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Items at this page	Other pages about Portugal
Disclaimer	Portugal links
General information	Photo's Lissabon
Looks of the Portugees	Photo's of the Middle and South of Portugal
Language	Map of Portugal
Characteristics of the Portuguese
The traffic
Price level
Eating and drinking
Portugal an underdevelopt country?
Is the Algarve region most beautiful?
Pousada's
Portugues music
Portugues national traffic agency
Portugues embassy in Holland
Dutch embassy in Portugal
Dutch consulates in Portugal
Dutch and Poruges holiday days in 2004
Portugues embassy in Belgium
Portugues consulaten in Belgium
Belgian embassy in Portugal
Belgian consulates in Portugal

Disclaimer
Ikive been in Portugal in  2000  and 2001, so the information can be out dated, espacially the price level. I'm not a scientist, so all information is my own experience..

General information
Portugal is a member of the EG and has the Euro as its currency. Portugal does have a great history of sea shipsmen. Portucal did have some colonies and therefore in some other countries people speak Portugues.  (o.a.Brazil and  Mocambique). After  Portugal became a democracy and became a member of the  EG the economy became better. Important products are cork and wine(port). The tourist industry is of course also very important.

Looks of the Portugues:
Dark hair, brown eyes and a white skin. They're a little bit less longer then the Dutch..

Language:
Portugues. The language is a bit simular with Spanish, but it sounds a bit more singing and nasal. It sounds a bit like Latin.  Portuguees who work in the tourist industry speak English.

Characteristics of the Portugues:
Portugees are hard working and honest people. They are not as hectic as Spanish or Italian people can be. (With gestures etc.) The Portugues are religious (catholic) people.

The traffic:
I've seen 3 kinds of driving in Portugal:
ca 20%:  "dangerous driver" ; driving fast and just behind other cars
ca 10%   "easy driver"; driving very slowing and without looking at the traffic.
ca 70 %  "normal driver"; just a normal speed and attention
(percentages are estimated by me)

The roads are good and also the signs are good. There're enough gast stations and the cars all look good.

Price level:
When I visited Portugal the price level was below the level in Holland. Especially restaurants were a lot cheaper. In the tourist centres prices are naturaly a bit more expensive. Piza hut in Lissabon was more expensive then a chique restaurant in the middle of Portugal.

Eating and drinking
When you're hungry and want to eat a lot, then Portugal is your country. You can not eat your plate! The food tast European and is maybe a little bit to salt. You can hava fruit as dessert, which you can't have in Holland. They serve cappucino with cream in it. I was very fond of a milkshake made with ice and milk. I think the name was  grenesario.

Portugal an underdevelopt country?
In the video's I got from the travel agency and in the library books I got the impression Portugal was an underdevelopt country. Old fishing boats, farmers etc. When I drove to Portugal I saw good roads, expensive houses (from foreigners?) modern shop centres etc. I didn't see beggers, streets were looking hygienic etc. It did look the same, or maybe even better then in Holland. So I wouldn't call Portugal an underdevelopt country. op straat en in hotels en restaurant zag er op het oog goed uit. The Portugues however told me they had to work longer and theire pay checks were less then in Holland. 

is the Algarve region most beautiful?
In travel books they always say the  Algarve is the most beautiful part of Portugal. When you're intrested in sunbathing and want to see lots of tourists, Algarve is the most beautiful part. But when you're intrested in culture and nature, don't go the Algarve! In the middle and the north of Portugal you can see many palaces, monastery's and churches. But you can also see beautiful forests, great views and rough coasts.

Pousada's (chique hotels)
There're two types of Pousada's: Regional Pousada's and Historic Pousada's.
All Pousada are very beautiful and have a lot of class. Of course they're not cheep.
In a  historic Pousada's you don't get extreme luxury, but you're in a very nice atmosphere. sometimess a Pousada looks like a real museum, but it still is a hotel. When you want a quit holiday and want to read a book, you have a perfect holiday in a historic Pousada. They often have great views and nice outdoor café's. Staying in a Pousada was over my budget, but I've visited a lot of Pousada's to drink a capucinno gedronken for about 1,5 euro. I even have had one diner in a Pousada.(About 40 euro). When you visit a Pousada you dress nice, but it's not necessary to be in suit with a tie. I don't think they have a dress code.
( Pousada addresses: www.pousadas.pt

Portugues music
Malhao.mid

Portugues embassy in Holland
source: www.minbuza.nl
Bazarstraat 21
2518 AG Den Haag
Phone:070-3630217

Portugues national traffic agency
Haagse Bluf 63
2511 CP Den Haag
Tel: 0900-76 78 84 25 (0,65 p/m)
Fax: 070-328 00 25

Dutch embassy in Portugal
source: www.minbuza.nl
Avenida Infante Santo 43-5°
1399-011 LISBOA
Phone: 00-351-21-3914900
Fax.:00-351-21-3966436
E-Mail:   nlgovlis@mail.telepac.pt
Website:www.emb-paisesbaixos.pt

The embassador of Holland in Portugal is   Mr. H.R.R.V. Froger.

Dutch embassy is open :
Office hours:
Monday till Thursday 09:00 - 17:00 hour
Friday van 08:00-  14:00 hour
Open:
Monday till Thursday 09:30 - 12:30 hour

The embassy and the Consul department are close at Dutch and local holiday days.

Dutch consulates in Portugal
source: www.minbuza.nl
Consulate in the Algarve
Consul: J.J. Gago Horta
Secr. mw. K. Schaafsma (Nederlands en Engels)
departments: Faro en Beja
Tme difference: -1 GMT
Largo Dr Franc° Sá Carneiro, 52-s/loja
8000-151 FARO
Phone: 00 351 289 82 09 03
Fax: 00 351 289 82 09 03
E-mail: nlgovfaro@netc.pt
Open: 15.00 - 18.00 hour
No passports or identity cards

Consulate in North-Portugal
Consul: mw. Maria Assunção Street Cálem
Secr. mw. Isabel Lobo da Cunha (Engels)
departments: Porto, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Aveiro
Time difference: -1 GMT
Rua da Reboleira, 7
4050-492 Porto
phone: 00 351 22 208 00 61
Fax. 00 351 22 208 00 61
E-mail: nlgovporto@vizzavi.pt
Open: 09.30 - 12.30 hour
No passports or identity cards.

Consulate at the Azoren islands
Consul: L.F. Pinto Basto Bensaúde
Secr. mw. A. Cordeiro (Engels)
departments:  archipels of the Azoren
Tme diffrence: -2 GMT
Rua de Lisboa
Apartado 195
9501-997 PONTA DELGADA
Phone: 00 351 296 28 52 01
Fax: 00 351 296 62 93 76
Open: 09.00 - 12.30 en 14.00 - 18.00 hour
No passports or identity cards.

Consulate Madeira
Consul: A.J. Mammerickx da Trinidade
Secr. mw. M.A. Pereira da Conceição (Engels)
departments: de archipel van Madeira
Time difference: -1 GMT
Rua da Alfândega, 1-2
9000-059 FUNCHAL
Phone: 00 351 291 22 38 30
Fax: 00 351 291 22 18 30
Open: 09.00 - 12.15 hour
No passports or identity cards.

Dutch and  Portugues holiday days
The embassy and consulates are closed in  2004 at the following days:
 

Dinsdag	5 october	Day of the  Republic
Monday	1 november	All Saint
Wednesday	1 december	Independance day
Wednesday	8 december	The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

Portugues embassy in Belgium
source: www.diplomatie.be
AV. DE LA TOISON D OR / GULDEN VLIESLAAN, 55
1060 SAINT-GILLES   
tel:  02.533.07.00   
Fax: 02.539.07.73 

Portugues consulates in Belgium
source: www.diplomatie.be
Consulate of honor Antwerpen
GOUNODSTRAAT, 2A
2018 ANTWERPEN 1  
Phone:  03.238.80.28  
Fax: 03.238.80.28

Vice consulate of honor Brugge
ELF JULISTRAAT, 26
8000 BRUGGE  
phone:  050.33.17.23

Consulate of honor Gent
HOOGSTRAAT, 13 9000 GENT  
 09.225.98.34  
 09.224.43.93

Consulate of honor Luik
ESPLANADE DE L EUROPE, 2
4000 LIEGE  
Phone:  04.344.46.62  
Fax: 04.344.46.62

Belgian embassy in Portugal
source: www.diplomatie.be
Praça Marques de Pombal, 14 - 6°
1269-024 Lisboa
Phone:    + (351) (21) 317.05.10
Fax:   + (351) (21) 356.15.56
GSM: + (351) (91) 981.00.31
E-mail:  Lisbon@diplobel.org
Website:http://www.diplomatie.be/lisbonnl

Belgian consulates in Portugal
source: www.diplomatie.be
Consulate Faro
Rua de Santo Antonio, 68 - 2° Dto
8000-283 Faro
Phone:   + (351)  (289) 89.95.90
Fax:  + (351)  (289) 89.95.99

Consulate Madeiral
Praça do Municipio 9, 1° Dto
9006-072 Funchal  Madeira
tel:   + (351)  (291) 22.18.33
Fax:  + (351)  (291) 22.85.48

Consulate Azoren
Rua Pranchinho 92
9500-331 Ponta Delgada Açores
Phone:  + (351)  (296) 20.15.803
Fax: + (351)  (296) 20.15.89

Consulate Porto
Alameda de Basilio teles, 26
4150-127 Porto
Phone:  + (351)  (22) 605.21.40
Fax: + (351)  (22) 605.21.41