Corker of a day

We started the day with a visit to the city of Elvas, home to a large Bastion Fort, or Star Fort, so named because of it's shape.

It also has the Amoreira Aqueduct which is 6 kilometres long and still supplies the city with pure water. Construction was completed in 1622.

We then made a quick visit to Spain , see separate post.

We have been seeing many cork trees on the roadsides, and this afternoon had the opportunity to visit a working cork factory. The trees are harvested every 9 years, with the best cork not produced until the tree is around 40 years old. The cork grows on the outside of the bark, so removing it doesn't harm the tree.

We finished the day at Evora, whose roots go back to the Roman Empire. The Historic Center of Évora, made up of narrow alleyways, courtyards and squares, is UNESCO Heritage listed, and circled by over 3km of medieval walls.Read more