When we arrived in Viana do Castello, 100 km above Porto, we concluded that, although Portugal borders Spain, they are completely different countries: Portugal is more green, more even, more open and the people are easier to talk to. We don’t understand a word they’re saying, in contrast to Spanish, but they do their best to make themselves clear. The host in Porto, Joao Carlos, heard about Magda’s purse that got stolen in Barcelona and did everything to help us, very kind! He arranged a very beautiful and trendy design hotel for us: Axis Viana. We could work at a nice terrace thanks to the nice weather and good internet-connection!
 

Blue Sky Style 
 
  
Truckie Magda makes sure everything is ok.   Johnny and Jan checking the last details....
 

 Let the show begin...
 

Jaga's Stefan Smets enjoys the presentation
 

 
 

 
Porto

Porto, or Oporto, is Portugal’s second biggest city (after Lisbon). The city is situated in Northern Portugal and is considered the economic and cultural hearth of the region. One of Portugal’s most famous products, Port wine, is named after the city because it is produced and shipped from the area. UNESCO declared the historic centre of Porto a World Heritage Site in 1996. During the 20th century, major bridges were built. Arrábida Bridge, had the biggest concrete supporting arch in the world at its opening, which connects the North and South shores of the Douro on the West side of the city. After that, many other bridges were built, which lead to the nickname Cidade das Pontes (City of Bridges) Porto’s local most popular event is St. John (São João Festival ). On the night of 23 to 24 of June, it's tradition to have a vase with bush basil decorated with a small poem. At dinner of the 23rd people usually eat sardines and boiled potatoes together with red wine.
 

 Our host: João Carlos from Termotecnia (right on the picture)

Portugal’s History 
During the 15th and 16th centuries, with a global empire that included possessions in Africa, Asia, and South America, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. After that period Portugal lost a lot of its wealth and status because of the devastation of Lisbon by an earthquake (1755), seizure by Napoleon, the independence of Portugal’s largest colonial possession Brazil (1822). In 1910, a revolution ended monarchy but after great corruption and big state depths through a military coup d’état, a dictatorship was installed that lasted until 1974. Then a left wing military coup ended the dictatorship and carried through democratic transformations. One year later the African colonies got their independence. On October 5th 1910, Portugal became a republic and up to today, it still is (officially Portugal is called ‘the Portuguese Republic’). In 1916 the Portuguese fought the Entente during World War I and was neutral during World War II.