Portugal and Longevity

Until a few days ago, Tomar, Portugal was the home of the world's oldest known living human, Maria de Jesus. She attained the age 115 years and 114 days until passing away in an ambulance Friday.

Then comes word that Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira turned 100 recently while working on his 47th film in Lisbon’s Chiado district called "The Uniqueness of a Young Blond-Haired Girl."

I figure it's the copious amounts of vegetables found in Portuguese cuisine. But then again, I'd love them to discover that Pata Negra was the cause. I wouldn't mind gorging on the celebrated black pig, especially if it guaranteed a long life.

In any case, perhaps you should give Portugal a try on your vacation. Three out of the top ten European hostels of the month, ranked by readers of Hostelworld, are located in Lisbon, so we're not talking expensive, either. If you have some money in these troubled economic times, you might want to live it up in a reasonably-priced historic inn called a pousada.

Check out our Portugal Map and Travel Essentials for more.