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Current Evora Weather
With the completion of the new Vasco de Gama bridge plus the new motorway A 6, Évora and the surrounding area of the Alentejo are a very fast and simple drive. So if you have a little time to spare then you definitely take a drive over and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Beautiful Alentejo landscape
W
e left Monchique headed for Évora. We had spent a few hours in Évora on the last trip, but were so impressed, that we decided to return.
Let's Visit the picturese town of Monchique
W
e drove south toward Portimão. Then we turned east on Highway 125 and eventually picked up IP1 heading north toward Lisbon.
About forty-two miles later near Ourique, we turned right onto IP2 heading toward Beja and Évora. It was a very good highway except for the last ten miles before Évora: that section of the road was still under construction.
Alentejo Landscape
É
vora is the capital of the province of Alentejo a "museum town" and a work of art all rolled into one. It rises out of the flat Alentejo landscape and remains tightly enclosed in its nearly unbroken girdle of fourteen-century walls.W
e had chosen to stay in the Pousada dos Lóios that is one of the best of the state owned Pousadas. It was built in the converted and restored Convento dos Lóios and most of the rooms are in old monks' cells with period furnishing. It has an open-air pool and an excellent restaurant.W
e checked into the Pousada and had lunch in the restaurant. We walked out of the Pousada and right in front of us was the Temple of Diana. This temple was built by the Romans in the 2nd or 3rd century and is one of the best-preserved temples on the Iberian Peninsula. We then walked over to see the Cathedral.
Pousada and Temple Diana
W
hen we exited the Cathedral, we then decided to visit the "Chapel of the Bones". Friends in Lisbon had said that when we were in Évora, we should definitely see this. Not knowing the direction, I asked a woman in my poor Portuguese for directions. The best that I could translate was that she wasn't from Évora and didn't know. However what happened next made my day. An old man sitting on a nearby bench understood my Portuguese and gave us directions. I even understood his directions.T
he Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) is worth seeing. The walls of this macabre room are lined with bones and skulls laid out in intricate and sometimes ingenious patterns. The intention was to induce contemplation and instill a proper sense of morality in the spirit of any Jesuit monk. There is a legend on the door that says "Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos" - which roughly translated means Our bones are here we await yours.
Capela dos Ossos
Leaving the Chapel we walked back to the Town Square to rest and have a coke. We then proceeded back to the Pousada for the evening.
When we got to Évora, I parked the car and we decided to spend a few hours shopping. My wife found a gift shop and was entering into negotiations with the owner over some items. Having been through these negotiating sessions before I decided to go next store for a coke. I wasn't worried about my wife. I was more concerned about the owner. When I came back, the owner said to me "She is a Commercial". Anyway, she had purchased the items and they were both happy. We liked Évora and would return.
We have returned to Évora a number of times and also have returned to the shop Filipe dos Santos Lda on the Praca de Giraldo to pay a visit to Luis and purchase another gift. If you get a chance drop by and say hello for us and at least look over his merchandise. This is an example of one of the pieces that we purchased at his establishment.
Walls leaving Évora
I
n the morning, we were on the road again -- headed for Sintra. When I got to Montemor-o-Novo, I went north on highway 114 to see if the new highway IP7 was open. It was and it was clear sailing all the way to the bridge and on to Sintra. This new highway, which is a super highway, puts Évora in the hour or more time range from Lisbon.
B
eja seemed like an interesting town, so on our last trip; we decided to spend some time there. This trip we left Sagres and decided to spend a night in Beja before continuing on to Évora and eventually Sintra. It was beautiful as we drove through the vast plains of the Alentejo dotted here and there with olive and oak trees. This area, the Planicies, is Portugal's heartland. It is vast open plains filled with golden Alentejo wheat fields and as you travel further south olive and oak trees.W
e arrived in Beja, the ancient and legendary Pax-Julia of the Romans. This mystical Paca of the Visigoths still retains vestiges of its 2000 years of history. It has churches and monasteries, the beautiful and imposing castle, museums and manor houses. It is a startling white city full of history and legends.W
e had decided to stay at the Pousada de São Francisco. This Pousada was a Monastery originally built in 1268. It has been recently restored into a beautiful and comfortable Pousada with 34 rooms. Looking out of the window in our room at the patio and pool below, we were astonished to see peacocks and brightly colored roosters peacefully strolling around the patio.
S
ince Beja isn't too big a town, I decided to leave the car parked in the Pousada parking lot and we strolled around the town to enjoy its beauty. We had a wonderful late lunch in a restaurant that was fairly close to the Pousada called Restaurante O Aficionado. The waiter didn't understand English but in my poor Portuguese - which I now consider is getting brilliant - I managed to get the order straight. My wife is still mystified as to how I managed to do it.
Street in Beja
J
ust before sunset, we returned to the Pousada. Michael, one of the Pousada staff, took us up to the bell tower in the Pousada. The tower gave us a beautify view of the town and with the sun setting it made the view even more enjoyable.You may also obtain information from Manor Houses of Portugal by completing the form on any page of their site.
Roman Temple in Évora
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Creation Date: 04 Dec 1995
Last Updated: 14 Feb 2005
Copyright © 1995-2005 Thomas J. Sullivan MA
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