ALONG THE BACK ROADS: Exploring Évora

 

Before starting our day, we fueled up with a magnificent breakfast among the gothic arches in the cloister – what a glorious setting! The food was heavenly as well.

Our guide Susana met us in the lobby, then we went outside, and in the shadow of the Temple of Diana,  she explained to us the history of this medieval university  village.

 

We then walked through the old city, stopping by to chat with a lady named Antonia, who happened to walk out of her house. She gave us kisses and wished us a good day.

We got to the university and met two students who gave us a tour and answered our questions..

They  told us of their traditions, some formal and some funny. We were able to sit in one of the classrooms for a Q and A. They were attired in their robes which are used in ceremonial occasions, which looked quite familiar.  Was Harry Potter a member of the University of Evora? No, but J K Rawlings was living in Portugal when she wrote the books. The robes are identical!

Old and new, the medieval along with the modern – all worked together. The buildings were beautiful  and the students were a delight.

We did a walking tour of the other sites including the Évora cathedral, which has a blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It is the largest cathedral in Portugal.

The church of St Francis houses the unusual Chapel of Bones, which reminds us of the transitory nature of our being. The bones were brought here by three Franciscan monks in the sixteenth century  who dug them up from local cemeteries as a warning and a reminder to the wealthy citizenry who appeared to enjoy their worldly goods a bit too much: “We bones in here wait for you to join us.” The bones were artfully arranged along the chapel walls, ceiling and columns. It was very eerie and the reactions of the people who paraded around the chapel freaked me out a bit. Some seemed to enjoy it a bit too much, whereas others were appalled. It was a thought-provoking  encounter.

 

Susana took us to the food market for a few tastings of local products, then we were free . We found an ATM for me, and a store that seemed to have lots of odds and ends that met our needs: sunglasses and souvenirs. Beatrice saw a sign for ice cream on one of the streets, so we tracked it down and enjoyed a sumptuous “lunch.”

We had free time until 5:15, when we set off for our cooking lesson from the Portuguese Cooking School. A friend and colleague of Susana’s, Sophia and her crew greeted us enthusiastically. The school is located in the patio in what was the former garage of her home, which was renovated to resemble a garden house, with plants and herbs growing outside. She was assisted by three ladies. We broke ourselves up into two groups: one group made the salads and dessert and our group made the main courses. We were responsible for a pork stew and potatoes, and a cod dish with, among other things, onions, garlic and olive oil. ..the three most important ingredients in Portuguese cooking, we were told.  Menus were given out and we will bring them home to cook for you, or you can cook for us! Sophia started us out with a chorizo appetizer and fueled our culinary spirit with plenty of sangria, which went down smoothly. It was a delightful experience even for those of us who are less than gifted in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, we must say goodbye to Portugal, as we cross over the border into Spain tomorrow. Though it is a driving day, there will be some stops around the back roads once again. We will visit Mérida, Spain, one of the most important Roman capitals on the Iberian Peninsula and step back in time for a few brief moments.

To be continued…