Portugal 2 - Going east and then north to Porto
Refreshed and ready for the stress of driving again we returned to Lisbon and hit the road in our little Fiat.
Our first stop was the medieval town of Evora, founded by the Romans. The Roman Temple was built in the 2nd or 3rd century.
The Evora Cathedral - construction started in 1280 and it opened in 1746.
Praca do Giraldo - Central Square - the committee meeting.
Church of our lady of Grace.
The Capela dos Ossos (Bone Chapel) is built from the bones of approximately 5,000 bodies exhumed from the city’s graveyards. The chapel is found in this church.
Evora University.
Some street shots.
A light fixture in our hotel.
After spending two nights in Evora and enjoying a night out (lamb chops are cheap in Portugal) we headed west passing through Elvas, stopping off to photograph the impressive Amoreira Aqueduct, finished in 1620, before going north to Marvao where we spent a couple of nights.
Marvao is a medieval walled village founded in the 9th century, set on an escarpment with excellent views of the surrounding country. Marvao is home to an old castle, in our case found rising out of the early morning mist.
The walls of our apartment were thick!
We set off for the town of Guarda in plenty of time to ensure we could watch the Rugby world cup final between Aus and NZ that evening. Much to my dismay Jen discovered 1 ½ hours out that she had left her Ipad in the bedroom and so we had to return and subsequently I managed to watch only the last ten minutes of the game.......!
The following morning we set off for the northern town of Porto, travelling through the Duoro Valley wine country.
A Portuguese saying goes: "Lisbon shows off, Braga prays, Coimbra studies and Porto works". Porto lies on the delta of the Douro River and is a thriving centre of the port wine industry.
The classic Rabelo boats (flat-bottomed cargo vessels containing barrels of port) lined up along the quay.
The Livraria Lello bookshop, which apparently inspired the bookshop in the Harry Potter series.
The station is interesting.
Some of the tile work in the station.
The double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
Some street scenes.
