Guimaraes

The Euro 2004 tournament will be played in eight great Portuguese cities. Here's a guide to some of their delights:

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Guimaraes is often called the "cradle of the nation" because it was here, in 1128, that Portugal declared its independence from the Spaniards of Castile and Galicia. Today, however, it is better known for a dessert called Toucinho do Cu (Bacon from Heaven), a rich egg-and-almond cake that originated in the Santa Clara Convent, founded in the 16th century. When a Republican decree banned all religious orders in 1834, the convent disappeared, but its descendants have passed down a...