"Catch of the day" from Algarve

[Richprins]

Just caught up!

Looks like everything is built on top of what is left from the previous century!

Fascinating!

Bullfighting! Isn't that a bit outdated?

Is the birds nest in a cannon?

[Lisbeth]

Not a canon, they are jars used as decoration

I ignored that they have bull fights in Portugal It still exists in certain places in Spain......unfortunately

[pooky]

Beautiful pics again Lisbeth

The white village

The view of the dam is awesome - so tranquil

and a yummy pork meal

Some of the wild flowers are the same as we have here

[Lisbeth]

We are only upside down. So not really strange that some of the flowers are the same

[Flutterby]

More lovely pics Lis...thanks for sharing.

[Lisbeth]

Time to finish the last two days.

In the afternoon we arrived in Èvora, our last stop.

Èvora

Due to its well-preserved old town centre, still partially enclosed by medieval walls, and a large number of monuments dating from various historical periods, including a Roman Temple, Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.

Évora is ranked number two in the Portuguese most livable cities survey of living conditions published yearly by Expresso. It was ranked first in a study concerning competitiveness of the 18 Portuguese district capitals, according to a 2006 study made by Minho University economic researchers.

To arrive with the car to the hotel in the middle of the old town (where cars are not allowed; only for unload) was an exploit Police only speaking Portuguese, who called the office to ask if they could less us go and then understand which way to go Don't ask me how, but we arrived, unloaded the luggage and then another tour to find the parking outside the city wall and then the long walk back to the hotel

17.03.2015

We woke up to a grey rainy day, not exactly what we had hoped for Èvora is such a pretty town, but with the rain......









We are in the middle of where the cork oaks are growing and you get get almost anything made of cork!



There are about 2,200,000 hectares of cork forest world wide; 34% in Portugal and 27% in Spain. Annual production is about 200,000 tons; 49.6% from Portugal, 30.5% from Spain, 5.8% from Morocco, 4.9% from Algeria, 3.5% from Tunisia, 3.1% Italy, and 2.6% from France.

Once the trees are about 25 years old the cork is traditionally stripped from the trunks every nine years, with the first two harvests generally producing lower quality cork. The trees live for about 300 years.

The cork industry is generally regarded as environmentally friendly.Cork production is generally considered sustainable due to the fact that the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork; only the bark is stripped to harvest the cork. The tree continues to live and grow. The sustainability of production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects. Cork Oak forests also prevent desertification and are a particular habitat in the Iberian Peninsula and the refuge of various endangered species.

[Richprins]

Aha! Fascinating details of cork! Never knew that, and good sustainable uitilisation!

[Lisbeth]

Roman Temple of Évora



The temple is believed to have been constructed around the first century A.D.,in homage to Augustus who was venerated as a god during and after his rule. The temple was built in the main public square (forum) of Évora, then called Liberatias Iulia. During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, from the traditionally accepted chronology, the temple was part of a radical redefinition of the urban city, when the religious veneration and administrative polity was oriented around the central space: the structure was modified around this time.

The Temple of Diana is located within the UNESCO World Heritage area of Évora and is one of the city’s most important landmarks, and one of the most important pieces of Roman architectural remains in the whole of Portugal.

[Lisbeth]

THE CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral is a building dating back to the 13th century, but it has known great changes during the 13th century. It has a clear resemblance to the Cathedral of Lisbon: its architectural language presents a harmonious composition of Roman and Gothic styles. The head of the church was rebuilt in the 18th century, in Baroque style, by the hand of the famous architect of Mafra Convent, John Frederick Ludovice. Inside, among other things, it is possibile to admire the altar of Our Lady of O, (one of the most venerated images by mothers, and object of an ancient tradition according to which one should ring the bell when a woman gave birth to a child), the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy or of the Spur, located on top of transept north arm, with an interesting Renaissance portal in marble from Estremoz, the Choir of the 16th century, built under the patronage of Archbishop Alfonso of Portugal, with its Mannerist stalls (the time of Cardinal Henry), and finally, the pipe organ made in oak from the 17th century, designated as Iberian, and built during D. Teotonio Pereira time as archebishop (1578-1602).

The Outside







The Cloister





The Inside













Next: The Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval

[Richprins]

Astounding!

Wonder how many tiles there are...a real labour of love!