Sightseeing around Evora, a walled city.
We start with the chapel of the bones.
It is constructed from the bones that were exhumed when rebuilding the castle.
They are arranged in pretty patterns.
There are two mummies on display, but they don't know much about them.
The ceilings are beautifully painted.
This poem is on the way in, talking about how the bones wait for you to join them.
The museum was hosting a display of various nativity scenes, and this was a teaser for the exhibition.
The Evora Church of San Francisco.
The main altar.
Some more decorations in the church.
Walking around the main square.
Looking back at the Church of San Francisco.
The Rua Nova ("New" Street) has shops, and dates to the early 1500's.
Some ancient Roman ruins in Evora.
The columns were filled in to make a marketplace, which is why they survived the big earthquake,
but were later restored to look more like the original ruins.
Back down the street with all of the kitsch.
A lot of things made from cork: bowls, shoes, hats, purses, etc.
On to the Fitapreta Winery for our next day-drinking adventure.
They bought and restored the manor house on the right, and added the winery on the left.
Grapes, grapes, and more grapes.
There was a bicycle tour that arrived about the same time we did.
They were erecting a stage on the left for an event...
...and on the right, more of the vineyards.
They took us into the central courtyard...
...where we found our table preset for another indulgent lunch.
As on the rest of our tour, the weather was perfect for such an event.
Meat and spinach pies in the back left, and goat cheese.
We had salad, and this amazing fresh tomato soup.
Clockwise from the top: codfish and chickpea salad (excellent), marinated pork, a tortilla (fritatta).
Salad and bread, of course.
A trio of desserts: chocolate mousse, sweet rice pudding, and melon.
Picture perfect.
On we go to look at all of their winery equipment.
It's a little different, because the house is old, but the winery is new.
Some pictures they showed from the renovation work.
A chapel that is also wine storage.
That afternoon, we went to an olive farm for an olive oil tasting.
The current owner's grandfather planted these fifty years ago, spread out so they don't need
irrigation.
This 2,000-year-old olive tree is next to chicken coop (now coverted to a house).
We all go in and sit around this table.
The logo for the "Love is Blind" brand is based off of this doll.
He explains that the tasting is done in these blue cups so you don't judge by color, only smell and taste.
You warm the olive oil in your hands, swirl it around, and smell the fragrance.
The only disappointment is that we only sampled his one product, nothing to compare it against.
It was our tour guide Luciano's birthday, so later that day, we got a cake for him and sang
"Happy Birthday" and "Forever Young".
