Evora, Portugal

Our group of 16, left Lisbon on a two hour bus trip to Evora, Portugal, a UNESCO heritage city which has ancient city walls, the remnants of a Roman temple, the bone chapel and a couple of Pousadas. Pousadas are old buildings, often convents, which were emptied in 1834 when the Portuguese king outlawed all religious orders. Our Pousada was a beautiful renovation of one of those abandoned convents. A local guide, Sylvia gave us an detailed tour of parts of the city including the 16th century aqueduct, built when the city was the capital of Portugal, city streets and the evolution of styles, and the remains of the Roman temple built on the 1st century AD to honor the emperor. Anna and I walked the old city wall after being sent to the wrong Pousada by a well-meaning local. We enjoyed hamburgers and wine at a tiny little eatery as we worked our way through the city to the correct Pousada. The next morning we toured the famous Bone Chapel, lined with the bones of some 500 monks. The chapel has an inscription over the entrance in Portuguese which says: "These bones are here waiting for your bones."Read more