FINAL PROGRAM www.essm.org 10th Congress of the European ...

general informationPortugalPortugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beachresorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed inolive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered withUNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one ofEurope’s most relaxed and attractive capitals, it alsoremains refreshingly affordable.Portugal lies immediately west of Spain, and is buffetedalong its southern coast by the Atlantic Ocean.To its west and southwest lie the islands of the Azoresand Madeira, far out in the Atlantic. It measures just560km north to south and a paltry 220km from eastto west. The northern and central regions are heavilypopulated and characterised by rivers, valleys, forestsand mountains - the highest range is the Serra daEstrela, peaking at Torre (1993m). The south is lesspopulated and, apart from the rocky backdrop of theAlgarve, much flatter and drier.In the 15th century Portugal entered a phase of overseasexpansion due to the efforts of Prince Henrythe Navigator. Mariners set off to discover new traderoutes and helped create an enormous empire that,at its peak, extended to India, the Far East, Brazil andAfrica. This period marked the apogee of Portuguesepower and wealth, but it faded towards the end ofthe 16th century. In 1755 Lisbon has been destroyedby three major earthquakes, tremors, a fire and a tidalwave. At the close of the 18th century, Napoleon sentexpeditionary forces to invade Portugal but they wereforced back by the troops of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance.During the 19th century the economy falteredand republicanism took hold. National turmoil led tothe abolition of the monarchy in 1910 and the foundingof a democratic republic. Nowadays savouringlife slowly is a Portuguese passion, and much of thebest is humble - traditional folk festivals; honest foodsimply dressed in olive oil; music that pulls at the heartstrings, recalling past love and glories; and marketsoverflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.At its heart are wide, tree-lined avenues graced byArt Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and streetcafes. Seen from the river - one of the city’s manygreat viewpoints - Lisbon is an impressionist pictureof low-rise ochre and pastel, punctuated by churchtowers and domes.Lisbon is the kind of place where you can sit at streetcafes - sampling food or fado - and watch the worldgo by. For the eager there are also plenty of culturalactivities. In addition to architectural masterpieces atBelém, Lisbon has over 50 museums to visit.The Torre Belem, a hexagonal chess piece, symbolisesPortugal’s glorious triumphs in the Age of Discoveries:it was from Belém that Vasco da Gama set sail for theNew World. Designed by the brilliant Arruda brothers,Diogo and Francisco, the tower is a shakennot-stirredmix of early Gothic, Byzantine and Manueline styles.Manuel I built it around 1515 to guard the entranceto Lisbon’s harbour, perhaps to catch invaders offguard.Travel to Lisbon/AirportLisbon airport is the city’s main international gatewayand located in 15 km distance to the city centre andcongress venue. The taxi fare from the airport to anyof the congress hotels and congress venue is expectedto be approximately EUR 20 and a 20-minute drive.ClimateLisbon is located in a temperate climatic zone with aCentral European climate influenced by the atlanticclimate. In November the average daytime temperatureis 15°C (63F°) and it slightly rains more than inother months.City of LisbonLisbon’s position on seven low hills beside a river oncelured traders and settlers, and it’s still a stunning site.Add to that its cultural diversity, laid-back feel andarchitectural time warp it represents one of the mostenjoyable cities in Europe.13