Portugal
Geography 101
Portugal is in the European Iberia Peninsula bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the westernmost country of mainland Europe. Although Portuguese is the native and official language, English is widely spoken. Her capital and largest city is Lisbon - 185 miles south of Porto. 
Portugal is a member of the European Union and hence, uses the Euro as it’s currency. Our dollar is sinking to new lows daily against the Euro - at time of writing its about 1.4-1. The American dollar to them is like a Mexican peso to us.
History 101
Portugal won its independence from Moorish Spain in 1143, but In 1581, Philip II of Spain invaded Portugal and held it for 60 years. Signs of military decline began with two disastrous battles: the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in Morocco in 1578 and Spain's abortive attempt to conquer England in 1588 (Portugal contributed ships to the Spanish invasion fleet). The country was further weakened by the destructi
on of much of its capital city in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the loss of its largest colony, Brazil, in 1822. In 1910, there was a revolution that deposed the monarchy; however, the subsequent republic was unable to solve the country's problems. Amid corruption, repression of the Church, and the near bankruptcy of the state, a military coup in 1926 installed a dictatorship that remained until another coup in 1974. In 1986, Portugal entered the European Economic Community and joined the Euro in 1999.
Getting There
I’m not a travel writer, so this will be short and sweet. I took Lufthansa all the way from DC into Porto, transferring from Frankfurt. If you’re looking to save some $$ (and why wouldn’t you-save your cash for your wine stash), look into getting a cheap flight into London, Paris, or Brussels then book Porto separately with Ryanair.
Portugal