GLIMPSES OF COLORFUL PORTUGAL

[Music] stretching 340 miles down the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula here's a small country about the size of Indiana Portugal an ancient land with a fascinating and complex history modern airliners land at Lisbon where 1,200 years before Christ the ax Phoenicians sailed up the Tagus River to found the capital of Portugal spreading over seven Hills Lisbon is a fairy tale city of pastels whose ancient and modern history can be read in its architecture public monuments and maritime emblems and even in the faces of her people who crowd the narrow twisting streets of Alfama the old Moorish section of town from the Middle Ages on Portugal was a leader in maritime exploration adventurers such as Vasco da Gama Cabral Diaz and Magellan set forth and black ships from this majestic estuary of the Tagus on route to the discovery of half the new world at dawn the waterfront echoes to the shouts of fishermen selling their pungent catch at auction while the famous marinas or fishwives of Lisbon add their shrill notes to the early morning bustling commotion lusty outspoken and vigorous the Barinas walked barefooted down the streets with their large baskets of fish balanced gracefully on their heads [Music] 40 miles from Lisbon is the Palacio de pinna built by a German Prince Consort with a peculiar flair for originality he indulged his fancy by mixing a variety of architectural forms minarets domes turrets towers and gothic arches the result a romantic or monstrous heap of stone depending on your viewpoint rising on blue granite above the river Douro is the animated city of Porto often called the northern capital of this country and famous for centuries for the excellence of its port wine [Music] graced with an ancient castle the town of Gomorrah is proudly called the cradle of the nation for it was here that the first King of Portugal was born in the 12th century just as the countryside varies delightfully from north to south so to do the songs costumes and dances of the people each province takes great pride in its individuality these are young people from the warm southern province of Algarve enjoying one of the old circle dances in their village courtyard [Music] Portugal is primarily a farming country two-thirds of her people being engaged in some form of Agriculture thanks to the warm and moist climate the land is exceedingly fertile the most valuable crop is wheat the Portuguese peasant still works and irrigates his land much as the Arabs did in biblical times in a few sections of the country the land is suitable for the growing of rice and here as in other provinces women take over their share of the labor [Music] [Applause] [Music] the three principal rivers here are the Doru Tagus and glad Jana wherever possible farmers make use of the rivers for transporting their produce to market [Music] on Sundays farmers down there best suits hitch their donkeys to gaily painted carts and set off for town perhaps to a bullfight the pace is leisurely and there's no traffic problem in this serene country where super highways are still project for the far-off future [Music] [Applause] in a Portuguese bullfight the bull is not killed and its horns are blunted most of the Portuguese prefer their Cavallaro a horsemen who engages the bull from a highly trained statin but just to please everyone there's usually also a matador who fights on foot in Spanish style either way provides both danger and excitement for the crowd once voted the most typical of Portuguese villages Monsanto is a tiny village high in the mountains near the Spanish border much of Portugal is a paradise for those tourists who seek out places far from the Industrial Revolution and the frenetic tempo of the 20th century [Music] the Portuguese appear happiest when they are either drinking wine dancing or creating something with their hands there are countless craftsmen who use the rich Portuguese clay to fashion simple objects either for ornament or daily use in the household this old gentleman claims to be the originator of these gaily painted roosters butcher a popular item in the shops of the large cities [Music] [Applause] in the workshops of Caldas da Rainha and lisbon the magical hands of the potters seem to infuse life into the clay as it curves out into the graceful lines of a vase the feminine touch completes the work when the girls in the shop had lovely designs in sparkling colors [Music] the art of metalworking has come down through the centuries from the Arabs romantic Caravela sword galleons executed in gold or silver filigree and the host of other intricate metal works are proof of the high artistic standards maintained by present-day Portuguese craftsmen [Music] the government runs a school at Villa de Conda where young girls it taught the delicate art of lace making their fingers fly with youthful enthusiasm as they hastened to complete lacy items for their true souls there was no government school when this grandma was a girl she probably learned her work from her mother before her but it'll be many a long year before the girls at Villa de canto will attempt such an ambitious project as this magnificent cloth fit for the table of a queen under the supervision of nuns of the order of the good shepherd these girls are learning to weave rugs the vibrant designs are a heritage from the Middle Ages the Portuguese take pride in perpetuating the traditional handicrafts of their colorful country reads are carefully cut selected and prepared for use in basket making for the basket is an indispensable article in the average Portuguese household baskets are woven in almost all possible sizes some with openwork patterns some with coloured designs and their uses reigns all the way from carrying poultry or cradling a bottle of wine the serving is the family suitcase [Music] Portugal's principle industry is the production of textiles of which embroidered linens are perhaps the most famous many of the shops that turn out embroidery work follow the same efficient system the design is first drawn on the material by a skilled artist it is then perforated stamped and given to girls for stitching these workers are paid by the stitch so you can be sure the needle women are careful to count the exact number before passing the piece on to others who cut off the excess material after ironing the completed linens are ready for delivery to the shops Portuguese embroidered linen has found its way into the hope chests of brides all over the world one may afternoon in 1917 three little shepherd girls in the town of Fatima told their parents of a lovely lady that appeared to them and said build a chapel here in my honor I am the Lady of the Rosary the story of the vision spread quickly and now Fatima is second only to Lourdes as a great pilgrimage center on the 13th of May and October hundreds of thousands of devout people crowd the huge square where ceremonies begin at dawn [Music] at midday the image of the Lady of fátima is brought out before an open altar at the close of the rites the image is taken back to the chapel as the multitudes wave and flutter handkerchiefs in farewell [Music] the Portuguese are fond of all kinds of seafood especially codfish some of the cookbooks is said to contain over a hundred ways of preparing just this one fish here at SEMA Sh in a small fishing town on the coast of Allan Teju the men fish close to dangerous rocks and cliffs along the coastline next to wine incidentally canned sardines are Portugal's most important export most of which find their way to create Britain and the USA the fishermen of Nazare are easily recognized by their tartan shirts and trousers and the black tassel bonnets that protect their heads from Portugal's warm sunshine when the fleet is out the old men repair nets while the women folk wait patiently on the beach at sunset when the boats return everyone pitches in as the fish are carried in to be cleaned salted and iced for the markets the daily life of this picturesque fishing town is concentrated on the beach at water's edge [Music] if the catch has been a good one a barbecue celebration is held in the town square with wine music and a dance the people of Nevada take great pride in their fleet-footed dancing which is fast graceful and gay accompanied by shouting and finger snapping [Music] to the Portuguese the traditions and folklore of his land are his most precious possessions though he may be poor still he gladly shares his bread with a passing stranger for hospitality is the unwritten motto of Portugal a gracious country of beauty and charm of poets peasants and Captains Courageous Portugal where adventure and tranquillity have met and merged [Music]