Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India It is often regarded as the most important work of Portuguese literature. The work celebrates the discovery of a sea route to India by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. King Manuel did not share that opinion. Keeping the D. João II plan, he went ahead to equip the ships and chose Vasco da Gama as the leader of this expedition and the captain of the armada. According to the original plan, John II had appointed his father, Stephen da Gama, to head the armada; but by the time of implementing the plan, both were deceased. Portuguese were after spices,
European route E01 in Portugal European route E01 in Portugal The European route E01 in Portugal is a series of roads, part of the International E-road network running on a north south axis on the west coast. It starts at the Spanish border in the north at Valença going almost perfectly south passing by several major Portuguese cities like Porto and Lisbon until the border with Spain again at Castro Marim. The route starts at the border town of Valença at the Minho river coming from the Spanish city of Vigo in the Norte Region. It follows Portuguese highway A3 by Braga to the second