Designated a "protected zone" by the Portuguese government, the Penha Longa Monastery restoration effort began before the word “austerity” gained prominence in the political and public arenas, and the preservation success can be attributed to the monastery’s commercial viability, owner’s dreams, and local historian and Penha Longa expert, Dr. Denise Pereira.
“Are you crazy?!?” Immediately followed by "Why?!?" were usually the first responses I received, after telling people I had toured Chernobyl and Pripyat during my May 2013 trip to the Ukraine.