After we left Nazaré we visited Évora in the southern province of Alentejo. It has been an important regional capital for 2000 years, with remains of civilizations going back thousands of years. We stayed in an Airbnb that was built in the 1400s (not that it was listed on Airbnb back then:-)) and followed the Roman aqueduct into the core of downtown for our exploration. We stopped at a fun, small walled city called Óbidos on the way to Évora and visited some ancient ruins when we left.
Óbidos
Óbidos is a charming, walled city that dates back to the 700s when the Moors established a fort on the hilltop. It has a somewhat terrifying, narrow wall walk as there are no guardrails on one side. In some places the wall can be 50ft+ high! It is a touristy place, but wandering the back alleyways we got away from the crowds and enjoyed some really picturesque spots. A local specialty is a cherry liquor called Ginja. For €1.50 you can get a shot in a dark chocolate cup. We both tried it and agree it was tasty.
Évora
University of Évora
The University of Évora was reinstated about 40 years ago, but dates back hundreds of years. The school has dozens of classrooms each with beautiful, handmade azulejos tiles with pictures that correspond to the subject matter taught in each room. The lower right photo is in the science room and has tiles showing the discovery of the strength of a vacuum. The two teams of horses are trying to pull apart two metal halves of a sphere that has a vacuum inside. (We saw the actual sphere in Coimbra.) The day we were there, we were the only people visiting, and it was interesting to explore the classrooms, library, hallways, and see the tilework. Notice the pulpit where Diane is standing, it was once where the professor stood and taught.
Wine Tasting
The climate in the area is excellent for wine, and conveniently Ervideira Winery has a tasting room in the old town. We enjoyed tasting several of their wines including the one with the footprint label that was stomped by foot. Behind Dave are bottles of wine that are up to 100 years old. We did not get to taste any of those.
Cork
This is also the region where cork trees grow, and Portugal is the largest cork producer in the world. On the left is a picture of a cork tree that was harvested in 2024, designated by the”4″ marked on the tree. The trees are harvested every 9 years, so this is how they know the next time they can harvest the tree. Unfortunately, we did not see any cork harvesting.
Nativities
The Cathedral of San Francisco in Évora has an exhibit of nativity scenes. The collection was assembled over many years by Major-General Fernando Canha da Silva and his wife Fernanda, and has over 2600 nativity scenes. Below are some of the more unusual materials (from left to right): fish scales, matchbox, foil, and shells. We found the exhibit interesting to explore.
Chapple of Bones
The message above the door translates: “We bones in here wait for yours to join us.” They were unearthed from various Évora churchyards in the 1600s. This was the work of three monks who thought this chapel would provide Évora, a wealthy town in the early 1600s, with a helpful place to meditate on the transience of material things in the undeniable presence of death. It definitely evokes thoughts about our short journey on earth.
Wandering Around
Évora was a delightful town to explore with its ruins and historic architecture with Moorish influence.
Megalithic Sites
As we left Évora we stopped at a few archeological sites that date from 5500 to 3000 BC. The Cromeleque dos Almendres (left picture) is a Portuguese Stonehenge, dating from about 5500 BC. The Anta Grande do Zambujeiro burial tomb (right picture) is one of the tallest of its kind and dates to 4000-3000 BC.
The Journey Continues
We really enjoyed Évora, but if we had to pick one college town to visit we would choose Coimbra, it has a bit more energy. From here we hopped onto the Via Rápida with our rental car and drove south to begin our one month stay on the Algarve (Southern Coast). We needed a bit of R&R from our busy tour of Portugal.
Below is one of our favorite signs at the entrance to the Via Rápida.
What does that sign even mean? Is it trying to say watch out for tractors, and pedestrians, cyclists. cows and carts are not allowed? Then what’s that arrow for???
The sign is pointing to the entrance to the Via Rápida (interstate highway) and means no tractors, pedestrians, cyclists, cows or carts allowed. We got a kick out of this sign since in the Azores we were held up by a heard of cows a few times. In fact, we have been caught up by everything on those signs at some point, and are grateful they aren’t allowed on Via Rápida.