Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) was a Portuguese explorer who discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East.
Da Gama was born to a noble family in Sines, Portugal. Da Gama's father Estavao was also an explorer. He was to have made the sea voyage from Portugal to India that eventually made his son famous, but the elder da Gama died before completing the journey.
Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497, heading to the East. At the time, many people thought that da Gama's trip would be impossible because it was assumed that the Indian Ocean was not connected to any other seas.
an extract from www.enchanted learning.com
Having made it comfortably and in an indulgent manner across the Atlantic Ocean, I am more able to appreciate the enormity of the quests of past explorers.
The above photograph is a part of this monument with Vasco da Gama standing at its head.
Farewell Lisbon!
10 comments:
This 'Sunday Snippet' is really interesting.
We take sea travel for granted these days, but many years ago it was a dangerous, long and sometimes lonely experience. It's a shame that De Gama's father never saw the end of the voyage.
Great Post.
aguja - at the grade level i teach, i get to open up the world of the early explorers for my students. it's an amazing collection of stories, not only of people, but of worlds colliding. i want to see more of lisbon! steven
What beauty you're experiencing. How fortunate I am that you're sharing this wonderful voyage.
Thank you for your encouraging comments! Steve - what more do you want to see?? I have some more photos and some info. too, that I could email to you. What age is the grade??
Great tidbit! Glad you enjoyed your trip. xo style, she wrote
Your post reminds me of how much I miss Lisbon. The last time I was at the Monument of the Explorers, it was July but very overcast and cool. I took a million photos. That was in 2009. I was planning to go back this summer but my 80 year-old mother who lives there is feeling very chipper and up to traveling across the pond to visit us here in Massachusetts.
Ciao!
Gina
Never been to Lisbon. So near and yet...
Lovely pics Aguja. And interesting snippet
I thought the only explorer was Colombus...
I recall reading about him in history. Great photos
I can just hear that trolley passing by the street :) I'm glad you spent such a good time in Portugal.
Thank you for your comments. I am revisiting myself - as I post.
Gina, I hope that you make it back to Lisbon in the near future!
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