Most Portuguese pilgrims depart from Porto The pilgrimage to the north-western city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia is world-famous. It is believed that the remains of Saint James the Apostle are buried there. St. James the Great was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus and the first to be martyred. He preached the […]
Portugal, a country of strikes The first half of 2023 was marked by successive strikes covering numerous sectors. From train drivers to doctors and from teachers to journalists. Even police officers gathered to protest against the lack of their right to strike. Discontent is high and workers ready to use their voice. Portuguese are of […]
Health, Housing, and Education top the list Portugal is a dissatisfied country according to a recent opinion poll undertaken by the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE) for the newspaper Expresso. Housing, Education, Health, and Justice top the list of citizens’ complaints. Instead of spending time on bilateral agreements forged overseas, the government of António Costa […]
Why tapering a monument of freedom during the Pope’s visit? The first visit by a Pope to Portugal took place on May 13, 1967, when Paul VI visited Fatima on the 50th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Maria at Cova da Iria in 1917. It wasn’t an official state visit as the Government […]
Lisbon and Funchal in EU top 10 for polluting cruise shipsWorld Travel Awards named Lisbon as Europe’s Leading Cruise Port 2022.Last year well over 200 cruises (with 45,275 passengers) departed at the port of Lisbon. These vessels are emitting more sulfur oxides (SOx) than one billion cars. According to a recent study by the European […]
‘Plastic poisons our bodies and pollutes the environment.’ Plastic contaminates the entire planet from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans – where plastic litter from takeaway food and drink dominate – and microplastics have been found in people’s blood, organs, and breastmilk and have crossed the placenta. Plastic production has soared some […]
‘Look for the persons who benefit and you will know’ – Lenin The four biggest economies in the Eurozone – Germany, France, Italy, and Spain – together represent two-thirds of the European Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an important indicator of economic health. The Portuguese economy is relatively small – representing 1.5% of the European GDP […]
His works are considered ‘trash art’ ‘I’ am part of a very consumerist and materialistic generation. The education we receive is directed towards overconsumption, with excessive production of stuff, especially technology.’ Big Trash Animals (Grandes Animais do Lixo) is a series of artworks aimed to draw attention to waste production and pollution and its effect […]
Many people will be familiar with the Carnation Revolution in Portugal that on April 25, 1974, overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo (New State) regime, established by fascist leader António de Oliveira Salazar.Last month its 49th anniversary – a national holiday coined as Dia de Liberdade (Freedom Day) – was celebrated all over the country. But […]
Cesareans prevail in the private sector The two largest maternity hospitals in Portugal are private. Most babies there are delivered by cesarean section. Last year a third of all births in the Greater Lisbon area took place in 3 big private hospitals (Lusíadas, Luz, and CUF), where over half of the babies were born by […]