Evora
Yet another well preserved and beautiful medieval town, Evora has its roots back in Roman times, which means it has multiple layers of history to explore!
One of the most impressive ruins is that of the Roman Temple of Evora, which one stumbles across almost by accident if heading for the main square. Popularly known as the Temple of Diana, it was wrongly attributed to the goddess in the 17th century, a myth apparently perpetuated by a priest. It was in fact devoted to the emperor Augustus, and built in the 1st century AD. Used in the 15th century as a medieval slaughter house, it is now a UNESCO world heritage site, and is just one of the awesome things to check out in this town.
A second must see, is the ossuary (also known as a charnel house) Capela dos Ossos. Not for the squeamish, this chapel contains the remains of about 5,000 people. In the 16th century, a common problem was the lack of space for burying the dead, leading to mass relocation and often transforming the remains into macabre art.
Three Franciscan monks - who were also later incorporated into the mountain of bones - followed this trend to solve the city's problems, and thus this ossuary was born. Although it may seem strange to us now, people would often request to be buried in these places, as this would increase their remembrance (and thus hopefully the number of prayers for them, speeding them through purgatory). The idea of being dug up and reburied in bits also may seem rather abhorrent to us, but it may not have bothered the medieval psyche so much, as it was believed the soul had left the body, and that disarticulation was inconsequential, as on Judgement day God could reunite the body, no matter how scattered it was. In which case, why not make art with human remains, I suppose?
How public these charnel houses were is unclear, and probably differs from place to place. However in many of these places, some of the bones have become shiny, as they wear from continuous touch. This at least seems to suggest some reverence or ritual attached to visiting/touching the bones, not unlike saint's relics. It only costs 2 euro to enter (3 if you want to take photos) so is well worth it in my opinion.
Onto more cheerful surroundings, the huge and beautiful cathedral of Evora is awesome to visit, and its really worth paying to see the cloisters, as they were my favorite part. Built the 13th century (though continually added to until the 18th) this is Portugal's largest cathedral!
Sneak a peak at Evora's Roman Baths, hidden in the Town Hall! It's not really signposted, but well worth a quick look.
Cuba
Leaving Evora behind, we headed here on the recommendation of Lonely Planet, simply for lunch. I have to include it however, because it's one of the best meals we had in Portugal! Taberna do Arrufa. Go there. We had red wine from the amphorae sitting right there in the room, which has been made like that for hundreds of years. Talk about tradition! We had cheeses, a sausage on fire at our table (which we were all too terrified to do anything with until the flames had died), octopus from the oven, the best sweet potato fries of my life, and then chocolate mousse for dessert! The waitress was so obliging that when I couldn't decide on caramel or strawberry chocolate mousse, she brought me half of each. I can't recommend this place enough (and I was so busy eating, of course I forgot to take photos).
Serpa
We only made a brief stop in this town, but it has some crazy old walls (which seem somewhat dangerously balanced in places) and is lovely for a short wander.
Sao Domingos Mine
This abandoned mine was deserted, and felt like something from a wild western. It has a surprisingly long history, having been mined by the Romans. It wasn't closed until 1966, and the smell of sulphur hung in the air as we wandered under the hot summer sun. Luckily its not a long walk (unless you really want to explore everywhere) and you can park pretty close by. Still, water is definitely needed!
Mertola
We stopped on the other side of the river from the town of Mertola for a spot of lunch. Casa Amarela was a lovely location with good views (though it was so hot we sat inside with the air conditioning) and dined on cheeses and meats, a house red, and an insanely good jam chutney that tasted like Christmas, and was somehow perfect with sheep cheese. The food here is simple but delicious, and the red wine so good that we asked to buy a bottle!
Feeling refreshed we decided to explore Mertola, though it was a struggle in the heat of the day, hitting 38 degrees. We enjoyed a wander of the ruins of the Almohad neighborhood from when the city was under Moorish control, and got to peek beneath the ground at roman ruins too!
Praia da Marinha
Hitting the coast, the views from the cliffs are stunning from here. Though for swimming, praia do camilo is better suited.
Cape St. Vincent
This cape is the southwesternmost point of Europe, and would have been the last piece of Portugal sailors would have seen before they sailed into the blue unknown.
Its busier than you would expect, but has beautiful views and dramatic cliffs (Don't fall in, there's no barrier!)
Praia de Galapinhos
This was probably my favourite beach that we went to, though we got a little lost in the scrub on the way down!
Sintra
Sintra itself is a pleasant town to wander, but we went there for the park and national palace of Pena, a whimsical and beautiful palace set in stunning grounds, featuring caves, fountains, forests and waterfalls. It feels like a micro-climate too, because as soon as we entered, the mist dropped in and a very light rain started, providing plenty of atmosphere.
It's all thanks to King Ferdinand II, who had the palace constructed in the 19th century. Clearly someone read too many fantasy books.
Apparently it is actually still used on occasion for state matters by the president, which must be pretty damn cool. Pictures really don't do this place justice, the call of birds, the tendrils of mist hanging through the forest, the paths leading in all directions meaning you feel you can get lost in this strange and beautiful place... It's well worth spending half a day exploring. But go early in the morning, to try and beat the crowds!
We finished off our time in Sintra by popping into Casa Piriquita, to try the local specialty called travesserios (pillows in Portuguese) a pillowlike (hence the name, one supposes) puff pastry filled with almond cream. It sounds simple, but boy is it tasty! Open since 1862, this is the place to try this dessert. Apparently the granddaughter of the owner stumbled upon the old family recipe book and found the recipe within, bringing it to the fame it now holds today (and the recipe remains top secret!).
Convento dos Capuchos
Although it costs 7 euro to enter this monastery, and it's somewhat off the beaten track, its worth going. It's not popular with tourists, which meant we had the place to ourselves.Founded in 1560, it housed only eight monks, and must have been freezing in winter, though apparently it was lined with cork to try and insulate it from the cold. The entrance to the monastery is dramatic in itself, with two giant boulders resting against each other, and you walk beneath them.
It's a stark difference from the building itself, which is dark, cramped and claustrophobic. Segregated away from the outside world, this must have been a hard, harsh life. The monk's cells were tiny, the doorways only reaching to my shoulder, and to enter one had to go in sideways (that's one way to keep the monks from eating too much, I suppose). I felt so out of place in these tiny rooms, it was like something from Alice in Wonderland, where I had grown too large for my surroundings!
Interestingly there seemed to be some on-going archaeological undertakings underway, and some areas were cordoned off. I wonder what the current research is?
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