Retirement Plan - Part 2

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Retirement Plan - Part 2 Traveler
Arrival in southern Spain
November 14, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
We have now completed our journey south, through France and Spain, and have arrived in the Costa del Sol. What better way to start our time here than meeting up with good friends Nigel and Tracey, who have been enjoying living here for the last nine months.

They live in the foothills of the Axarquīa region, an area of deep valleys, lined with carved out terracing that dates back to Islamic times, as does most of the olive, almond and vines planted here. Reaching their villa meant a winding climb up the steep and narrow roads and then a short drive down an unmade track to their short, steep dirt drive down to the villa. Getting down was no problem.

We had a week of great company and delicious meals and they were excellent tour guides showing us the best places including local markets and beach restaurants in Torre del Mar where we enjoyed a few hours sipping wine whilst listening to a fantastic Queen tribute band.

On our walks through the valley, we always took large shopping bags with us to make the most of collecting wood for the evening fire, as whilst it was lovely and hot during the daytime, it got chilly once the sun went down and, with no central heating, the fire kept us toasty. The valley was also home to a large flock of sheep and herd of goats, that were shepherded up and down the hills by the shepherd and his four dogs. The sound of the bells around their necks announced their arrival from afar. Local man, Manolo, made good use of his mule loading it up with four large sacks to transport elsewhere. He's way ahead of us in terms of environmental awareness and efficiency!

Now getting up and then down to their place worked out fine but getting out was not as straight forward. With his foot hard on the peddle, Chris managed to get the motorhome up the drive and almost through the steel gates before the wheels started spinning and forward progress of stopped. After 20 minutes of inching the motorhome up and forward, the wheels kept on spinning and it was thanks to a local neighbours father, who turned up in his large and powerful 4-wheel drive with tow rope, that we cleared the ever-closer gates! Refusing any financial reward for his efforts, he watched to make sure we got back onto tarmac before driving off with a cheery wave. What lovely people.Read more
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Stupa Karma Guen
November 17, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
With panoramic views from Nigel and Tracey's terrace, we could see an unusual building at the top of the mountain opposite, so we jumped on the bike to explore.

After a few wrong turns, followed by some pretty steep and bumpy roads and tracks, we eventually arrived at the 13m high Karma Guen Stupa, one of only five Kalachakra stupas in the world and the first one built in the west. A Kalachakra stupa is a symbol of universal peace and unity amongst different peoples. They are said to possess great spiritual power and bring about compassion, love and happiness, social, spiritual and physical well-being, regardless of nationality or religious beliefs.

The location was just beautiful, overlooking the surrounding mountains all the way to the coast where the sea glistened in the sun and we were lucky enough to have to all to ourselves.

It reminded me of my time in Kathmandu and the wonderful stupa I visited there. Although this one was smaller, it was just as special as we followed the instructions and both walked clockwise around it, silently sending out our thoughts and good wishes.Read more
TravelerThis is also fascinating. You are really finding some different sites off the tourist route. xx
12/10/17Reply
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It's snowing!
December 1, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
Currently in a campsite on the south coast where it has been raining for two days. Woke up this morning to clear blue skies and sunshine. However, when we looked up at the mountains behind, which had been hidden by clouds for 48hrs, they were dusted in snow!Read more
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Early December dip
December 3, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
The snow has all disappeared so Chris went for a dip!
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The Alcazaba of Almeria
December 5, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Located on a hill overlooking the town and bay of Almeria, this impressive fortress, founded in the mid-10th century, was once one of the most powerful Moorish fortresses in Spain.

The Alcazabar is divided into three main areas, each reflecting the changes of different rulership. The lowest area, now landscaped gardens, was once residential with houses, streets and wells. In the upper area was the Muslim ruler's palace and a chapel, that was originally a mosque. Right at the top is a citadel added by the Catholic monarchs.

The site is still being excavated but what has been discovered has been carefully and tastefully restored. Two houses have been built on Islamic remains and items displayed which give visitors a real insight to the daily life of its inhabitants.

In modern times the Alcazabar has become popular with film-makers looking for authentic venues to produce Hollywood classics such as Lawrence of Arabia, Conan the Barbarian, Anthony and Cleopatra, Indiana Jones and, more recently, Game of Thrones.

We were amazed that there was no entrance fee to this fantastic site with so much history on display and modern tv screens bringing the past to life. Well worth a visit.Read more
TravelerThis looks absolutely fascinating, I would love to see it too. It is so good but you never hear about it and it certainly wasn’t packed with people! At last managed to get into the actual site! xx
12/10/17Reply
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Christmas lunch in Spain
December 25, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Spent a lovely Christmas Day in sunny Spain with friends Nigel and Tracey, and Tracey's brother Marcus and his partner Claire. We all enjoyed a fantastic traditional lunch of turkey and all the trimmings.Read more
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Visiting Auntie Janet and Uncle Bob
December 30, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Spent a couple of days visiting family in Riviera del Sol, Mijas Costa, between Fuengirola and Marbella. Toured Pueblo Mijas, famous for its donkey taxis, sat and drank sangria by the beach and enjoyed eating out. Thanks for a lovely couple of days.Read more
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Alhambra Palace - more photos
January 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
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Alhambra Palace, Granada
January 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
When Seville and Cordoba fell to the Catholics, five centuries ago, Granada was at its peak and Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr established an independent state there. It is renowned in history as the last stronghold of the Moors in Western Europe and as home to the stunning Alhambra Palace.

Since it's creation in 889AD, the Alhambra has seen many changes from Muslim palace to a fortress to ruins to UNESCO World Heritage-listed. It sits on a rocky hill overlooking the city of Granada with the high, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains behind. At the height of summer over 6000 visitors arrive each day and entrance tickets need to be booked months in advance. A sunny day in January was just perfect for our visit and the reception at our campsite were able to arrange entrance tickets with only 24hrs notice.

The many changes that have taken place over the centuries have all left their own distinct marks on what we see today, with Moorish architecture and a mosque being added onto and replaced with a Christian church and a Renaissance palace.

Our time was spent walking around in amazement at the beauty of it all. At its peak it must have been stunningly beautiful but even today, though it has been heavily but respectfully restored, we were able to imagine how colourful it would have been with glazed tiles on the lower walls and intricate designs in the stucco work above where you could still see remnants of cobalt blue, green and deep red. The honey-comb vaulted ceilings were so intricate, one embellished with 5000 tiny moulded stalactites which still had traces of blue paint on them. Interior pools, fountains, baths and gardens offered shade and places to relax for the inhabitants of the day.

In complete contrast is the Palacio de Carlos V next door. His arrival in Granada in 1526 saw the start of an imperial programme of changes in urban planning and building to represent the new Classicism style. The palace was added in 1527 and the ground floor houses the very interesting Alhambra museum with artefacts directly related to the palaces history.

We ended our visit in the gardens and climbed the towers for magnificent views of the city below. In the opposite direction the sun on the snow-capped mountains behind looked so inviting....time for a ski trip!Read more
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Skiing in the Sierra Nevada
January 27, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C
From our campsite, where we visited Granada and the Alhambra, we were only 50 minutes from the Sierra Nevada ski resort of Pradollano. With excellent ski reports, we left the motorhome in the campsite, jumped on a bus and checked into the GHM Monachil Hotel for 4-nights accommodation and 3-days skiing.

Having not skied for about 6 years, we lucked in on absolutely perfect conditions for our little holiday and therefore managed to find our ski legs again very quickly.

Whilst the resort is compact by alpine standards, it has 117 beautifully groomed 'pistas', serviced by well placed modern lifts and tops out at 3300m offering outstanding views of the countryside below.

Our three days was just right for the resort and we're already looking forward to a return trip.Read more
TravelerLooks fantastic, cheers Mel and Jane
1/30/18Reply
TravelerLooking good in the snow and sun xx
3/12/18Reply
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February in Florida
February 7, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
A rendezvous with sailing friends Katherine and Craig was long overdue so we left the motorhome and bike in storage in Malaga and jumped on a high-speed train to Madrid to catch our flight to Florida.

We had a great trip that included plenty of culture with a trip to the theatre and a music lecture at Florida University where we learnt about the lives of George Harrison and Van Morrison. We got close to nature with a visit to the Gumbo Limbo turtle sanctuary and Wachodahatchee bird sanctuary to see the storks with their chicks, herons and an alligator! And it was back on the water with a couple of days aboard their boat Sangaris where Chris helped Craig with some maintenance while Katherine and I played boules with friends. We also joined K and C twice a week to race remote control sailing boats, which we had done on previous visits (well, Chris raced and I helped at the start and finish). We also visited an RV show which gave us plenty of ideas for a trip across the USA in an RV

Our time was filled with plenty of laughter as well as good food and wine, just like our times together in the Mediterranean.

Thank you for a wonderful tripRead more
TravelerSounds beautiful to catch up with Craig and Katherine, such lovely people. A trip touring America would be great, I smell plans afoot xx
3/12/18Reply
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At last!
February 22, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
When sailing pals, Steve and Tracy, sold their catamaran "At Last", they bought a home overlooking the water in Flagler Beach, Florida. Having not seen them for a number of years, it was great to spend some time together reminiscing about our time in the Mediterranean, touring their neighbourhood on the back of a golf buggy and visiting historic St. Augustine where we had cocktails in a converted ice-maki good building. Looking forward to seeing them again before too long.Read more
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Sunset Harbour, Miami with Anna
March 2, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
When we crossed the Atlantic, the very first cruisers we met in Barbados were Anna and Daniel aboard Noomi.

We would get together when we met up in various islands and then both boats set off in opposite directions. When Anna wrote at Christmas telling us they were in Florida, little did she know that a rendezvous was shortly to take place.

Unfortunately, Daniel had to work but we had a delicious lunch aboard Noomi with Anna chatting about what we had been up to. They were anchored right in downtown south beach, with the skyscrapers of Miami in the background. So very different from the last time we were together in Martinique.Read more
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Henry Flagler Museum, West Palm Beach
March 7, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Whitehall was the winter home of Henry Flagler, a founding partner of Standard Oil Company, the most profitable corporation in history. He was the earliest and most important developer of Florida including building a railway to linking the entire east coast.

Built in 1902 as a wedding present to his wife, Whitehall has more than 75 rooms and was designed in the Beaux-arts style of architecture as well as incorporating many technological advances such as indoor plumbing, central heating and electrical lighting. Henry Flagler and his wife welcomed many guests who would stay for the 3-month winter season in total luxury.

The museum gives the visitor a complete overview of how Florida was developed from flat everglades to the famous metropolis and tourist destination that it is today and is a must see for everyone visiting.Read more
TravelerIt looks very regal. Three months visit for the winter, sounds good to me! Looking forward to seeing you xx
3/12/18Reply
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Back in Spain visiting Seville
March 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
We're back on the road again, currently visiting Seville, on our way back to the UK.

The city really came into its own when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 and Seville was awarded an official monopoly on Spanish trade with the new-found continent. Columbus' impact was so great the his remains lie beautifully entombed in the cathedral.

With only an afternoon and a day to explore, we had to be selective, as this is a city that can easily fill much more time. Leaving the motorhome at a marina parking site close by, we jumped on a bus and arrived right in the city 20 minutes later. Taking care to keep a sharp lookout for trams, horse-drawn carriages and cyclists, we wandered around taking in the sites and deciding what to see the next day. The city is very tourist friendly with lots of signposts, information centres, hotels, bars and restaurants. It is also a place to spend time outdoors with parks, walking paths along the river and boat trips on it.

Next day, we started our exploring at the cathedral, one of the largest Christian churches in the world. It stands on the site of a 12th century mosque, with the minaret (the Giralda) still towering beside it. Gothic in style, it took almost 100 years to build and today houses some of Spain's most important paintings outside of the art museums in Madrid. An audio guide talked us through our 2 1/2 hour visit and even though it is probably Seville's most popular attraction, there was plenty of space for everyone to enjoy it. We climbed to the top of the minaret for great vistas of the city and then descended to end our visit in the orange tree gardens where the aroma of the oranges filled the air.

From there we headed over to the bullring, one of Spain's oldest and most original, and the centre of bull-fighting. Again we had an audio tour but this time we had a guide too, whose only job seemed to be to tell us which number to press on the guide and to keep us moving along. In the museum we learned that it was King Fernando's troops who started bullfighting, as it was used as a way of training. It then became popular with matadors replacing the troops. The area where the matadors and bulls waited before finally entering the ring included an ornate chapel where prayers and confessions could be made. The bullring itself could hold 12,000 spectators, all anticipating the dual between man and beast. We would have liked to have done the tour at our own pace but the guide had other ideas and we, like others on our tour, felt a little disappointed.

Our final stop of the day was the magnificent Plaza de Espana, located in the Maria Luisa park and built in 1928 for the Spanish-American world fair of 1929. Ornate bridges and alcoves decorated with brightly coloured ceramics depicting all the regions of Spain, together with a fountain and water-feature, and very grand buildings which today house government offices made for an impressive vista.

There is still so much more to see in Seville that another trip will have to be made and we are already looking forward to it.Read more
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Portsmouth, United Kingdom
March 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Just prior to leaving Spain, we spent a couple of days in a great campsite, just west of Bilbao, with great views of the beautiful snow-capped Picos de Europa mountains and surrounded by lush green rolling countryside. By the time we left Bilbao aboard Brittany Ferries along with, what seemed like, hundreds of other motorhomes and caravans all heading back to the UK, the weather had changed for the worst and our last night was spent to the sound of hailstones and rain.

After a smooth crossing of the Bay of Biscay, we arrived in Portsmouth to smooth seas and a beautiful sunny day. Let's hope it lasts!Read more
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Best laid plans.......
October 17, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
It was time to get travelling again and so we arrived at Portsmouth, excited to catch our overnight ferry to Bilbao, Spain. Lots of other travellers were doing the same and the car park was full of motorhomes, caravans, cars and lorries all lined up ready to board. Then, at the last minute, the ferry developed a technical issue and was cancelled! We had two options; wait 4 days for the next ferry to Bilbao or get a ferry that night to Caen, France. We opted to go that night.

We arrived in Caen early and decided to get as far south as we could. Close to Bordeaux we headed for an Aire that seemed to fit the bill. (An Aire is a parking place where you can usually stay overnight and has facilities for water emptying & refilling/toilet emptying/electric sometimes. They are usually free or have a small charge. France has lots and they are pretty good). When we left the major roads, the sat nav started to take us along some narrow, country roads, then the road was closed for roadworks so we tried another way in. Again narrow roads and roadworks. It was time to stop and have a rethink. We were tired by now.

'Are you sure you've got the sat nav set up for the motorhome and not a car', asked Chris, 'I'm surprised it's taking us down these narrow roads' . 'I've not changed any of the settings', said I, 'but I'll check again'. Sure enough, the sat nav was in car mode from months ago previously rather than motorhome mode! Once set up correctly, we set off for an alternative Aire in Mirambeau nearby and enjoyed our first night in France.

Next day, we set off again to put some miles under our belts and got to the village of Sare on the French/Spanish border, Basque country. By chance, the local produce market was still open and as we wandered around the few stalls, we recognised a lady selling organic chillis whom we had met at the Espelette chilli festival last year. With a fresh string of bright red chillis in stock, we said 'au revoir' to France and headed over the border into Spain the following day.Read more
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Spanish Safari
October 22, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
It's always fun choosing where to head off for next and we've got a great app on the phone of campsites and Aires across Europe. Our first stop in Spain looked very interesting and it didn't disappoint.

Just off the motorway, not far from Santander, is the Parque de la Naturaleza Cabárceno, an exotic animal park, with free overnight parking, overlooking a lake, right next door. We did a double-take as within walking distance of the motorhome, would could see elephants and water buffalo inside the park. We had to go and see this.

Our entrance ticket was two-fold; firstly we took a cable car trip around the park and were able to get fantastic bird's-eye views of elephants, hippos, hyenas, wallabys, bison, camels, lynx and brown bears. The park reminded us of Jurassic Park, with lots of trees and undulating, natural rocky terrain. Next we were able to take our own vehicle to explore the vast area and other animals at our own pace. We decided to take the motorbike and ventured around the network of roads to see silver-backed gorilla's, zebras, jaguars, lion & lionesses and bengal tigers including a white one. It was very apparent that they have a successful breeding programme in place with lots of very young animals around including a baby gorilla who was still unsteady on his legs and provided us with lots of entertainment under the ever watchful eyes of his parents. We had an unusual yet fantastic day there.Read more
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Picos de Europa - Peaks of Europe
October 24, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
The Picos de Europa are made up of three limestone massifs reaching 2648m and straddle southwest Cantabria (from where we visited), northern Castilla y Leon and southeast Asturias. They offer some of the best walking country and scenery in Spain.

We took the motorbike and travelled through spectacular mountain roads and villages to Fuente Dé, where we took a cable car 753m up to the sheer southern wall of the Picos' central massif at 1823m. Our Lonely Planet guide told us that from here, there was an easy 3.5km one-hour walk to the Hotel Aliva where we would find refreshments. Sounded like a good plan and so off we set, mostly downhill. We reached the hotel only to find it was closed down, so there was nothing for it but to turn around, at which point we realised just how far down we had come. The hike back uphill was a bit of a killer but we made it and could say that we had really hiked the Picos. We were reminded of our trip still several days later as we could hardly walk! But, as our nephew George pointed out, at least we don't have any stairs in the motorhome to negotiate!Read more
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Oviedo
October 25, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
After several days of experiencing Spanish safaris and mountains, we felt it was time for some city life, so we set off for Oviedo, the capital of the Asturias region.

Our base for a few days was in an aire in a residential area, a 15 minute bus ride from the city. Whilst not the most picturesque place, it was safe, allowed us to 'flush & fill', had a supermarket and other shops opposite for reprovisioning and a laundry close by too.

Our time in Oviedo was spent walking around the pretty old town, visiting the market and finding out about the local specialities of fabada (a white bean, black sausage and chorizo stew), Cabrales, a strong, creamy blue cheese and cider and we enjoyed the free admission to the excellent Museum of Fine Art to check out some paintings by Picasso and Dali, as well as the Archaeological Museum to learn about the history of the region.Read more
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Lugo - a walled city
November 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Lugo, known as Lucus Augusti in Roman times, is the oldest city in Galicia, founded circa 14 BC. The Romans built a defensive wall around the city, more than 2km in length, encompassing 85 towers which rose two or three levels above the parapet. The Roman wall is the only one in the world to be preserved and intact and as such it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

The city is also a living museum of Roman civilisation including mosaics, baths, Ponte Vella (old bridge) and various remains. It also showcases monuments and buildings from several periods, with attractive parks and gardens, all of which are very well-maintained and presented, and makes the city a 'must-see'.

It is the Roman Wall though that really unites old and modern Lugo. At around 4m wide, it is possible to walk around the top completely and it is used daily by the locals for moving about the city, exercise or simply to enjoy a stroll. The films that we watched at the Tourist Office about its history helped us to understand and appreciate its importance as we circumnavigated it ourselves.

We then swopped one cultural experience for another and headed for a tapas bar. With our glass of wine, we were presented with a tray of cold tapas to choose from (tortilla and marinated anchovy is what we chose) and then the waiter told us about the hot tapas we could have (chorizo in cider & veal in a rich tomato sauce). All for 2.40€ each! They know how to live in Spain. We then had some octopus and prawns in garlic to share with chunks of bread to dip into the sauce. The Galacians seem to be big fans of octopus, with an octopus bar or restaurant on every street.

After all that food, we headed off for a walk down to the river to see the old Roman bridge. The sun was shining as we walked along watching locals canoeing in the waters of the Rio Miño, whilst herons stood like statues waiting to catch a fish as it swam by.Read more
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Ribadavia - wine & terror
November 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Ribadavia sits at the confluence of the rivers Avia and Miño, is the headquarters of the Ribeiro Denominación de Origen (DO) which produces some of Galicia's best white wines and is surrounded by verdant, rolling hills dotted with vineyards and hilltop villages. What better reasons do you need to visit?

We headed for an aire recommended in our guidebook, on the edge of the old town. It seemed that lots of locals had the same idea as it was very busy when we got there. Not what we were expecting in November. Chatting to an English-speaking motorhome neighbour, we found out why it was so busy. Our visit coincided with the annual 'Noite Meiga' (Night of the Wicked), similar to our Halloween, and, as well as a night of revelry in the old town, there was to be a terror show in the castle that night!

A trip to the excellent Tourist Office provided us with lots of ideas on how to spend our time here with over 100 vineyards, thermal baths and historic buildings to explore. We stopped off at a bar in the town square to sample some of the famous Ribeiro wine where you can enjoy a glass of award-winning wine for just €2 including a tapas.

When we returned to the square a few hours later, it was packed with witches, vampires, lots of Count Draculars, ghosts and even a werewolf - and that was just the adults! A band of drummers began a rhythmic beat as a group of witches performed a spell-binding dance, screams and all. We were mesmerised by it and wandered around with the locals enjoying the atmosphere. We didn't bother with the show at the castle but did hear the fireworks going off as we went to sleep.

Next morning, with the aire slowly emptying of vehicles, we strolled along the river, admiring the rows of vines to our side. Once back in town, the rain started so it seemed a good idea to head into a local hostelry that had caught our eye the night before. Once through the heavy wooden door, it was like being in a medieval tavern; dimmed lighting, a small fire in one corner, thick stone walls and arches. We asked for two red wines and were given a small terracotta bowl each. We were then shown over to two barrels, one of red wine and one of white. It was a case of help yourself and everyone was, so we followed the locals. To go with our wine we had a small meat & pastry tapas to share. When we left, our tapas and 5 bowls of wine cost just €3!!

Our original plan was to be based here for a few days and do some exploring on the bike but the weather forecast for the coming week looks wet, which isn't fun on a bike. So, we shall head south into northern Portugal and return when we can be sure of good weather. From what we have experienced so far, we are looking forward to it.Read more
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Worlds longest pain au chocolat?
November 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
At 27cm long, and spread over two plates, is this the longest pain au chocolat in the world? We think so and it tasted delicious.
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Alcobaça
November 13, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We are now in Portugal and have based ourselves in a campsite on the outskirts of Nazaré, 80 miles north of Lisbon.

This central region of Portugal is known as the Estremadura & Ribatejo area. It has beaches, vineyards, castles and historic villages aplenty. It is also home to three magnificent Unesco World Heritage monasteries and we visited two of them.

Just 10 miles from us is the town of Alcobaça, a pretty town and home to the 12th century, Santa Maria Monestary. Behind the imposing baroque facade is a contrasting plain interior with high arches. The monestary was founded by Alfonso Henriques, first king of Portugal and the estate became one of the richest and most powerful in the country, so much so that by the 18th century, the monks there had a reputation for their decadence. No wonder the grand, elaborately tiled kitchen was described as 'the most distinguished temple of gluttony in all of Europe' by William Beckford. The cooking area was immense with a huge chimney above and two separate cooking areas to either side. Marble sinks ran the lengths of the walls and it even had a water channel built through the middle to divert wild fish right into the kitchen!

In the Kings Room, statues of virtually all the Kings of Portugal line the walls above ceramic tiles depicting the history of the monestary's construction.

But what caught our eyes most was the intricate and elaborate tombs of Dom Pedro and Dona Inês de Castro and their tragic love story. Dom Pedro was the son of King Alfonso IV. He fell madly in love with his wife's Spanish lady-in-waiting, Dona Inês de Castro, with whom he had several children. After the death of his wife, his father forbade him from marrying Inês, wary of her Spanish families influence. He did not want Portugal getting involved in Spain's battles. Succuming to pressure from wary nobles, he sanctioned Inês' murder, unaware that the couple had secretly married years earlier. Two years later, when Dom Pedro succeeded to the throne, he took his revenge by ripping out and eating the hearts of the murderers. He then exhumed and crowned Inês' body and ordered the Court to pay homage to his dead queen by kissing her hand.

The tombs lie facing one another across the nave so that when they come back to life, as they raise themselves, it is each other they will see first. A story of love and gruesome revenge.Read more
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Knights Templars
November 15, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
An hours bike ride from our base was Tomar, with its historic centre, riverside park complete with swans and ducks and natural setting adjacent to the Seven Hills National Forest is also home to the Convento de Cristo, a monastery that is the headquarters of the legendary Knights Templar.

Wrapped in power and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries. Gualdim Pais, Grand Master, founded the monastery in 1160. Successive Knights and Grand Masters added to the building over the centuries which is reflected in the multitude of architecture on display.

Before we set foot inside, we climbed onto the 12th century crenellated walls and walked around some of the perimeter, looking down onto the town below, the views in the distance and passing the orange grove where the scent of the oranges on the trees proved too much for Chris who brought one back as a souvenir.

Once inside, the size of the building and all of its rooms was amazing. The highlight was the Charola, the 16-sized Templar church. It is said that the circular design enabled the Knights to attend Mass on horseback. The rich embellishment of the centre and views of some original wall paintings was fabulous.

The Manueline window on the western side of the church is apparently its most famous and fantastical feature. In celebration of the Age of Discoveries, which was largely bankrolled by the Knights, the window surround features stone carved snaking ropes, seaweed and cork boats atop of which is the Cross of the Order of Christ and the Royal Arms. To the right is a twisting belt seemingly buckled around a turret.

We wandered up and down, then in and out of all the different rooms that served as accommodation, offices, stores and then through several cloisters. We have visited many churches on our travels but this one was truly unique and well worth the visit.Read more
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