel Awards in the UK on Tuesday. Hotels, spas, golf resorts, and a water park from the region were nominated in a total of six national categories and six European categories for the prestigious travel and tourism industry awards. At a national level, The Sheraton Algarve Hotel Pine Cliffs Resort won the Leading Golf Resort in the Portugal category. Portugal’s leading suite was won by Vila Joya ...

“Portugal – The beauty of simplicity” won Silver Medal at The 55th World Film Awards 2012 awards ceremony for the Short Film category for the promotional film. The video was a production of Turismo de Portugal. The Jury honored the World’s Best TV Programs & Films and awarded three Grand Trophies while only 2 silvers were awarded this year in the Short Film Category. This festival received entries from forty countries around the globe. All winning entries were selected by a Grand Jury made up of award-winning Television and Film professionals. The film can be downloaded  here .

Since 1998 Google creates special logos, called doodles to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and special events. This one came out on August 31st and celebrates the first electric tram's 110th anniversary. If you visit Lisbon or Oporto you can still watch these vehicles on the street. In Lisbon, they are driven through narrow streets, up and down the city’s hills. The most famous is the tram 28. They are cute and quite a tourist attraction! I have to say I never traveled in it! But I want to! Don't miss the video where you can watch trams and tour some beautiful Lisbon spots and monuments while you listen to lovely guitar music...enjoy!(You can check this page if you want to discover more Google doodles.)

Photo source: see link below Today Alto Douro is celebrating the 8th anniversary of the Alto Douro Wine Region Inscription at Unesco 's World Heritage sites. The wine region in northern Portugal charms visitors with historic and natural attractions. It's an iconic region for wine production. Beautiful landscapes and relatively little tourism have kept cultural authenticity in the region. An International Conference "Douro Destination - Tourism, Sustainability, and World Heritage", is taking place today in the city of Vila Real. A partnership with the National Geographic Society to promote the Douro as a destination for "Geotourism" in accordance with the principles of sustainability defined by that international organization will be signed at this conference. Some photos for you to take a look, here and here .