Today's question is a bit of a trumpet-blow ahead of my Summer break and the development of two major projects that I will talk about on the show this morning. About it, Claude says: Carl Munson is one of the most prolific English-language content creators focused on Portugal. Here's a summary of what he's produced: Who He Is Originally from the UK, Carl moved to Portugal in 2017 and fell in love with the way of life, people and culture. He hosts Good Morning Portugal! — a daily breakfast show, podcast and community dedicated to sharing practical advice and the everyday joys of living in Portugal — and has helped thousands of people explore, understand and successfully relocate there. Volume of Content - Podcast: The Good Morning Portugal! podcast ran from 2019 to 2025 and accumulated over 1,000 episodes. - Daily YouTube show: During Portugal's 2020 pandemic lockdown, Carl launched a daily livestream for English-language speakers, which proved hugely popular and never stopped — running nearly five years. What began as an emergency focal point evolved into a "how-to" show for would-be migrants to Portugal. - Written work: He is also a regular columnist for Portugal Resident and founder of the Portugal Club, as well as host of Expats Portugal's weekly webinars. - Substack: He also runs a Substack publication featuring highlights from The Portugal Club Quiz, published every weekday on the show. Scope of Topics The show covers news, weather, culture, wellbeing, property tips, moving advice, and general expat life — and is particularly aimed at the 50+ demographic settling into or loving life in Portugal. In short, Carl Munson has produced a truly enormous body of work — likely well over 1,500 pieces of content across YouTube, podcasting, articles, and newsletters — making him arguably the single biggest English-language resource on moving to and living in Portugal. Gemini: Since moving from the UK to Portugal's Silver Coast in 2017, Carl Munson has become one of the most prolific content creators and community builders for English-speaking expats. Over the years, he has generated thousands of pieces of content spanning daily broadcasts, articles, masterclasses, and digital forums.

Born in 1846, this figure spent decades climbing the military ranks as a respected General and engineer. When the Monarchy fell in 1910, he transitioned into the new Republican era not as a radical firebrand, but as a career officer known for professional competence. This 'soldier-first' reputation eventually made him the go-to candidate for leadership when the young Republic began to fracture under the weight of constant strikes, political assassinations, and economic instability. By early 1915, Portugal was a pressure cooker of dissent. The ruling Democratic Party was determined to drag the country into World War I, a move deeply unpopular with the military and the working class. Seeking to break the deadlock and restore 'order,' the President bypassed Parliament to appoint this man as Prime Minister. This move essentially handed the keys of the country to the military, sparking a four-month period of governance that history would famously label the 'Dictatorship of the Swords.' During his brief tenure, he attempted to play the role of the great stabilizer. He began closing down radical political clubs, granting amnesty to exiled monarchists, and attempting to heal the bitter rift between the state and the Catholic Church. To his supporters, he was a pragmatic savior bringing discipline back to a lawless Lisbon; to his detractors, he was a 'crypto-monarchist' traitor who was dismantling the very foundations of the 1910 Revolution. The end came swiftly and violently on this very day, May 14, in 1915. A revolutionary junta, backed by the Navy and armed civilian militias, launched a bloody uprising to 'rescue' the Republic. As the cruiser Vasco da Gama opened fire on the city from the Tagus, his government collapsed in a single day of street fighting that left hundreds dead. He was arrested, stripped of power, and eventually sent into exile in the Azores, marking the beginning of an even more chaotic phase of the First Republic. He was neither a bloodthirsty tyrant nor a visionary democrat; he was a conservative military technician caught in the gears of a political machine he didn't fully understand. He believed that the complexities of a nation could be managed through the same rigid hierarchy and discipline he used in the Army. His failure demonstrated a harsh truth in Portuguese history: that while the military could seize control of the streets, it could not so easily bridge the deep ideological chasms of a divided people.

Approximately 3,350 years ago, around 1324 BC, an olive stone is thought to have sprouted its roots, becoming what we know and celebrate today as the 'Olive Tree of Mouchão' (Oliveira do Mouchão), located in Mouriscas (Abrantes). When this tree was a sapling, Pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut) was likely nearing the end of his short reign in Thebes, Egypt and the Roman Empire wouldn't be founded for another 500+ years. At the time, Portugal was in the heart of the Middle-to-Late Bronze Age, when 'Southwest Bronze Age' peoples lived in fortified hilltop settlements (Castros) and were master metalworkers, creating intricate bronze tools and jewellery. The Oliveira do Mouchão has survived for over three millennia, but what is its current 'physical' status, today?

For extra points, by whom?

As the US political leadership is threatening to bomb the country of Iran "back the Stone Age", let's look at the relationship between Portugal and Iran (historically 'Persia' under the Safavid dynasty and later periods): *Early Modern Period (15th–18th centuries)* 1489–1492: First indirect Portuguese contacts with the Persian Gulf region. Explorer Pêro da Covilhã visits the area while scouting trade routes for King João II. 1507: Portuguese forces under Afonso de Albuquerque conquer the strategic island of Hormuz (Ormuz) in the Persian Gulf, establishing control over key trade routes. This marks the beginning of direct Portuguese–Safavid interactions, often marked by both cooperation (against common Ottoman threats) and rivalry. 1513: Afonso de Albuquerque sends ambassadors (Miguel and João Ferreira) to Shah Ismail I of Persia, initiating formal diplomatic exchanges. 1515–1622: Portugal maintains a presence in Hormuz, using it as a trading and military outpost. Multiple embassies travel between the Portuguese Estado da Índia and the Safavid court. Relations involve trade, anti-Ottoman alliances, and occasional conflicts. 1622: Combined Anglo-Persian forces (English East India Company assisting Shah Abbas I) recapture Hormuz from the Portuguese, ending over a century of Portuguese dominance in the Gulf. A subsequent Portuguese attempt to retake it in 1625 ends in a naval stalemate. 1630–1722: After the loss of Hormuz, Portugal shifts focus to Bandar-e Kong on the Persian mainland as a trading center under agreements with Safavid Iran. This sustains commercial ties for about a century. 1736 onward: Relations decline sharply under Nader Shah Afshar. Official political and trade contacts largely cease for decades. *19th–Early 20th Century* Mid-19th century (Qajar period): Sporadic re-engagement, but no sustained official diplomatic framework until the 20th century. *Modern Diplomatic Era (20th–21st centuries)* 1932: Portugal opens its first consulate in Tehran.