A Portuguese Family Adventure in Cascais and Sintra

The first European nation to set out to explore the continents was Portugal and ironically it is now a primary destination for international visitors wishing to explore Europe. The country offers something for all ages from history, shopping and culinary adventures to beaches, hiking and panoramic views from castle walls. Portugal is a great value for the money, is the 4^th safest country in the world and English is widely spoken, all things that make it ideal for families. www.visitportugal

            Cascais, Portugal’s wealthiest suburb, is 20-miles from Lisbon and offers world class accommodations, international cuisine, 17 museums, opera performances, a symphony orchestra and a plethora of historic villas and national architectural treasures. Cascais is located along the North Atlantic coast and was a quiet fishing village until it was discovered by the king and became the premier summer residence in the 18^th-century for the rich and the royal. The first wealthy residents rented the fishermen’s cottages but soon began to construct elaborate villas that remain standing.www.visitcascais.com

The 5-star Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort provides both unique and ideal luxury accommodations for a visit to this region for families, couples and individuals. The experience can be tailored so that both adults and children can maximize the deluxe offerings in a variety of ways. Child care is offered free of charge in the form of babysitting, baby room and crèche and the 7,700-sq. ft. Raposinhos Kids Club. Hands-on, age appropriate, workshops include hiking, biking, surfing, horseback riding, Lego robotics and a Football Academy (soccer). Adults can spend the day as a family and /or also have worry-free travel free experiences knowing their children are safe and active. #martinhal

Accommodations are luxurious villa and guest rooms outfitted with amenities such as luxe linens and designer bath products and amenities. A golf course, spa, pool, gym, bar and Oterraco Restaurant make the Martinhal a family destination in itself. www.martinhal.com/cascais

As part of Matinhal’s commitment to giving back they are engaged in supporting community and global social initiatives. This year the Martinhal Resort Cascais held its 3^rdannual conference. This year’s Entrepreneurship Event presented international speakers focusing on the need for and the special skills and talents that female entrepreneurs bring to the work force. The conference showcased best practices, personal testimonials, networking, guided discussions and statistically based information. Research supports the facts that successful companies have at least one female in its team of founders and the number of female entrepreneurs has doubled in last 7-years.

In 1995 the Cultural Landscape of Sintra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site based on its standing and influence as the first European center of romantic architecture. The city center, Pena Palace and the medieval Castle of the Moors make Sintra an absolute must-visit. 

 Pena Palace, built in 1840 by the “Artist” King Ferdinand II,  is the most visited palace in Portugal. The surrounding 500-acre labyrinthine park showcases the palace’s blended architectural styles, Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish, Renaissance, and extremely colorful exterior. It was constructed on the site of a 1500’s monastery  nestled 1600-ft. high in the mountains. The palace, preserved as the royal family left it in 1910, is entered through the Moorish “ Door of the Alhambra”. Highlights of the self-guided tour are the largest room the kitchen, the private apartments, Moorish inscriptions and the magnificently glazed tiles. Tip: Park the car and take bus 434 from Sintra.

            The Moors occupied Iberia from 711 until 1249 and a pivotal event, the 12^th-century surrender of the fortress the Castle of the Moors, to the Christians took place 11-miles from Cascais. On a 1,350-ft. peak  8^th-century an “unconquerable” castle was built to protect the trade center Sintra. After the conquest the fortress feel into ruin until restored in the 1840s. The stabilized ruins are explorable via cobblestone pathways and evidence of Moorish building techniques, high walls and looming towers, are still visible. The panoramic views are spectacular.

            Portugal was neutral in WWII and many of the crowned heads of Europe took refuge on the Portuguese Riviera along with the spies of all nations tasked with keeping tabs on them. One of those spies was British spy Ian Fleming who used this experience as a basis for his James Bond novels. He began the first novel here and based Casino Royale on Casino Estoril, the largest casino in Europe. Allied spies and European royalty tended to room in the Hotel Palácio and On Her Majesty’s Secret Servicewas filmed there. A visit lets you live the dream.

            Many sites can be seen from the 1904 red and yellow electric carriages that travel 9-miles through the Village of Sintra to the seaside. Stops include Boca do Inferno, the Mouth of Hell, a tiny bay on the Atlantic Ocean with a small cave. Legend has it that it was the gateway to the underworld. 

Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Europe, served as a landmark for sailors. A monument and rest stop are located at the site. Less than 1-mile away sits Europe’s westernmost village, Azoia, named by the Muslims.

            If you decide to divide your time between Cascais and Lisbon the 5-star Hotel Martinhal Chiado is a great option. The Chiado neighborhood is filled with 18^th-century buildings reconstructed after a 1988 fire. with no loss of integrity. The hotel is situated in the center of Lisbon within walking distance of shops, restaurants, the National Theater and public transportation. The luxury apartments range from studio to family apartments. There is a Kids Club on the premises as well as the M Bar Family Café. www.martinhal.com/chiado

Choose Charleston!

“Memory in these incomparable streets, in mosaics of pain and sweetness, was clear to me now”    Pat Conroy

            Travel + Leisure magazine, for the 6^thyear in a row, designated Charleston, SC the number one city in the US as well as the 10^th best city worldwide. The city is a traveler’s dream with a complete range of dining experiences, entertainment venues, superior architecture, historic sites and blended cultures. The city was thriving years prior to the founding of the country and as one of the 13 original colonies the area has participated in every one of the nation’s pivotal historic events. Charleston is easily navigated and a walk or carriage ride through the city is a layered trip through time that can be thematic or an unmapped meander. @bulldogtours

            The area that would become Charleston was a Kiawah Indian hunting ground when the first Europeans arrived in 1521 and captured 140 Native Americans and took them back to Spain for display. In 1526 they returned and established a settlement that lasted only 3 years. In 1633 the South Carolina Colony, that included both North and South Carolina, was founded by 8 Lords Proprietors who received a Royal Charter from the colony’s namesake King Charles II. North and South Carolina separated in 1729 and SC gained statehood in 1788. @explorecharleston

  

         

              Charles town was founded in 1670 and African slavery was introduced into the colony. Charles Towne Landing State Park at Albemarle Point is the site of that settlement. The park offers a self-guided audio tour and a visit aboard the 17^th-century replicated ship The Adventure. The city was fortified against the Native Americans, pirates, French and Spanish using slave labor and the moated wall with a drawbridge existed from 1690 until 1720.

            A section of the wall can be seen on the lower level of the 1767 Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. Washington did not sleep here but he visited and the Declaration of Independence was  read here to the public. It functioned as both a customs house and a prison and been featured on television as one of “America’s Most Haunted Places”. Tours are offered.oldexchange.org

The nation’s first census in 1790 revealed that there were 8,089 white people and 8,270 black free and enslaved individuals in the city. Charleston has been referred to as a perverse Ellis Island because an estimated 50% of the country’s enslaved Africans entered through the Port of Charleston. Nearby Sullivan’s Island was the site of the Pest House, a building where Africans were quarantined upon arrival for up to 40 days. Gadsden’s Wharf was Charleston’s primary disembarkation point and it is the location of the future International African American Museum. slavevoyages.org

An early slave market existed on Magazine Street but was closed in the 1850s and in 1859 the Old Slave Mart, now a museum, became operational. It became a museum in 1938. Once it was a brick walled compound that housed a 4-story building, a slave jail, kitchen, mortuary and yard. Auction were held here during the Civil War with the last being held in 1863. oldslavemartmuseum.com

On April 12, 1861 Confederate troops fired on, and took over, Federal held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. This attack is considered the beginning of the Civil War. Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center’s museum relates the story of the fort construction and the onset of the war. This is also the departure point for boat tours of the fort. Fort Sumter is only accessible by boat tour.

After the Civil War Charleston’s devastation and poverty forced the city to rehabilitate existing structures. The result is striking historic architecture throughout the city. Rainbow Row is a singular gem in the Historic District. It consists of 13 houses from 79-107 Bay Street, the longest row of Revolutionary era homes in the nation, painted in pastel colors. They make a wonderful photo op.

The 6-acre Battery Park & White Point Gardens is situated where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean and the views are spectacular. There are unique oyster shell lanes and a seawall promenade ideal for sunset strolls. "Gentleman" pirate Stede Bonnet was executed on the site and he is memorialized within the park with an epitaph. @charlestonparks

TRAVEL TIPS:

Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of the Maryland 400 and the Battle of Brooklynby Chris Formant is a great travel read and also a guide for a NY trip. It provides factual background on an often overlooked battle and deftly weaves into the narrative the story of the citizen soldiers, both black and white, who participated. The tale is told through the experiences of friends Joshua Bolton and Benjamin Wright, one of an estimated 9,000 black revolutionary soldiers. The book has been optioned by HBO for production.   

Along the Hammock Coast: St. Helena Island to Charleston, SC

The majority of South Carolina’s 16 barrier Islands were formed during the Ice Age along with nearly 200-miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline. The Hammock Coast (HC), the region from Myrtle Beach to Charleston, includes the Gullah culture, quiet beaches, historic sites, fine dining and exquisite regional cuisine. From Beaufort you can set out on the 170-mile drive north into the state’s 493-year biography. #discoversc

 

Indigo was SC’s most important colonial money crop but after the Revolution the British market dried up and a replacement was needed. In 1786 a variety of Sea Island Cotton, Gossypium Bardadense, was imported into the HC. Sea Island Cotton is long-staple, silky, fine textured and grew particularly well on the islands because of the conditions and the African labor force.

Rice became the cash crop in the 1800s and again African knowledge of technology became prized. Most of the Africans brought to work in the fields were from the West and Central African region deemed “The Rice Coast” where they were largely left to run the island plantations in isolation as owners lived elsewhere. Their isolation allowed them to retain their unique culture and African linguistic patterns and language. The Union occupation in 1861 resulted in the Gullahs being the first freed southern slaves. Philadelphia Quaker missionaries organized schools for the freedmen and in 1862 set up the Penn Center as the first school on St. Helena Island.

Penn Center is a National Historic Landmark Districtwith a museum, educational center, and two sites that are part of the Reconstruction Era Monument. The Center promotes social justice and preserves the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people. A self-guided tour is available that includes the historic 1903 Darrah Hall, a meeting place for Civil Rights Leaders including King and the 1855 Brick Church. Also on the grounds is Gantt Cottage, a retreat visited by King and the site of some of  his work on the “I Have a Dream Speech”. November Heritage Days, featuring Aunt Pearlie Sue’s Gullah Kinfolk singers, are held at Penn Center annually. 

Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area is comprised of two cotton plantations, Bleak Hall and Sea Cloud, both now in ruins. The circular driving tour has 15 sites including a historic Ice House and Indian Point, a former community of Cusabo Indians dating from 2500 B.C. 

Georgetown, SC, the state’s 3^rdoldest city, is at the heart of the HC and it offers surprises at every turn. It is rife with history from every era, shopping options, waterfront dining and oak lined streets worthy of a long meander. It was the richest county in the original colonies because rice production was introduced in 1690. At one point Georgetown produced 2/3 of American rice and over 90% of the population was black in 1850. Historicgeorgetownsc.com

The first European settlement in the US was the 1526 Spanish settlement of San Miguel de Guadalupe near Georgetown. The colony failed after 3 months largely because the slaves that accompanied the Spanish revolted and fled to the Native Americans. This was the first slave revolt in the nation.

Georgetown is walkable with a 1,000-ft. boardwalk along the bay and brick sidewalks on Front Street. Walking, tram, ghost and boat tours are regularly scheduled. Markers are located throughout the city and maps and information are available.

The Gullah Museum and Gift Shop recounts the Gullah story from Africa to Emancipation through artifacts, memorabilia and internationally recognized story quilts. Visitors can tour and purchase authentic crafts. This museum is a gem. 

The economic importance of rice is featured in the Rice Museum with dioramas and tools. Rice was so significant it could be used in lieu of cash. The museum is located inside the 1842 Classic Revival Old Market Building that once held slave sales. A Clock Tower was added in 1845. 

Robert Smalls is showcased along with shipwreck and fossil exhibits in the South Carolina Maritime Museum.The featured exhibit is theFresnel lens from the old North Island lighthouse. 

There are more than 60 antebellum homes in Georgetown but the crown jewel is the 1769 Kaminski House Museum. It was built by one of Georgetown’s richest men on a bluff above the river. Tours highlight an extraordinary collection of pre-20^thcentury antiques. 

Georgetown’s Old Fish House/Big Tuna Restaurant and Raw Bar has a menu of fresh seafood specialties. Seating is indoors or on the waterfront. 

Awendaw, SC’s Center for Birds of Prey is a 150-acre conservation center that began as a hospital. Their mission is to identify and address environmental issues through avian research. The collection consists of 50% injured birds and 50% birds bred for educational research. This center treats the birds that were caught in oil spills and yes, they do use Dawn. Tours are scheduled. 

Archer, a writer, and Anna, a sculptress, Huntingdon were philanthropists who purchased 9,000-acres and built an oceanside home (1931-33) as a winter residence using no architectural plans. Atalaya Castle, “Watchtower”, has Moorish influences and contains 30 rooms including indoor and outdoor studios and a library. Built with local labor it is a National Historic Landmark that must be seen to be believed. 

Brookgreen Gardens, the 9,000-acre oldest and largest public sculpture garden in the country, was a Huntingdon donation. The Gardens also include the Pavilion Restaurant, Lowcountry Zoo, Arboretum, Enchanted Storybook Forest, Butterfly House, educational programming and excursions. Both Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens are in Murrells Inlet. 

Wander along the Hammock Coast and be amazed at every turn. 

TRAVEL TIP:

If your journey begins in Savannah be certain to explore the city’s history with 2 unique stops. The American Prohibition Museum tells its story with docents, wax figures, period artifacts, dioramas and a functioning speakeasy. 

Prohibition, a restaurant and bar, capture the essence of the era with artifacts, antiques, craft cocktails and heritage drinks made from 60-year old recipes. There are private booths and architectural elements obtained from authentic NY speakeasies. The menu enhances the experience and the camaraderie makes this a must visit. prohibitionsavannah.com