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Portworth Travel Guide
Topic Started: Jun 29 2014, 08:59 PM (206 Views)
Ironside
Administrator
Portworth is East Moreland's second city and home to the nations largest industrial port, as a result it has become very rich and is on track to become the cities largest in terms of population by 2020.

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UNDERSTAND

HISTORY
Portworth's name comes from the fact it used to be the home of the East Moreland Royal Dockyards during the 12th Century, otherwise known as the Worthy Port. The town grew steadily through the period until the 16th Century when it took over the mantle of the Kingdoms main trading port after its rival Bedingford was destroyed by a flood in 1535.

Over the next four centuries Portworth continued to grow enticing the wealthy East Moreland citizens to take advantage of the freshly imported goods from abroad and the wealth of businesses opportunities. Two of the most significant families where the Lund family who made a fortune from wool trading. As the family where keen patrons of the arts the city is full of examples of them flaunting their wealth. The other family were the Hansen family who were more interested in the natural world and sciences but there influence can still be seen throughout the city.

PEOPLE
Often referred to as Worthians the cities inhabitants are a cosmopolitan bunch. With many overseas workers frequently visiting the city because of the ports the city is often full of people from abroad.

TALK
Like the rest of East Moreland English is the norm. Since the coronation of King David III in 2010 however Ancient Morelandish has become a part of lessons in school so it is not uncommon to hear this language as it appears to be making a come back. The language shares a root history with English and the occasional word sounds very similar. Learning a foreign language is compulsory at school between the ages of 7-15. Expect to hear a wide range of languages thanks to the cities large number of foreign visitors.

ECONOMY
The cities primary industry is the ports. The Ports are the largest in East Moreland and around 50% of the nations imports and exports pass through the various trade docks and warehouses. The city also has a thriving tourist industry as the city sees day trippers spending a day at the coast and many cruise ships docking here.

The City is also home to OsmanTech's HQ with the Osman family being heavily involved in the cities modern life. The average income for someone living in the city is around $39,000

ORIENTATION

The city is built in various zones. The coastal area is split into three zones, to the east is the industrial zone is home to the many docks that cater to a wide variety of industrial shipping. Heading west you then come to the marina area, this is full of exclusive yacht clubs, boating societies and marinas catering to the wealthier citizens. The western zone of coast is home to Portworth beach, a 1.5km long run of sand that often is full of tourists and locals taking advantage of the weather and many leisure facilities on offer here.

Inland the city is built in a large grid, this was done to make the city easy to navigate for visiting merchants. Generally the further inland you go or the further East in the city the newer the buildings.



GETTING IN

People travelling with a passport of a CIS nation need no visa to enter East Moreland. Those travelling from outside of East Moreland need to first obtain a visa. These are for casual tourists very easy to get and are completed online up to 48hours before travelling. You will usually be granted a tourist visa as long as you have a return ticket, plan to stay for less then 6 months, have no criminal history and your passport is valid for 6 months from the date of your return.

If you are travelling for business you will need a business visa. These are often easily obtainable through the East Moreland Department of Trade and Industry. The conditions are the same as for the tourist visa but in addition you must have proof of intent to do business with a company based in East Moreland.

Students can obtain visas by proving they have an offer of a place in principle at an East Moreland institute of education and that they can fund their studies. Student Visas are valid for 6 months beyond the completion date of the course and also entitle the student to work 20 hours a week. Since the formation of CETO these visas have become increasingly easy to get.

The final category is a work visa. This is given to people who have passed an interview at the embassy in their home nation and have proved that they have a good command of English, skills considered "necessary" in East Moreland and are of good character. In the first instance the visa is valid for 12 months once you are offered a job, this is reviewed after 12 months and is then often extended for 5 years.

The best way to get to Portworth is by plane. Portworth is served by Lund International Airport (LIA). The airport is located against a strip of the coast line 10km East of the city. A coastal bus route runs to the city centre along with a railroad. Once at the city centres central transport hub getting to any area of the city is very simple. . Taxi's are readily available, it is however recommended that you take only a licenced taxi which will be displaying a Red illuminated sign on its roof. They will also have a taxi-meter which they should use for all journeys.

Alternatively many ferry and cruise terminals are based close to the industrial ports and are only a fifteen minute walk from the Central Transport Hub. Regular tram and bus services also run to the Hub.



GETTING AROUND

The city has an extensive public transport system. The city operates on a principle in which a central Transport Hub houses connections to most areas of the city. The Hub handles Trams on the ground floor, trains underground and buses on the upper floors. Public transport is very cheap and the service operates 24 hours a day but expect a reduced service between 2am and 7am. Tickets for trams, buses and trains are interchangeable and can be brought from machines at the stops or at station booths.

The city also has a small number of canals left over from the days of the wool trade and as such these are slowly being turned into a transport network of water buses. Expect these to be operating in increased numbers.

SEE
The cities exquisite architecture is a sight to see as the Lund, Hansen and later Osman families competed to leave their mark on the city as benefactors. This has also lead to extensive art works in public areas, look at for many walking art tours which are available at a very reasonable price, expect to pay no more than US$ 5 for a one hour guided tour.

MUSEUMS

The Blue Prison - Despite its name this is no longer a serving Prison. The last inmates left in 1907. Today it houses a large collection of Military, Naval and Portworth related artefacts. The museum is free to enter and often has on re-enactments and living history demonstrations. It is also possible to experience a 18th Century prison and if booked far enough in advance you can even spend the night in a former prison cell.

REMNS Royal Robert - The Royal Robert is a former East Moreland Royal Naval vessel from the 18th century. The ship is around 60% original and is anchored next to the Portworth Royal Naval Dockyards. The ship serves as a floating living museum and is free to enter. The ship does occasionally go to sea so you should check its schedule before making a special trip to see it.

The Lund Rooms - A 16th Century timber framed house on the edge of the city houses artefacts relating to the Lund family. Visitors are invited to explore the wide range of objects from throughout the families history in the city. One of the biggest collections of items are the artworks of Penny Lund (1953-2004) a renowned artist of naval scenes and former royal portrait painter. The museum costs US$8 and you should put aside around 4 hours to make the most of the house and gardens.

Hansen Natural History House - Built in 2009 as a response to the Lund Rooms opening a year earlier the Hansen Natural History House , often just called Hansen House by locals, is home to a wide collection of artefacts connected to the aquatic connections of the city. One of its star attractions is the skeleton of a Megalodon shark, around 60% of it being original. The museum costs US$8 and you should put aside five hours to do the attraction justice.


ART GALLERIES
Some locals argue that the whole city is essentially a large art gallery. Statues adorn most open spaces, houses are often covered in stone carvings and calligraphy and murals can be spotted spread through out the city streets. It is therefore no surprise that the city has inspired a large number of artists and created many galleries.

Portworth Institute of Art (PIA) - Built in 2007 to house the cities most valued art works and aid in the preservation of the art works on the city streets the PIA is the cities largest art gallery. It is spread over four floors and is organised by time period, the higher you go the more modern the art work.

The Metro Gallery - This is a small art gallery located next to the transport hub in the city centre. When the Lund family began helping fund the building of the subway system in the 1870's they insisted stations where elaborately decorated and house art works for members of the public to enjoy. Some of the artworks are now preserved in this gallery as their stations became disused or they became to difficult to maintain in their original location. Guided metro art tours also can be booked from here. They last approximately four hours and cost US$15. Expect to find yourself walking up and down a lot of platform steps though.

TEMPLES

The city is the home to the largest temple of Thiban in the country. The God Thiban is the God of the Sea and Skies and has two major temples, one in the Alpine town of Stoneton dedicated to his Sky duties and one in Portworth dedicated to his duties as God of the Sea. The Temple is one of the few buildings that was co-funded by the Lund and Hansen families in the 14th Century.

HISTORICAL LANDMARKS

Admiralty Square - The Old Admiralty was based in Portworth until it was moved to Ostlake in the 1930's. Admiralty Square was built to host large naval parades in the 18th Century and is today a popular tourist spot. Once a month it hosts a farmers market, a throwback to the days when the Mayor insisted the city help the surrounding farming community prosper.

The Star Fortress - Built in the 17th Century to guard the entrance to the Port area the Star Fortress today serves as nothing more than an administration centre for the Port Authority, part of the building is open to tourists from 10am - 4pm Mon-Fri.


DO

Recreation

The Portworth Marine Institute is home to the nations largest Aquatic Research centre and also the largest aquarium in the country. It houses a rescue centre for seals and other species. One of the main attractions is the Dolphin hospital that usually has a few guests over the summer when several of them wash up on the beaches.

The city also has many boat tours of both its canals and the coastline.

Tourists will find it easy to hire kayaks, sailing boats, surf boards and many other water sport related items.

Cultural Events

22nd February - Feast of Helus. This day celebrates the Kingdoms chief God. It is a time when families spend the day at Temple and feasting. Expect most shops and attractions to be shut. It is not uncommon for there to be big parties in the parks and on the beach which anyone is welcome to join as long as they bring an offering of food and drink.

19th March - 19th - Feast of Jekar - Feast held to honour the Warrior God. Services are held to remember soldiers who have died in defence of East Moreland. Often it is this day Sword Ceremonies are held. Parades are held in the city and Temples are often very busy. Expect to see lots of people in uniform and many Royal Naval vessels in the dock.

27th April Feast of Melanor - Festival held to honour the Goddess of Life. Families hold get togethers and trees are planted in local parks.

23rd May - Greenflowers Day . National holiday to celebrate Kind Robert I victory over his brother Niall at the Battle of Greenflowers. People dress in national colours and street parties are held. Usually a concert is held on the beach where attendances get to around 200,000 people.

29th June - Feast of Rolaf - Day to remember the dead, prayers are said for those who have died in the previous year, often people will save any ashes from deceased relatives and scatter them on this day. Expect all businesses to be closed, temples to be busy and hotels to be run using a skeleton staff. Most people will be wearing black this day. Expect to see people scattering ashes into the sea.

10th-17th July East Moreland Festival of Sail in Portworth. A week long open sea regatta which features a street party on the final day where the historic replica of the REMNS Royal Robert sails into town accompanied by fireworks.

29th July - Festival of Thiban -God of the Skies and Seas. The beach will be very crowded with people taking part in boating contests and kite flying. A parade of boats down the canals usually takes place at midday and goes on til around 6pm.

Sound and Vision

THEATRES

The city houses four main theatres, each specialising in a different style of performance.

The Royal Port Opera House- Situated next to the Marina areas the Royal Port Opera House is home to the cities Opera company and hosts several events each year. The theatre also has an open air performance area. The theatre itself can seat around 18,000 and is lavishly decorated.

The Lund Ballet Company - Another one of the families projects the Ballet Company was set up in 1803 and puts on four different Ballets each year. Their own theatre was built in 1931 and seats around 17,000 people.

The Hansen Orchestra Dome - Originally the Hansen Orchestra House the Dome replaced the House after a fire in 1999 destroyed the old building. Funded by the Hansen Foundation the venue aimed to be one of the worlds premier venues for Orchestral music. The venue seats 12,000 people.

King Sven House of Blues - A rather small but unique venue. King Sven (the current Kings Father) was a fan of Blues music and established a Big Blues Band in Portworth. The band has a Royal Charter and must put on at least 6 free shows each year. The venue is rather small at 4,500 seats but the demand for tickets sees shows sell out far in advance.

CINEMA

Like any modern city cinema's are spread thoughout the city run by major multi-national companies. One unique cinema does exist though. The Float In Cinema is an old decommissioned aircraft carrier moored at one of the harbours. The flight deck has been adapted to hold a giant cinema screen and vintage 1970's cars placed for customers to sit in. The mess deck serves drinks and snacks. The carrier also has 8 rooms that have been converted into mini cinema's holding 80 people which show vintage films or can be hired for private screenings.

SPORT

The city is home to a vast number of sailing and boating clubs. The city also hosts several surfing and windsurfing competitions throughout the year.

The Portworth Sharks RUFC play their home games at the 35,000 seat Marina Park stadium. The team play in the national Premier League and have won two championships in the last 10 years.

LEARN
The city is home to four Universities.

Coastal University - Founded in 2008 by a group of Social Studies Professors the University is based on a campus close to the dockyards. It currently has 1,600 students studying a range of Humanities subjects.

Portworth University - Built in 1871 the University is the cities oldest University still in existence. The University does not have a campus but is instead spread throughout the cities South East sector. The current roll is around 3,000 students.

Portworth Marine Institute - Built in 1900 the Institute was originally established to come up with new ideas and innovations for the Royal Navy. Today they specialise in the study of Marine Environments and Engineering. The Institute has its own research centre that is open to the public. Currently there are 4,000 students on the roll.

Portworth Academy of Science and Technology - Established in 1930 PAST has quickly become one of the nations most prestigious institutes. The University specialises in Marine Sciences and has close connections with the local Marine Engineering companies. Currently 3,900 students are on roll.

SHOPPING

An early morning visit to the Portworth Fish Market is essential. It is the largest fish market in East Moreland and many varied species of fish can be found there. Just opposite the market are a selection of restaurants boasting the "Freshest Fish in Mundus"

The city is also famed for its drift wood carvings which can be found in many beach side shacks. These shacks also do a roaring trade in surf equipment.

NIGHT LIFE

The time of the week you go out makes a big difference to the atmosphere. Sun-Thur expect a more laid back and quieter night out on the tiles. On weekends many tourists flock to the city and join visiting sailors for wild nights out. The city is always frequented by cruise ships.

On A Budget

For a bite to eat head down to the fish market area. The streets are full of people selling quality sea food at very affordable prices. The Fish Grill Bar serves a wide variety of continental sea food. For those not interested in sea food the Rampant HoneyBadger chain serve good quality food at low prices.

For drinks the Dock areas have many small independent bars that offer drinks at reasonable prices but are often chock full of sailors and therefore can be quiet rowdy at times.

Many locals choose to party the night away on the beach around some of the designated camp fire circles. Most of these are welcoming as long as you bring some drinks. Expect someone with a guitar to show up at some point. This is a great way to meet local people and enjoy a relaxing evening out.

Middle Budget
Again for food your hard pushed to find any places better than the restaurants by the fish market. As there are so many they are usually very reasonably priced because of the competition. The Jones Brothers BBQ Shack on Seafront Road also does a very good range of non-seafood dishes complete with a great sea view. One of the best known restaurants is Cummins House. This restaurant has no menu and the Chef buys all his ingedients that morning. He can often be seen writing the menu 30minutes before service. There is one sitting each night and for $US30 expect a good meal and two beers.

The more up market bars are found near Admiralty Square and include the famous King David III, the first bar named after the new King of East Moreland, it was actually given the name in 1981 just 48 hours after the future monarchs birth.

The best mid range nightclub is the Lund Lounge, based in one of the families old warehouses and operated by the 27 year old Maggie Lund it has earnt a reputation for hosting a wide range of live events ranging from Burlesque to live rock music. Check listings for whats on but expect to pay around US$10 for entrance on most nights.

Money to Burn

If your looking for where the rich folk hang out head to the Marina area, this is surrounded by Michelin Star restaurants, cocktail lounges and high class night spots.

For a bite to eat the Waterfront Table is rated as one of Portworth's best restaurants with celebrity chef Hannah Saulmann operating the pass. The restaurant also hosts a chef's table in the kitchen where customers can see their food being cooked and pick up cooking tips from the experts. The restaurant also has the largest wine cellar of any restaurant in East Moreland bragging around 8,500 bottles of wine. The restaurant boasts stunning views across the coast.

For a drink you have to try the Sky Sail. The bar is situated right on the beach and serves cocktails and wine to Portworth's most wealthy citizens. The bar often has live music and a "campfire" around which the tables are arranged. It is open til 3am every night, it does have a strict dress code however.

Many of the wealthier citizens of Portworth dance the night away at the Families Bar, a late night drinking and dancing den with an outside dance floor looking across the bay.

STAY SAFE

Portworth is generally a friendly and safe city. Occassionally over indulgent visiting sailors have been known to be a bit rowdy but the local police are well prepared and backed up by the Royal Naval Police Force. Beyond the usual precautions taken by tourists there is not much to be concerned about.

Occasionally strong winds and tides effect the beach so tourists should be aware of the warning flags displayed by lifeguards.

There have been an increased threat of terrorist attack by Borlanders who in recent months have been increasingly violent. The capital though is considered safe but expect to see armed police patrolling the streets. The Police are very approachable.

You will see large numbers of people in military uniform. This is not something to be alarmed by. East Moreland has a long military tradition and everyone serves some kind of national service. People are very proud of their military and its traditions. It is recommended to avoid saying anything even vaguely supporting of Borland Seperatism.


Edited by Ironside, Jul 14 2014, 08:59 PM.
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