Will you be part of Portugal’s history? Part 2

We started off looking at Portugal’s older historical villages. The question I am most often asked is how to choose where to buy…and that’s why I have been discussing a few of the lovely old towns you may want to look at.

How do you travel? I must say that I usually have some sort of plan in my minds as to where I am going, but the first time I visited Portugal I just wandered where the wind – and my really good Cadagon Guide – took me. I have never had a more wonderful holiday and one of the places I found the most breathtaking was Marvão.

One of the reasons you may find it a great place to buy is that it is very near the Spanish border so you can easily visit both countries – or, if you are renting it out, that may be a good idea for potential rental opportunities. Not only is the town utterly breathtaking but the view is really stunning too. It is set high on top of a hill, 1000m up, and commands unrivalled views of the surrounding countryside.

From there I dropped down to Vila Viçosa. This town is utterly different: cool, shady and elegant, with a spectacular Ducal Palace that bears a visit.

Evora was next – a lovely town that is a historian’s delight. But even if you are not interested in history this town would be hard to resist. I sat in the shade, sipping on my cool drink and gazing at the roses that covered a Roman temple – I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Dare I say this myself: I think my photo is pretty good – what do you think?

Due to its location on a remote, rocky hillside, the small village of Marialva was an important military fortress in the Middle Ages and today it really is quite simply spectacular.

As with the other villages discussed, this village has ancient origins. It was inhabited as early as the 6th century BC by the Aravi tribe, who were followed by the Romans, Suevi and Arabs. The reason it was such a prized location becomes clear when you see its impregnable location.

Marialva is the old pilgrims’ way and still celebrates the annual holiday of St James the Apostle on 25th July. Ancient streets flanked by walls and Gothic doorways lead to a small square with a distinctly medieval atmosphere. The 16th century parish church, with a Manueline doorway, is dedicated to Santiago (St James). Crowning the town is the castle, one of the largest in the region.
The walled town of Trancoso still retains much of its medieval atmosphere too. Entering the town is an impressive experience because of its large walls, which open to form the old gate known as the Porta d’El Rei.

Tomar I absolutely loved…it was also heavily influenced by the Templars. They helped the Portuguese fight the Moors in the 12th and 13th centuries were rewarded with extensive land and political power. Castles and churches were built to protect the Templars; one of those was the castle and convent of Tomar, one of Portugal's most brilliant architectural accomplishments, built in 1162.
I stayed in an utterly adorable little hotel that was practically built into the walls of the old castle. I was thrilled when one of our OGC readers bought himself a house here… I could see it so clearly in my mind’s eye…lucky Philip!

Later some time I will discuss two lovely places that are nearer the sea in case you like to get your feet wet!

Bye for now and warmest greetings,

Carol

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com

Historical villages in Portugal

If I was to buy a property in Portugal, be it for myself or as a rental option, my personal preference would be a house in one of the breathtakingly beautiful historical villages that dot the countryside. I have never seen such lovely towns, with such a wonderfully friendly and relaxing air, as I saw as I criss-crossed the country on my last visit. I think if I had to choose, top of my list would be Marvao, followed perhaps by the crusader influenced town of Tomar. But then there is Obidos and Sintra…and they are nearer the sea if I was considering renting the property out at all…not an easy choice!

What I thought I would do is discuss a few of these wonderful historical villages with you and, at the very least, you may like to plan your next holiday around them, take a look and perhaps make your choice that way.

Right: starting on the western side of the Serra da Estrela and in common with many of the fortified villages, the imposing towers of Linhares da Beira’s mighty castle can be seen from miles away. This was where the Lusitanians, the Iberian tribe from whom the Portuguese are descended, chose to live, followed by the Visigoths and later the Moors.

There is lots to see for visitors: be sure to visit the Igreja Matriz (parish church), which is of Romanesque origin. Inside there are three valuable paintings by the great Portuguese master Vasco Fernandes. And if it’s sport you are into, the altitude and climate make this historical village the ideal venue for paragliding too, with the Open Championship held here in August every year.

Another such village is that of Monsanto. In the second century BC the settlement is said to have resisted a Roman siege for seven years. This feat is still celebrated annually at the lovely Festival of the Crosses on May 3rd.

In the 12th century, D. Afonso Henriques gave the town (which had been captured from the Moors) to the Order of the Templars, whose Master in Portugal ordered the castle to be rebuilt. The village, which is spread over the hillside, boasts one of the loveliest landscapes in Portugal - those who feel energetic enough to make the climb up to the castle are rewarded with one of the most stunning views in the region.

However, perhaps the most important place in the village is Lucan’s Tower. Dating back to the 14th century, the tower is crowned with a silver cockerel, a trophy awarded to Monsanto in a competition in 1938 in which it was judged to be the most Portuguese village in Portugal – go figure!

Also crowned by a castle standing on a formidable rocky outcrop, the town of Sortelha preserves its medieval features in its rustic granite houses. Also the village castle used to be part of the important defensive line of frontier castles, mostly erected or rebuilt on ‘castro’ sites of the ancient Iberian civilisations.

The castle entrance is through a Gothic doorway, above which there is a balcony (Varanda de Pilatos) through which the medieval guards would hurl all kinds of missiles, such as boiling oil, at their attackers. I assure you that this is NOT the kind of welcome you can expect today! The charm of this village lies both in its medieval atmosphere and indeed its far friendlier welcome!

These are just a taste: I will continue my wanderings through some of the other villages of Portugal next week. In the meanwhile, have fun and please let me know if you are out there, just loving Portugal!

Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Have you been to the main website yet? http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/

Driving in Portugal

I hope that you have found this series of articles useful and that you now have all the info you need to bring your car into Portugal on a permanent basis. Just to round up, here’s how to sort out bringing in a scooter or motorbike and how to get your new licence plates. Plus a few tips about the rules of the road…

The procedure for motorbikes and scooters is virtually the same as for cars and other light vehicles except that a test will be required on noise emissions. Present the following documents to the IMTT and Customs and Vehicle Registry as described previously.

• Fill out Form Model 9 and give it to the official representative of the vehicle producer in Portugal for certification (Homologacão)
  
• Take the motorbike or scooter to an IMTT approved test centre (IPO) for a roadworthiness test including noise inspection

You now have you car registered and the details of the vehicle's registration are recorded on the DUA (Documento Uníco Automóvel) or "All-in-One Card". This replaces the Vehicle Ownership Registration (Titulo de Registo de Propriedade) and Log Book (Livrete) card. You need your new licence plates before you get this as the number is required for the DUA.

DUAs and the registration of new or second hand vehicles can be done at a local civil registry office, the IRN (Instituto dos Registos e Notariado). Application for a change in licence plate is made through the IRN office. A new vehicle registration number or matrícula is issued, number plates are made and then fitted before your vehicle can be recorded on the DUA.

Vehicle registration documents must be carried in the car at all times, as I have mentioned before. I cannot stress this enough – there are severe penalties if they are not available when requested by officials such as the police.

Just a few pointers to driving in Portugal: it goes without saying that driving is on the right with overtaking on the left. Bear in mind that you can be fined more than €1,000 for passing a car on the right. As in most countries there is also a large fine for failing to stop at a stop sign.

You will need to give way to traffic from the right unless otherwise stated. Vehicles in roundabouts have priority over those about to enter. Should you break down and attempt to carry out repairs you are by law required to wear a reflective jacket to do so; it is also necessary to put out a warning triangle.

There is a €600 fine for anyone found to be using a mobile phone while driving, and a €300 fine for littering while driving. Remember by the way that fines can be collected on the spot!

It is also possible to lose your licence if you ignore a policeman, cross a white line or jump a red light.

It is mandatory to for all passengers to wear seatbelts in both the front and back seats. Children under the age of 12, or less than one and a half metres tall, are not allowed to sit in the front at all and must have baby or booster seats in the back.

And hopefully you will not need this at all, but the emergency service phone number is 112.

Portugal does not have a great road safety record so please have a care out there!

Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Go to the main website at: http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/

Importing a car into Portugal Part 5

The following owner's documents are usually also required to import a car to Portugal:

• Driver's licence (Cartão de Condução)
• Proof of identity. This can be a passport or identity card (Bilhete de Identidade))
• Proof of residency (Cartão de Residência), evidence of application for residency, or proof of residence. This could include property title deeds, rental contract, utility bills or an insurance certificate
• Taxpayer's identification card (Cartão Fiscal de Impostos or Cartão de Contribuinte) and number plus three year's tax returns or a declaration from the tax office stating income earned (in Portugal or elsewhere) over the previous three years
• A certificate of cancellation of residence issued by the former country of residence or their Consulate in Portugal

Original documents and 1 copy of all must be supplied and the Customs authority may ask that you obtain official translations of all these documents.

Only one vehicle may be imported tax-free per person once every ten years.

Once the application has been submitted, customs may issue a limited-validity authorisation (Guia de Circulação) which means the vehicle may be used while the application is in process.

It is important to remember that a vehicle that has been imported in this way may not be sold, loaned, pledged or hired for a period of 12 months following the date on which the Portuguese registration number given to you. In addition, in order to maintain eligibility for tax-free importation, you have to reside in Portugal for a minimum period of 12 months.

If your application for tax-free importation is turned down, you will be notified by the Customs authority and have to declare to tell them within 30 days what you intend to do with the vehicle. If you fail to do this, they will consider that the vehicle has been brought into Portugal illegally.

I would so love to hear from you if you have done all this. Tales abound, with each person having a different story to tell. Some say it’s unbelievably easy to sort all this out - others have real horror stories…

Next time I will round up by talking about your new licence plates and give you a bit of info about importing motorbikes and scooters for those bikers amongst us! Take care until and…keep revving!

Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my main website at: http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/