Given the nature and intensity of our training, we have decided to place the BEAR Forensics training facility in the Porto area, Portugal. Students will reside at or near the school facility and classes will be from 9 AM to 6PM with an hour given for lunch.
About Portugal :
Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts and surfing, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable.
Savoring life lentamente (slowly) is a Portuguese passion! Much of the best is humble - traditional folk festivals; simple, honest food drowning in olive oil; music that pulls at the heart strings, recalling past love and glories; and markets overflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.
Portugal lies immediately west of Spain, and is buffeted along its southern coast by the Atlantic Ocean. To its west and southwest lie the islands of the Azores and Madeira, far out in the Atlantic. It measures just 350mi (560km) north to south and a paltry 135mi (220km) from east to west. The northern and central regions are heavily populated and characterized by rivers, valleys, forests and mountains - the highest range is the Serra da Estrela, peaking at Torre (6540ft/1993m). The south is less populated and, apart from the rocky backdrop of the Algarve, much flatter and drier. The capital city of Portugal is Lisbon (Pop. 720,000) and the country itself maintains a population of around 10.4 million. Portugal is in the southern part of Europe and is blessed with a warmer climate and lower costs, as compared with many other western European countries. Its monetary unit is the Euro (€) and is a nation that runs on 220V (most computers/electronics in 110v can be easily plugged in with an inexpensive adapter).
Historical Overview:
Thanks to a strong Catholic influence and decades of repression under Salazar, Portugal remains a traditional, conservative country - romarias (religious festivals honouring a patron saint) are taken very seriously, almost as seriously as the results of local football matches. Seafood and wine both figure prominently on local menus, while dreamy, arabesque forms are the strongest features of local architecture.
Pre 20th Century History:
The Iberian Peninsula has been occupied for around 500,000 years. Paleolithic art dating back 22,000 years has been discovered on rocks in the Vale do Côa. About 5500 BC Neolithic fortified hilltop villages appeared in the lower Tagus valley.
Portugal's history goes back to the Celts, who settled the Iberian Peninsula around 700 BC. The region soon attracted a succession of peoples and was colonised by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Visigoths. In the 8th century, the Moors crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and commenced a long occupation that introduced their culture, architecture and agricultural techniques to Portugal. But resistance to the Moors grew and they were finally ejected during the 13th century.
In the 15th century, Portugal entered a phase of overseas expansion due to the efforts of Prince Henry the Navigator. Mariners set off to discover new trade routes and helped create an enormous empire that, at its peak, extended to India, the Far East, Brazil and Africa. This period marked the apogee of Portuguese power and wealth, but it faded towards the end of the 16th century when Spain's Felipe II claimed the throne. Although Spanish rule lasted only a few decades, the momentum of the empire declined over the following centuries.
In 1755, someone in Lisbon broke a bathroom mirror as a black cat crossed their path while opening a new umbrella. The city was subsequently destroyed by three major earthquakes, tremors, a fire and a tidal wave.
At the close of the 18th century, Napoleon sent expeditionary forces to invade Portugal but they were forced back by the troops of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance.
Modern History:
During the 19th century the economy faltered and republicanism took hold. National turmoil led to the abolition of the monarchy in 1910 and the founding of a democratic republic.
Portugal's democratic phase lasted until 1926, when a military coup ushered in a long period of dictatorship under António de Oliveira Salazar. His reign came to an end in 1968 when he had a stroke. Anachronistic attempts to hold onto colonies in the face of nationalist independence movements resulted in costly wars in Africa and led to the Revolution of the Carnations, a nearly bloodless military coup on 25 April 1974.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Portugal underwent some painful adjustments: the political climate vacillated between right and left, and the economy suffered from wrangles between government and private ownership. The granting of independence to Portugal's colonies in 1974/75 resulted in a flood of over 500,000 refugees into the country. Entry into the European Community (EC) in 1986 restored some measure of stability, which was buttressed by the acceptance of Portugal as a full member of the European Monetary Union in 1999. Portugal's last overseas territory, Macau, was handed over to the Chinese in 1999.
Recent History:
The Alqueva project on the Guadiana river become Europe's largest artificial lake when it was completed in late 2001, to howls of protest from environmentalists who claimed it was a destructive and unnecessary folly. In August 2003, forest fires killed 18 people, destroyed an area the size of Luxembourg, cost a billion euros and prompted the government to declare a national disaster.
The year 2005 was similarly catastrophic. Portugal witnessed the worst drought in living memory in most of the country; it devastated agriculture and slashed the sector's financial projections by 35%. It was a critical year for bushfires, as well, with 200,000 hectares (about 494,000 acres) burned, mainly in the central Coimbra region and surrounding area.
Elected in February 2006, the current president is Conservative Aníbal Cavaco Silva. Prime minister José Manuel Barroso of the Social Democratic Party, which won the 2002 elections after six years in opposition, had the unenviable task of resuscitating the economy, one of the EU's worst. He resigned in July 2004 to head the European Commission, and was replaced by José Sócrates
Health and Safety:
In the tropics, the desert or at high altitude you can get sunburned quickly and seriously, even through clouds. The southern reaches of the continent suffer from scathing ultraviolet, so be extra careful there. Use a strong sunscreen, hat and barrier cream for your nose and lips. Calamine lotion and aloe vera are good for mild sunburn. Protect your eyes with good-quality sunglasses, particularly if you will be near water, sand or snow.
The water is drinkable, however many Portuguese will wonder why you aren’t engaing in one of their national treasures: The wine.
Facilities & Location 
