Portugal, has increasingly become one of the hottest destinations in Europe, and for good reason.  Wonderful weather, picturesque scenery, beautiful beaches and a lot of culture and history.

Portugal's culinary scene is no longer playing second fiddle to the other Mediterranean countries.  Portugal's cuisine is a balance between centuries-old traditions and modern, international influence.   Traditional Portuguese food is often rustic and hearty dishes that makes use of a wide variety of spices, many of which came from Portugal’s former colonies.  Some of the more prominent spices used in Portuguese cuisine include piri piri, paprika, clove, allspice, and cumin. Garlic and onions are also widely used as are herbs like bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, and coriander.

For anyone who enjoys food there is no better way to get to the heart of a city and its people than by taking a walking food tour.  You will experience the lesser known areas of the city while exploring new food markets, visit restaurant specializing in local delicacies, and sample food that the locals eat daily.  

Portuguese cuisine takes advantage of its privileged location. With access to the Atlantic and Mediterranean, Portuguese foods incorporate the sea as well as its interiors in the many traditional dishes. A country with a vast diversity of recipes accumulated over centuries of influences and inspiration from around the world.  

Caldo Verde, one of the most popular soups in Portugal . It originated from the Minho province in northern Portugal but is now consumed throughout the country, often served at special events such as weddings and birthdays.

You will find a recipe by going to the following link:  https://www.perfectlyplannedjourneys.com/food--drinks-from-around-the-world.html

Please note that regulations pertaining to travel varies from destination to destination, and may also change at any time.  Before making any travel arrangements please make sure to check with your travel advisor.


TRAVEL REQUIREMENT TO ICELAND
Information courtesy of OK Travel
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Starting from the 19th of March 2021 all travelers are welcome to visit Iceland, without being subject to border measures, such as testing and quarantine if they can show either:

• A certificate of full vaccination against COVID-1
• A certificate of previous COVID-19 infection

Until now, this exemption has only applied to those presenting certificates from the EU/EEA area but now apply equally to everyone who can provide proof of a full vaccination with a vaccine that has been certified for use by the European Medical Agency, certificates from the World Health Organization (WHO), certificate of Vaccination or the Carte Jaune/Yellow Card) are also accepted for vaccines the WHO has validated. 
Certificates of vaccination with a vaccine authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), that are listed here. Certificates are accepted whether they originate from countries within or outside the EEA-area:

• Comirnaty; Pfizer-BioNTech
• COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna
• COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca
• COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen

A vaccine certificate is required to include the following:

• Be in the Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English, or French. A document in another language can be valid if the original document accompanied by a certified stamped translation in one of the languages required.
• First name and last name (as in travel documents).
• Date of birth.
• Name of disease vaccinated against (COVID-19)
• Where and when vaccination(s) was/were performed (date(s)).
• Vaccination must be complete; see below the required doses for full vaccination for each vaccine.
• The issuer of the certificate (supervising clinician/administering center), with signature and stamp of the International Certificate of Vaccination.
• Vaccine administered.
• Manufacturer and batch/lot no. of the vaccine.

Details regarding vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency: (Name of vaccine, authorization holder/manufacturer; number and interval between doses for vaccination to be complete)

• Comirnaty; COVID-19 mRNA vaccine; Pfizer/BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH; 2 doses at least 19 days apart.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna; Moderna Biotech Spain S.L.; 2 doses at least 28 days apart.
• COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1-S); AstraZeneca AB; 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Ad26.COV2-S); Janssen-Cilag International NV; 1 dose.

The exemption also applies to those who can provide valid proof of prior infection. Documentation on prior infections must be in accordance with the requirements defined by the Chief Epidemiologist.
The following certificates are considered valid confirmation of a previous COVID-19 infection. Certificates are accepted whether they originate from countries within or outside the EEA-area:

• Positive PCR-test (RT-PCR) results for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 that is older than 14 days.
• Presence of antibodies (IgG) against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 measured by ELISA serologic assay*.

*Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are not accepted (antigen or antibody tests).